NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE

COURSE SYLLABUS

 

 

COURSE AND INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

 

 

Course title:  Contemporary Mathematics

Course prefix, number, and section number:  MATH 1332 0350

Semester/Year of course:  Fall 2024

Semester start and end dates:  8/26/2024 – 12/14/2024

Modality  Asynchronous online

Class meeting location, days, and times:  N/A

Support course (if needed) meeting location, days, and times:  NCBM 0132 0350

Semester credit hours:  3 (Lecture hours: 48)

 

Course Description:  Intended for Non STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) majors. Topics include introductory treatments of sets and logic, financial mathematics, probability and statistics with appropriate applications. Number sense, proportional reasoning, estimation, technology, and communication should be embedded throughout the course. Additional topics may be covered.

 

Course prerequisites:  Meet TSI college-readiness standard for Contemporary Mathematics; or equivalent.

 

Required course materials:  Registration in the course automatically adds a textbook fee to your NCTC tuition and fees which gives you access to the online learning platform and e-book needed for MATH 1332 (MyLab Math).  You do not need to purchase a separate access code.  Instructions on how to get your access code can be found in a document on the Course Homepage or in the course Modules. (see * Inclusive Access below for more information)

 

Scientific calculator, TI-30X IIS is recommended

Phone calculators will not be allowed on exams.

 

Optional course materials:  Thinking Mathematically, Robert F. Blitzer, 8^th edition, Pearson, 2023

 

Name of instructor:  Judy Keller

Office location:  COR203

Telephone number:  940-498-0645

Email address:  jkeller@nctc.edu

 

You can communicate with me through email or during office hours. I usually answer emails within 24 hours (except on the weekends).

 

STUDENT HOURS (OFFICE HOURS)

Each week instructors have time set aside to meet with students outside of class. (Traditionally these times are called “office hours”.) This is a time when a student may ask questions regarding the class, or discuss a particular problem/topic with an instructor one-on-one.  Student hours may be held in-person or online.  See below for instructions on where/when/how instructors will offer student hours in this class.

 

In-person student hours:

Monday -Thursday               7:00am-8:00am

                                                10:00am-11:30pm

Friday and evening times by appointment only

 

Online student hours:  Appointments for virtual meetings can be made by clicking this Cisco Webex Link in Canvas and selecting the “Office Hours” option at the top.  Please make appointments at least a day in advance.

 

 

 

MATH TUTORING LAB

 

Students who need help with any math class can visit the NCTC Mathematics Lab to receive assistance.  There are math tutors available on most campuses and online.  This service is free for all students enrolled in an NCTC math class. Sign up for an appointment or see the most current tutoring hours for all campuses at https://www.nctc.edu/math-lab. 

 

 

SYLLABUS CHANGE DISCLAIMER

 

 

The faculty member reserves the right to make changes to this published syllabus if it is in the best interest of the educational development of this class. Any such changes will be announced as soon as possible in person and/or writing.

 

 

SUMMARY OF COURSE ASSIGNMENTS

 

 

List of graded assignments: 

Assignment Type                 Number of graded elements                            Percentage Value

Homework                                          Approx. 30                                                      5%

Quizzes                                               14                                                                    20%

Ch. Reviews                                        4                                                                      10%

Projects                                               4                                                                      50%

Attendance                                         15                                                                    5%

Final grade scale:  90 – 100% = A;   80 – 89% = B; 70 – 79% = C;  60 – 69% = D;  Below 60% = F

 

Late work policy: 

No late quizzes or tests will be allowed without a penalty. Check the due dates on your calendar.

*The lowest quiz grade will be dropped at the end of the semester.

Your up-to-date grades will be posted in Canvas each week. Look for the module “grades” in your Canvas math course.

MyMathLab (MML) is an online system where you will be spending most of your time in this course (this is where your homework, quizzes and chapter reviews are located). You will access MML through the Canvas course page using the Pearson Access tab.  It has video lectures, podcasts of lectures, PowerPoint notes, and other means of helping you learn the material.  It also gives you access to the ebook, so you don’t need to purchase a textbook.  MML is where you will work on homework and quizzes.  These assignments are due on Sundays at 11:59 pm (unless otherwise noted).

