Herkimer College MA 124 (Contemporary Mathematics)

Overview
This is a course in modern mathematics. We will be exploring a number of topics that have been developed fairly recently in the mathematical world, along with some more traditional ones.

This class will be nothing like your intermediate algebra course. If you prefer equations and expressions, this is not the class for you. We will be looking at topics that might not seem like math to you. Many of these topics will be explored in context of their applications.

The purpose of this course is to expose you to the wider world of mathematical thinking. There are two reasons for this. First, for you to understand the power of quantitative thinking and the power of numbers in solving and dealing with real world scenarios. Secondly, for you to understand that there is more to mathematics than expressions and equations.

Prerequisite
The prerequisite for this course is appropriate placement test score or successful completion (a minimum grade of C) of MA 095 (Elementary Algebra).

Technical Expectations
To be successful in this course, you will need some technical skills. The most important technical skill is access to a computer with a reliable Internet connection and the ability to operate that computer and a web browser. If you are reading this, you’re probably OK for this part.

Is this course right for you?
Math 124 is a terminal math course, meaning it does not prepare you for any other math class. All degrees at Herkimer require a minimum of three credits in mathematics. This course will suffice for that requirement, unless you are enrolled in a program that indicates a specific minimum course requirement. For example, if your program indicates MA 127 or higher, then this course will not meet your graduation requirements. Check with your academic adviser if you are not sure if this course meets your mathematics requirements for your program of study.

Textbook
I got tired of students having to pay over $200 for the book and access code to a math lab environment. So instead of using a traditional textbook, an open-educational resource (OER) book and access code will be used. The book will be available free online in PDF format. If you prefer reading from print, you are welcome to print out the PDFs, or a link to order a bound printed copy will be provided (usually cheaper than printing the entire book yourself).

If you wish to read beyond the materials provided in the course, you can find additional material online, or in more traditional textbooks available; Excursions in Modern Mathematics by Tannenbaum is a good choice.

Format of the Course
This course is not self-paced. Each module there will be a specific set of material to learn, and assignments and tests on that material. There will be fixed due-dates for those assignments. However, the course is asynchronous, which means that you can log into the classroom any times during the module that are convenient for you and complete the assignments.

For each module you will be given a reading assignment. Reading the textbook will be your primary way to learn the material for the course.

There will also be a playlist of videos that correspond with the examples in the book. You should use these to supplement the reading, not replace it, as there is a lot of content in the book that is not included in the videos. These videos will hopefully help you understand an example if you’re having trouble following it in print.

The book and videos will provide the theory and skills needed to approach the exercises, quiz, and test. Unlike algebra classes, this class is about solving problems, not just replicating skills, so some questions may not be exactly like problems in the book. For those, you will need to figure out how to adapt what you’ve learned to solve the new and different problem.

One or two discussion forums will be provided where you can ask questions about the reading, and discuss the material with me and your classmates. This is how you can get help when you don’t understand the book.

There will be a set of homework exercises assigned within each module. The online homework exercises are required and graded. However, if you miss a question, it will show the answer, allowing you to self-diagnose your mistake, and then you can try similar problems until you get the questions correct. You can ask questions in the discussion forum about any homework questions you have difficulty with. These exercises will allow you to explore and practice the material from the chapter. The exercises will be due at the end of each module.

With each module there will be a skills quiz. This will be a quiz consisting of problems similar, but not necessarily identical, to the homework problems, that test your understanding of the material and your ability to perform any procedures or techniques presented in that chapter. These questions will be numerical, multiple-choice, matching, or fill-in-the-blank. The quiz will be due at the end of the module.

There is a test scheduled after every two or three modules. The test will cover the material from the previous two or three modules. Check the course schedule document for the breakdown of module due dates, test dates, etc.

I strongly encourage you to not wait until the last day of the module to begin your assignments, as this does not allow time to seek out assistance if needed. In addition, mathematics is best learned over multiple days, rather than one sitting.

