Course Syllabus

Course Prefix and Number: MATH 341

Course Title & Credit Hours: Math Concepts for Teachers I Syllabus, 3 credit hours

Dakota State University

Academic Term, Year: Summer 2009 (May 18 - June 26)

Course Meeting Time and Location:  Internet Course, final must be taken by June 26th (earlier is fine)

 

Instructors Contact Information:

Dr. Richard Avery

Office: 125 Science Center

Telephone: 256-5188

E-mail: rich.avery@dsu.edu



Office Hours:  I will respond to email every working day and I will respond on most weekends as well.   Please send me an email (preferably through Desire2Learn email) and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

 

Course Description: An introduction to sets, numeration systems, arithmetic operations/algorithms, problem solving and other topics. (2007-2008 DSU Catalog)

 

Course Prerequisites:

Prerequisites: MATH 102, College Algebra

Technology Skills: Desire2Learn will be used to deliver course supplements as well as serving as a communication tool between students and instructor.  MyMathLab will be used for homework, quizzes and exams.  Students must run the installation wizard linked on the announcements page before they will be able to complete the MyMathLab Homework assignments as well as take Quizzes and Exams.  Note: students must download the TestGen PlugIn.

     

Description of Instructional and Course Delivery Methods: Students learn mathematics by doing mathematics. Lessons and assignments are developed to engage students and facilitate learning.  (ACTIVE LEARNING)  This is a competency based course with online homework, quizzing and testing components using MyMathLab.  During the academic year there are on campus sections which use the standard lecture format and Internet sections which take advantage of the full capabilities of MyMathLab (videos included).

 

                                                                                                                       

Course Requirements:

 

Required Textbook(s) and Other Materials: Billstein, Libeskind and Lott, Mathematics for Elementary School Teachers (9th Edition), (Pearson Education, Inc, New York, 2007).  Students are required to purchase a MyMathLab access code (comes bundled with a new textbook).  Students may choose not to purchase a hard copy of the book, an electronic copy of the sections of the book for this course is contained in the MyMathLab course site as well as many supplemental resources.  You can purchase an Access Code at the DSU bookstore or online at www.coursecompass.com (the advantage of purchasing online is that in the unlikely event you drop or withdraw from the course there is an avenue to get a refund as explained under the Student section of Getting Started at www.coursecompass.com).  Note, if you have already taken Math 341 or Math 342 you may not need to buy an Access Code, check to see if your access code is still valid by following the instructions under Getting Started for multi-semester registrations at www.coursecompass.com.

 

 

Course ID:  avery96889 is the MyMathLab Course ID for Summer of 2009.

 

Getting Started with MyMathLab:  Go to the CourseCompass website (powers MyMathLab) at www.coursecompass.com and under the students section (bottom left portion of the screen) you will see instructions for: How to Register, How to buy Access, Getting Started as well as Take a Tour.  Go to the MyMathLab settings file in the Desire2Learn site for instructions on setting your Internet Explorer settings to avoid turning off your pop up blockers.  See the MyMathLab Navigation-Registration file on the Desire2Learn course site for more details.

 

 

Selected Bibliography:

        • R. Brualdi, Introductory Combinatorics (North-Holland, New York, 1992).
        • COMAP, For All Practical Purposes (W.H. Freeman and Company, New York, 1994).
        • D.Devine et al, Elementary Mathematics For Teachers (John Wiley and Sons, New York, 1991).
        • M.Dugopolski, Intermediate Algebra (Addison Wesley, Massachusetts, 1996).
        • G. Musser et al, Mathematics for Elementary Teachers (John Wiley and Sons, New York, 2000).
        • P. O'Daffer et al, Mathematics for Elementary School Teachers (Addison Wesley, Massachusetts, 2002).
        • L.Schmidt et al, College Algebra (Prentice Hall, New Jersey, 1996).

 

 

             University Deadlines:

 

Add/Drop Deadline (Census Day): May 21st is the last day to add this course or drop this course and receive 100% refund. 

 

                        Withdraw Deadline: June 15th is the last day to withdraw from this course and receive a grade of “W”.

 

      DSU Student Information and Help Links:

 

Student Handbook: http://www.departments.dsu.edu/studentaffairs/handbook/

DSU Catalogs: http://www.departments.dsu.edu/registrar/catalog/

Computing Services Support: http://www.support.dsu.edu/

 

            MyMathLab Online Support: http://247pearsoned.custhelp.com/ (click on the Ask a Question Tab)

            MyMathLab Phone Support:  1-800-677-6337

 

 

Course Goals:

      • Students will demonstrate knowledge of and ability to use arithmetic algorithms.
      • Students will use arithmetic algorithms to perform arithmetic operations in other number bases.
      • Students will demonstrate the concept of place value in other number base systems using dot models.
      • Students will model arithmetic operations using area, number line, and charge field models.
      • Students will categorize whole numbers, integers, rational numbers, and real numbers by their respective closure properties.
      • Students will demonstrate number sense.  Students will give examples with supporting justifications of numbers that are in one set, but not another. 
      • Students will point out properties of subsets of real numbers under arithmetic operations, in particular closure.
      • Students will justify conclusions applying rules of logic.
      • Students will create diagrams illustrating set operations. Students will demonstrate knowledge of set operations.
      • Students will organize and display data.
      • Students will describe and analyze data.
      • Students will use probability concepts.  Students will justify test taking strategies by examining expected values.
      • Students will compute probabilities.