Homework

Homework is 15% of your grade.  It will be divided into sections based on the sections of the textbook.  There will be anywhere from 2 to 4 homework sections due in a week.  They will be due every Sunday at 11:59 pm.

For most of the homework problems, except some multiple choice problems, you will have 3 chances to get the problem correct.  If you are not correct on the third try, it is marked wrong.  However, you can click on the button at the bottom of the homework window that says “try again”.  You will get a whole new problem (similar to the original), that you can have another 3 chances at (and if you get this one correct, then it is not marked wrong anymore).  In other words, you have 15 chances to get most problems correct.  So there really is little reason why you cannot get near 100% on all the homework assignments!

 

Quizzes

Quizzes are 20% of your grade.  You will have 1-3 quizzes each week, over the same sections as the homework.  You cannot check each problem separately in the quizzes as you can in the homework.  You must complete the entire quiz and submit it.  Then you will be told your grade, and you can review problems you missed.  You may take each quiz five times, and your highest grade will be the one recorded.  These will also be due Sundays at 11:59pm.

 

Chapter Reviews

Reviews are 10% of your grade. You may take each review 3 times, and your highest grade will be the one recorded.  These will also be due Sundays at 11:59pm.

 

Calculators: A scientific calculator is required for this class.  The recommended one is the TI-30X IIS.  There will be specific instructions on how to use this calculator for some statistical calculations posted in Canvas and MSL. A graphing calculator is not required, but not forbidden either.  The textbook and MSL do give instructions on how to do different procedures with one. SEE CANVAS FOR THE COMPLETE COURSE CALENDAR, OUTLINE, DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF GRADED WORK, AND OTHER RELATED MATERIAL.

 

 

COURSE POLICIES

 

 

Academic Integrity Policy:  Scholastic dishonesty shall include, but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, academic falsification, intellectual property dishonesty, academic dishonesty facilitation, and collusion.  The use of online math solvers with submitted work is considered academic dishonesty.  Faculty members may document and bring charges against a student who is engaged in or is suspected to be engaged in academic dishonesty.  See Student Handbook, “Student Rights & Responsibilities: Student Code of Conduct ([FLB(LOCAL)]”.  

Consequences for academic dishonesty may include:

1. Zero on the assignment
2. Failing grade for the course

 

Artificial Intelligence Policy:  While there are many great resources available to you, keep in mind that for this class ChatGPT, Desmos, Wolfram-Alpha, Chegg, Symbolab, and similar programs should only be used to help you understand the material we are covering in the class. Any student suspected of submitting work that is not their own (whether it is copied from another student or from technology) will be required to meet with me. If a student is found to have presented work that is not their own, they will be subject to the academic integrity policy. If you would not be able to explain to me how to work a similar problem, you should not submit the solution as your own.

 

Attendance Policy:  Regular attendance is expected and necessary for student success in this course. For more information on attendance regulations please see the 2024-2025 NCTC Catalog.  (https://www.nctc.edu/catalog)

 

Withdrawal Policy: A student may withdraw from a course on or after the official date of record. It is the student’s responsibility to initiate and complete a Withdrawal Request Form.

 

Last day to withdraw from the course with a “W” is: Monday, November 4, 2024

 

Student Learning Outcomes:  At the successful completion of this course the student will be able to:

1. Apply the language and notation of sets.
2. Determine the validity of an argument or statement and provide mathematical evidence.
3. Solve problems in mathematics of finance.
4. Demonstrate fundamental probability/counting techniques and apply those techniques to solve problems.
5. Interpret and analyze various representations of data.
6. Demonstrate the ability to choose and analyze mathematical models to solve problems from real-world settings, including, but not limited to, personal finance, health literacy, and civic engagement.

 

Core Objectives:

X         Critical Thinking

X         Communication

X         Empirical and Quantitative

Teamwork

Personal Responsibility

Social Responsibility

 

COLLEGE POLICIES