This semester we will be studying these topics (in order):

Module 1: Problem Solving
Module 2: Historical Counting Systems
Module 3: Voting Theory
Module 4: Sets
Module 5: Logic
Module 6: Graph Theory
Module 7: Finance
Module 8: Probability
Module 9: Statistics: Collecting Data
Module 10: Statistics: Describing Data

Learning Outcomes
The course learning outcomes (aka objectives) describe what abilities and skills a successful student is expected to develop and demonstrate in this course. While often related, these are separate from the course content (the specific topics we’ll be covering). The student who successfully completes this course will be able to:

1. Interpret and draw inferences from mathematical models such as formulas, graphs, tables, and schematics.
2. Present mathematical information symbolically, visually, numerically, and verbally while recognizing the limits of mathematical methods.
3. Solve problems by means of quantitative methods such as arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and statistics while estimating and checking results for reasonableness.

   Within each module, you will be able to meet the above learning outcomes by reading the book, making sure you understand the examples in the book, and working through the online exercises and written assignments, and seeking out assistance if you have difficulties. You will, of course, also need to apply your critical thinking skills, since part of the purpose of this course is to expand your ability to apply the skills you’ve learned to new and different scenarios. In real life, problems rarely tell you how to solve them.
   Feedback
   The homework exercises and skills quizzes are automatically graded by WAMAP, and you will receive instant feedback on those assignments.

If you email me work for problems you missed on the quizzes or tests, I will typically review those after the quiz due date, usually within 2-3 days. You may not send me corrections on your quizzes and tests. Instead, you may send me the work you did to arrive at the answers you submitted. In that way, I can review your work to see if any additional partial credit is warranted. You may send your work in the form of images you have taken of your actual work, or you can type out your work. Your work should be sent to me through the messaging feature of our learning management system (Generals Online).

Late Work Policy
The online homework, quiz, and test deadlines are extremely firm (11:59 p.m. on the published due date in the course schedule document). The assignments will go into “Review Mode” so none of your answers will be saved after the due dates. Because of this, I strongly recommend that students not wait until 11:50 p.m. to start the assignments.

I drop one quiz grade, one discussion grade, one homework grade, and one test grade to allow for situations that arise in students’ lives (personal problems, computer problems, death in the family, hospitalization, etc.). Dropping one grade from each category is the only allowance provided to students so don’t plan on “skipping” something from each category. In that way, if you truly need your drop opportunities because of something happening in your life, you will have the drop available to use. The drops are done at the end of the semester, when the final grades are calculated.  Extra credit work is not available in this course.

About Taking an Online Course
Taking an online course for the first time can be a daunting undertaking. Compared to traditional on-campus courses, they have their pros and cons. More and more people are taking courses online mainly because of the convenience. This course is asynchronous, which means students and the instructor are not necessarily online at the same time. Messages are posted to the discussion forums by both students and facilitators any time of day or night. The online classroom is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This allows you to take a class anytime you want. You are not tied down to a specific hour of the day, Monday through Friday, as with traditional college and university courses. With that in mind, you do need to meet the posted due dates for each module.  Work submitted after the due dates will not be graded.

Most students will agree that online courses require more involvement time than traditional classes. It is not uncommon to spend around 15 to 20 hours each week on a course. However, the amount of time you would normally spend commuting to campus, waiting for class to start, and then commuting home, can now be spent constructively on the course. As a result, many studies have shown that online courses generally produce higher grades and greater learning than traditional courses. But it does require a very committed student. Keep in mind, too, that for a summer session, the same amount of material is covered in six weeks that is normally covered in 15 weeks. You will only have about four days for each module during the summer session. This includes Saturday and Sunday, too!

Another con is the lack of physical interaction that occurs in a traditional course. This, however, is actually a pro. Many personal and individual biases are eliminated because we can’t see each other (unless you opt to post a picture of yourself). Quite often the person who is normally inhibited in a traditional class is very active in an online class. Also with this asynchronous model there can be multiple “conversations” happening simultaneously. You can respond to any or all of the discussion threads at any time, something that is impossible in the traditional classroom. As a result, you will get to know your fellow classmates much better than any lecture class you have taken or will take. But, when your interaction is lacking, the entire class suffers. You have to be an active member of the class.