 

 

Evaluation Procedures: Course grade will be based on a 500-point scale. 

                                                           

                                                                        MyMathLab Quizzes              100 points

                                                                        MyMathLab HW                    100 points    

Midterm                                  100 points

Final                                       100 points

Basic Skills Final                     100 points

                                                            Total                                       500 points

 

Your grade will be calculated using your accumulated point total. The grade scale is:

 

 

                                                                                    A         450-500

                                                                                    B         400-449

                                                                                    C         350-399

                                                                                    D         300-349

                                                                                    F          < 300

 

 

Students near a cutoff may receive the higher grade at the discretion of the instructor.  Quizzes that end in an M (for example Q 3.2M) are multiple choice practice quizzes and are not used in the evaluation procedure, however they usually serve as a prerequisite for the Quiz that is used in the evaluation procedure.  Take the prerequisite quiz as many times as necessary to meet the standard to take the quiz that is used in the evaluation procedure.  Your best score is used in the evaluation procedure for quizzes that you are allowed to take more than once.  You should REDO homework problems (click on the similar exercise button to redo a problem) until you have a perfect homework score for every section!

 

Classroom Policies:

 

Class Attendance-Completion Policy: Students are expected to meet the online deadlines for assessments set in MyMathLab. 

 

Homework Completion Policy: Students are expected to complete assignments by the deadlines set in MyMathLab and there will be no make-up opportunities for missed homework and quizzes.  Some quizzes can be taken more than once in which case the highest achieved score is used in the evaluation procedure.

 

Cheating & plagiarism Policy: Academic dishonesty includes giving, receiving or using unauthorized aid on any academic work. The definition of academic dishonesty and the procedure for handling it are described in detail in the current version of the student handbook.  You should read and understand this material.  You will be allowed to use any handwritten notes during the exams as well as anything you have saved on your computer, however you are not allowed to use any communication tools during an exam (that means no email, no networking sites like facebook, no phones – turn off your cell phone or leave with your proctor, …).  You will not receive credit (zero) if you are caught using communication tools during an exam or using unauthorized aid during an exam of any form.

 

Make-up Policy: There will be no make up opportunities for missed quizzes or homework assignments, you must meet the deadlines set in MyMathLab.  In the case of an excusable extended illness/absence during the semester contact the instructor to make arrangements for completing the course.

 

ADA Statement:  If you have a documented disability and/or anticipate needing accommodations (e.g., non-standard note taking, test modifications) in this course, please arrange to meet with the instructor. Also, please contact Dakota State University’s ADA coordinator, Keith Bundy in the Student Development Office located in the Trojan Center Underground or at 256-5121, as soon as possible. The DSU website containing additional information, along with the form to request accommodations is http://www.departments.dsu.edu/disability_services/. You will need to provide documentation of your disability. The ADA coordinator must confirm the need for accommodations before officially authorizing them.  

 

Academic Honesty Statement: Cheating and other forms of academic dishonesty run contrary to the purpose of higher education and will not be tolerated in this course. All forms of academic dishonesty will result in no credit for the corresponding work. Dakota State Universities policy on academic integrity (DSU Policy 03-22-00) is available online.

Freedom in Learning Statement:  Students are responsible for learning the content of any course of study in which they are enrolled. Under Board of Regents and University policy, student academic performance shall be evaluated solely on an academic basis and students should be free to take reasoned exception to the data or views offered in any course of study.  It has always been the policy of Dakota State University to allow students to appeal the decisions of faculty, administrative, and staff members and the decisions of institutional committees.  Students who believe that an academic evaluation is unrelated to academic standards but is related instead to judgment of their personal opinion or conduct should contact the dean of the college which offers the class to initiate a review of the evaluation.

The Professor reserves the right to modify this course syllabus to better meet student needs.

 

COURSE OUTLINE :

 

Chapter 1: An Introduction to Problem Solving

 

Chapter 2: Sets, Whole Numbers, and Functions (Chapter 2 is supplemented with Logic and Set lessons.)

 

Chapter 3: Numeration Systems and Whole-Number Computation (Chapter 3 is supplemented with detailed place value and number base lessons.)

 

Chapter 4: Integers and Number Theory

                       

The Midterm exam covers material from chapters 1-4.

 

 

Chapter 5:  Rational Numbers as Fractions

 

Chapter 6: Decimals, Percents, and Real Numbers

 

The Basic Skills exam covers material from chapters 1-6.

 

 

 

Chapter 7:  Probability (Chapter 7 is supplemented with a multistage experiment, conditional probability lesson.)

 

The Final exam covers material from chapters 1-7.

 

 

 

See the MyMathLab site for homework, quiz and exam due dates.  Quizzes may have up to a 75% prerequisite for the corresponding homework section and/or practice quiz.