IMPORTANT DATES -- Note: There are NO MAKE-UP EXAMS
Pre Test: August 25th, 7:15-8:15 pm
Unit Tests: September 15th, October 13th, November 10th, 7:15-8:15pm
Post Test: Tuesday December 8th, 7:15-8:15 pm
Final: Wednesday December 16th, 6:20-8:10PM

Mathematics is the unique language that is precise enough to describe the world for the study of science and many other subjects. In a language class, you should expect to learn basic grammar, practice actually using the language, and also learn a little about the culture where that language is spoken. We will work on all of these. The "grammar" of mathematics are the rules for manipulating variables and equations, and we will study these in class, with online assignments for drill until you master these basic rules. We will meet each week in the computer lab to work through various "labs" and "projects" to give you a chance to use your mathematical tools to build models and draw conclusions about a variety of situations in business, the social and life sciences, and the physical world. And we will also look at how mathematicians validate these rules and do some problem-solving in pure mathematics.

Mathematical language can be approached in several different ways. You can look at problems algebraically, graphically, and numerically. This class will push you to translate between these different approaches so you can better understand what each tells you and be better prepared to handle real problems where you may need to switch back and forth between different representations. You will also be asked not just to solve problems, but also to describe and explain mathematical and scientific ideas. In such problems, both the correctness and the clarity of your exposition (including grammar and spelling) will count.

Course Procedures

Studio College Algebra has been running for the past two and a half years. We have now scaled up to handle the large number of students who enroll in college algebra. This version of college algebra will cover a slightly different mix of material than the traditional version. While this section is targeted more at students who are not planning on taking Math 150 and Math 220 in the future, if you later decide to take these courses this section will count like any other section of Math 100 to satisfy the prerequisites for those courses.

Materials Required These sections will use a different textbook than the regular sections. The textbook for these sections is College Algebra in Context by Harshbarger and Yocco, 3rd Edition. You will also need to purchase an ICLICKER from Varney's bookstore, which you will have to bring to every lecture. The website for these sections is www.math.ksu.edu/math100studio. There is a link to this webpage from the course page in K-State Online.

The procedures in these sections are different from the standard sections. We will meet three times a week. Everyone meets Wednesday for lecture at one of 2 times; you have recitation on Monday or Tuesday, and you have Studio on either Thursday or Friday. During studio, we carry out projects (a lot of times using spreadsheets), learn some additional material, and develop a deeper understanding of the material presented previously. On Mondays and Tuesdays we will have recitation in different rooms depending on the hour, which will focus on answering questions and being sure everyone understands problems in the textbook and online homework.

Participation and Preparation: You are expected to attend every class meeting, with ICLICKER in hand. In addition to attendance, there will be a variety of short assignments to be turned in at the beginning of various classes to help you be prepared for the material. The sections to be covered in class and any short assignments will be announced in the previous class and also posted on the class web page throughout the semester.

Homework: Written homework will be assigned weekly and is due in the homework box by 10:00 am on the due date (Wednesday at 10 am). Homework assignments will be announced weekly in class and posted on the class web page. Late homework may not be accepted.

Online Homework: There will also be regular online homework assignments posted on the class web page. These assignments will be computer graded with immediate feedback. The problems are randomly generated for each student, and you may try an assignment as many times as you want before midnight of the due date. You will receive your highest score over all your attempts on each assignment. HOWEVER, TO RECEIVE ANY CREDIT AT ALL, YOU MUST SCORE AT LEAST 50% on the problem sets (that means get 50% correct).

Studio: The course has a weekly studio. The assignments will be posted on the class web page. You will need to attend the studio session to get specific instructions and help on carrying out the assignments. Most (all?) of the studios we be worked with Excel and you can finish or review your work at home using any standard spreadsheet. Written reports will be turned into the studio box by 5:00pm on the due date (the following Friday). Please be careful to turn homework into the homework box and studio reports into the studio box; different people pick up the different types of assignments.

Exams: This course will have evening exams on Tuesdays from 7:15 pm-8:15pm, plus a comprehensive final exam from 6:20PM-8:10PM on Wednesday, May 13th. We will not have exams every Tuesday. There will be a pretest on Tuesday, January 20th, a posttest on Tuesday, May 5th, and three additional hour exams, one on September 15th, one on October 13th, and one on November 10th. Exact rooms and dates for these exams will be announced during the course. Exams may include material from lectures, homework, and studios. There are no make-up exams -- if an emergency arises you must contact your recitation instructor as soon as possbile before the exam. After each exam is graded, a scale will be posted listing the minimum A, B, C, and D scores on that exam.

GRADES: Grades will be computed mechanically. We will scale written homework, online homework, studio scores and participation grades to 60 points for each category. THE PARTICICIPATION AND STUDIO CATEGORIES WILL NOT BE CURVED. The exams, homework and online hw categories may have curves attached to them. The pre/post test will be worth 10 points, the unit tests will be worth 80 points, and the final will be worth 140 points. We will then total your scores. We will also total the minimum A, the minimum B, etc. on the homeworks, labs, exams, and final. Students whose total is at least as large as the minimum A will have an A. Students who are one point below that level will have a B, etc.

Boilerplate

Academic Integrity
Kansas State University has an Honor System based on personal integrity, which is presumed to be sufficient assurance that, in academic matters, one's work is performed honestly and without unauthorized assistance. Undergraduate and graduate students, by registration, acknowledge the jurisdiction of the Honor System. The policies and procedures of the Honor System apply to all full and part-time students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate courses on-campus, off-campus, and via distance learning. The honor system website can be reached via the following URL: www.ksu.edu/honor . A component vital to the Honor System is the inclusion of the Honor Pledge which applies to all assignments, examinations, or other course work undertaken by students. The Honor Pledge is implied, whether or not it is stated: "On my honor, as a student, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid on this academic work." A grade of XF can result from a breach of academic honesty. The F indicates failure in the course; the X indicates the reason is an Honor Pledge violation.

Academic Accommodations
Any student with a disability who needs a classroom accommodation, access to technology or other assistance in this course should contact Disability Support Services and/or the instructor.

Expectations for Classroom Conduct
All student activities in the University, including this course, are governed by the Student Judicial Conduct Code as outlined in the Student Governing Association By Laws, Article VI, Section 3, number 2. Students who engage in behavior that disrupts the learning environment may be asked to leave the class.