MATH 105: APPLIED ALGEBRA
Fall WEC 2012-2013
Class meets:
8:30-12:00 on Saturdays
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
8, 22
6, 20
3, 17
1, 8
**If you must
miss a class I
recommend taking
the course during
during another
session.
Instructor:
Alyssa Hanson
Class Location: TBA...check Records and Registration before the first class
Email:
hansona3@augsburg.edu
Office Hours:
I am available before and after each class to answer questions. I
also invite you to email or call me as needed.
Tutor Hours:
There will be free tutor/review sessions offered for this course. I
will announce the details during class.
Prerequisite:
You must be in Math Placement Group 2. (Passing this course will
advance you to Math Placement Group 3)
Text:
Applied Algebra,  edition by Su Dorée.
Materials:
A Scientific calculator…I highly recommend a Texas Instrument
TI-30X IIS or TI-30X IIB (both are available in the bookstore,
Target, Walgreens, etc.)
Course Grade
Your grade is based on: Attendance, Quizzes, Exams, worksheets, and a Final
Exam.
At the end of the course, your course points are converted to a course grade
according to the following curve:
94 % – 100 %
87 % – 93 %
80 % – 86 %
73 % – 79 %
4.0
3.5
3.0
2.5
66 % – 72 %
59 % – 65 %
52 % – 58 %
0 % – 51 %
Please note:
 Missing a class may result in a lowered final grade.
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.0
 If you elect to take the course Pass/No Credit, you must earn at least a 2.0
to pass.
Course Expectations
Homework: The best way to learn math is to practice, practice, practice. This
is a course that will require you to study a little bit each day. After each class
session, read the sections covered, do all of the assigned exercises, and check
your answers in the back of the book. If you feel you need more practice, I
recommend re-working out the exercises, working through the worksheets
posted on Moodle, and the handouts given during class. Although the homework
is not collected, it is important that you complete all of the assigned exercises.
Attendance: It is expected that you will attend all sessions. If there is an
emergency, please contact me as soon as possible to find out how to possibly
make up the missed assessment. If you know in advance that you must miss
even one class, I recommend taking the course during another term. Missing
class will result in a lower grade.
Asking for Help: Please know that I am here to help you learn the material.
Please let me know if you need additional help or have questions.
Technology/Laptops/Cellphones: I will be using Moodle to post documents for
the class so it is important for you access our Moodle website as well as your
Augsburg on a regular basis. I also ask that you do not use
laptops/iPads/tablets during class as they are not needed for this course and
are distracting to others. Cell phones may not be used as calculators on
assessments.
Assessments
The quizzes and exams are designed to encourage you to keep up as well as
give you feedback on how well you understand the material. It also tells me
how well you are grasping the concepts. You may not use notes on the
assessments and they require individual work. In the event of an emergency,
one assessment makeup may be given at the discretion of the instructor before
the next session. Re-takes are not allowed.
Calendar (the topics covered may change as we move through the course)
Sept 8
Introductions
Discuss 1.1-1.4
Sept 22
Quiz 1
Discuss 1.5-1.8
Oct 6
Exam 1
Discuss 2.1-2.4
Oct 20
Quiz 2
Discuss 2.5-2.8
Nov 3
Exam 2
Discuss 3.1-3.3
Nov 17
Quiz 3
Discuss 3.4-3.6
Dec 1
Exam 3
Review for Final
Dec 8
Final Exam
Accommodations due to a Disability
To request academic accommodations due to a disability, please
contact the CLASS Office (612-330-1053). If you have a letter from this
office indicating you have a disability which requires academic
accommodations, please present the letter to me so I will be able to
provide the accommodations that you will need in this class.
Academic Honesty
Follow all academic honesty rules. To be clear, you are encouraged to share ideas,
check answers, and compare solutions with classmates, but any work you submit
must be ``your own work'' as defined by the Augsburg College Academic Honesty
Policy.
You may not get solutions from additional texts and resources. It is against the
academic honesty policy to receive any documents from people not currently in
the class.
Assignment for the first class
 Purchase textbook and calculator before class.
 Print and read through the syllabus and bring questions to class
 Read the introduction and “What is Algebra?” in the beginning of
the text
 Read through the exercises in Section 1.1 and try a few exercises.
We will discuss this is class but I have found that students who
get a head start on the book do better in the course.
I have found that a big part of teaching this course is helping adult
students realize that they can succeed in math. I respect the fact that
taking a math course as an adult may feel overwhelming. Please know
that I am here to help you through this if you are willing to have a
positive attitude and practice a little bit each day.
Math Anxiety Bill of Rights
by Sandra L. Davis
as appears in Overcoming Math Anxiety
by Sheila Tobias (Toronto: Norton, 1978) 236-7
I have the right to learn at my own pace and not feel put down or stupid if I’m
slower than someone else.
I have the right to ask whatever questions I have.
I have the right to need extra help.
I have the right to ask a teacher [or tutor] for help.
I have the right to say I don’t understand.
I have the right not to understand.
I have the right to feel good about myself regardless of my abilities in math.
I have the right to not base my self-worth on my math skills.
I have the right to view myself as capable of learning math.
I have the right to evaluate my math instructors and how they teach.
I have the right to relax.
I have the right to be treated as a competent adult.
I have the right to dislike math.
I have the right to define success in my own terms.