Course Information
College Algebra, Math 143 - Section 1
Spring, 2006

Office Hours: M,F 9-10am, T 2:30-3:30pm, and by e-mail or appointment at other times.

You should use office hours or appointments (for all your classes) as an ongoing resource to address questions or difficulties that were not addressed in class.  Knowing your professor is great motivation and a good way to get advice on courses and other education and career related decisions.  Feel free to stop by.

Free tutoring is available from the Math Center in the Center for Teaching and Learning, Museum 433 in Pocatello, CHE Room 306 in Idaho Falls.  Hours and information at www.isu.edu/ctl/math/math1.html.

Objectives: Mathematics is an important part of a broad education, is used in all science and many social science fields, and is crucial in thinking logically and critically.  Mathematical literacy includes not only mastering various technical principles but also developing the ability to use the precise language of mathematics, and can help you both in your future career and in daily decisions.  Learning these skills can be difficult and frustrating at times.  But solving a problem, expressing an answer clearly, and making a decision based on understanding mathematical evidence are all rewarding processes that contribute to becoming a well educated and well rounded person.  At the core of mathematics and many of its applications is the notion of function, the main topic in Math 143.

By the end of this course you should be able to:

• Work with polynomial, rational, exponential, and logarithmic functions from algebraic, graphical, numerical, and verbal perspectives.
• Effectively graph and analyze functions by hand and using a graphing calculator.
• Formulate mathematical questions, solve problems, and present the solutions clearly.
• Apply learning and study skills to succeed in this course and beyond.

Prerequisites: Math 108 with a grade of C- or better, or demonstrated equivalent proficiency in Intermediate Algebra is required.  Math 143 assumes the material in Chapters 1 and 2 of the required text; in particular, that you can accurately solve basic equations and inequalities.  Review these as needed.

Purpose: Math 143 with a grade of C- or better serves as a prerequisite for Calculus (Math 160 or Math 170) in combination with Trigonometry (Math 144).  The 5 credit course Precalculus (Math 147) covers the same material as Math 143 and 144.  Math 143 will not fulfill General Education Goal 3 by itself.

Accommodations: If you have a disability or think you have a disability (physical, learning disability, hearing, vision, psychiatric) which may need a reasonable accommodation, please contact the ADA Disabilities & Resource Center located in Graveley Hall, Room 123, 282-3599 as early as possible.

Format and Evaluation
Class time will include a mixture of lectures and cooperative group work.  I expect you to come to class prepared by having read and thought about the material ahead of time.  You are responsible for material covered in all class sessions regardless of whether you have reason to be absent.

Homework will be assigned and some will be collected.  Show all work and include complete, clear explanations.  Organize and present your work neatly.  Papers should be stapled with no ragged edges.
Quizzes will be given over definitions and problems similar to homework.  Since your lowest quiz and lowest homework grade will be dropped, I will accept no late homework and give no make-up quizzes.
Reading sheets will be collected once or twice a week and are explained on a separate handout.  Each will be graded 0, .5, or 1, based only on effort, not correctness.  There will be 20 reading sheets during the semester and the point total will count as one homework score (so everyone can earn one perfect homework score by completing all reading sheets).  These are intended to to give you credit for reading the section before we discuss it in class and to help you stay caught up and be prepared.

Studying together and discussing problems are encouraged, after you have worked hard on the material or problem yourself, since this can be a very effective and rewarding way to learn mathematics.  Answers in the book or a study guide are also most valuable when used after completing a problem.  In order to be fair to your colleagues and to guarantee your own understanding, you must write up solutions in your own words and acknowledge in writing any assistance you received from any human, print, or web sources.  Sharing or copying complete solutions is not allowed.

Exams will be given in class, tentatively on the dates shown below, and will be written by me.  The cumulative final will be uniform for all sections and will be written by the course coordinator, Dr. Palmer.  Make a note now of the uniform date and time of the final.  Old (2001-2002) final exams and review questions written by a different person are available at www.isu.edu/~laquerht/classes/m143info.html.
All exams will be closed book with no notes allowed and assume use of a graphing calculator.  Each will include some questions that involve applying familiar concepts in new situations.  Exams can only be made up in cases of documented emergencies or exceptional circumstances and you must notify me as soon as possible and no later than the next class meeting.

Grades of A, B, C, D will be guaranteed by earning overall percentages of 90%, 80%, 70%, 60%.  Cutoffs for +/- will be these values +/-2 percentage points.

Philosophy: All of you have the potential to succeed in this course and hard work helps dramatically.  I continue to learn by expanding my knowledge of mathematics and its connections with other subjects, by doing original mathematical research, by understanding more about learning and teaching, and by working to teach in ever more effective ways.  I expect that you will also deepen your knowledge of mathematics and its applications, will learn to formulate questions that lead you to construct your own understanding of mathematics, and will know more about the process of learning and solving problems after you complete this course.  The most important skill you gain during a college education is the ability to learn independently.

How to Succeed:  You will need to work hard and learn a great deal both during class and outside of class.  Expect to spend 2-3 hours outside of class for every hour spent in class.  College differs from high school in that the pace is faster (perhaps two to three times as fast) and the understanding expected is deeper (beyond working template problems).  Some habits that will help you learn actively (both in and outside of class) and succeed in this course are:

• Read the section before we discuss it in class.  Do not expect to understand everything the first time.  But reading the material ahead of time and trying some problems will help you

(1) be familiar with the basic ideas so you can participate and understand more in class, and
(2) identify what you do not understand so you can ask questions in class or office hours.
 
• Read productively so you will understand and retain the material better.  As you read, write down all questions you have, observations you make, and examples or computations you work out.  This should help you understand and retain the material better.  It may also help to make outlines, summaries, concept diagrams, or lists of main results in your own words.  Read when you are alert.
  

• Re-read.  Almost everyone (including me) finds it necessary to read mathematics several times to fully understand it.  You will understand the material more deeply when you re-read it.
  
  
• Focus on definitions, conclusions, and methods. Mathematics is a language and it is absolutely necessary to understand the precise definitions of key terms.  Methods for solving problems are also crucial, and general results and conclusions are important.
  
  
• Form study teams and discuss what you read and learn with others.  Talking to someone about the material will strengthen your knowledge and make studying more fun, even if that person is not in the class.  Working together you can get further than you can separately.
  

• Formulate, record, and ask questions.  If you work hard on a problem yourself and become stuck or do not understand an idea, seek out help from me, the Math Center, or fellow students.  Attempt assigned homework early so you have time to ask questions about it.
   

• Participate actively in group work and discussion during class.
  

• Take thorough notes in class, using your own shorthand and abbreviations in order to keep up.
    

• Learn from mistakes of your own and others (including me) made on homework or in class.
  

• Be organized, clear, and accurate.
  

• Work productively by developing efficient and effective study and problem solving skills.  Work 9 hours per week (on average) on the course outside of class time.  Doing this by spending 1-1.5 hours on reading, doing problems, and reviewing old material every day is more productive than putting in all of the time once or twice a week.  Keep a time log of how you spend each half hour of the day for a couple weeks to become more aware of your use of time.

I look forward to a successful and rewarding semester of learning together!