Getting Help
The discussions within each module are forums where you can ask questions about the reading or homework, and get help from me or your classmates. The idea is to have the class operate like a study group–with all of you working together to further your learning. This is what distinguishes an online class from a traditional distance learning or math lab course. The discussions are a required component of the course.

Use the discussion forums within each module to ask for help on problems you don’t understand how to do. If you do understand how to do the problems, help out your classmates by answering questions on the discussion board. Participation in the discussion forums is a required part of the course. You must post an initial discussion entry and reply to at least two other students’ initial posts in order to earn a grade of 100 for each discussion forum.

I will monitor the discussion forums and will respond to questions if they go unanswered or if someone provides an incorrect response. If you have additional questions, didn’t understand the answer someone gave you, or have a question that has gone unanswered, don’t hesitate to email me and ask questions. However, please use the discussion forums first, so that others can benefit from your questions.

I can’t stress enough that without being able to see the expression on your face, there’s no way for me to judge if you understand my or a fellow student’s explanation to your questions. So, you need to be proactive about your learning, and ask for more explanation when you need it. Again, you can this via email to me or in the discussion forums.

Additionally, you can get help from the drop-in tutors at the Academic Support Center on campus. Be aware that not all tutors have taken this math course, and may have difficulty helping you.

Instructor Contact
You can contact me via the discussion forums, message through Generals Online, by phone, or in person. (I will not be on campus during the summer or winter sessions, though, so phoning or in person are not options during those semesters.)

Please check Instructor Information for email address, phone number, office location and hours.  If you live close to Herkimer College, you may also come to campus for help.

If you have questions about the homework or readings, you can ask them in the module discussion forums. Feel free to email me, call me, or visit me for additional help. (Please note that I will not be on campus during the summer sessions or winter mini session.)

When you post a message or email me, please understand that I am not online all the time. Please allow at least 24 hours for me to respond to your questions, possibly longer on the weekends (up to 48 hours). Because of the asynchronous nature of the course, please ask questions early enough to allow time for a response.

Grading
The first day of class (or earlier) there is a bio assignment and syllabus quiz (within Module 0).
Each module you will have online homework and written assignments.
Each module you will have a quiz.
Every two or three modules, you will have a test (covering two or three chapters).
Go to the Course Schedule document in the Course Information section of the course to see the specific dates for modules and assignments.

Online homework count as 10% of your course grade.
Quizzes count as 20% of your course grade.
Written assignments count as 20% of your course grade.
Tests count as 40% of your course grade.
Discussions count for 10% of your course grade.

Your weighted percent in the class will be converted to a decimal grade via this scale:
Percentage  Grade
97% to 100% A+
93% to 96% A
90% to 92% A-
87% to 89% B+
83% to 86% B
80% to 82% B-
77% to 79% C+
70% to 76% C
67% to 69% D+
63% to 66% D
60% to 62% D-
59% and below F

Academic Integrity
Online courses have the same academic integrity as any other college course. You can trust that I will respond to your questions and comments in a timely manner, as well as be timely and fair in grading submitted assignments.

As your instructor, I trust that you will make your best effort to complete the activities in a timely manner and to the best of your abilities. I expect that the work you submit for this course will be your own work. Cheating and/or plagiarism will not be tolerated. Please refer to the College’s Academic Honesty policy for more details.

Online Etiquette
Much has been written about online etiquette. The old saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” is suddenly untrue. Words are our sole means of communication. Many times a sarcastic phrase you make to a friend is softened with a smile or eye contact. In an online situation, that same phrase can be very hurtful if read differently. Remember to treat everyone the same way you would want to be treated: with respect.

There are ways to express emotions without words. These are called emoticons. You’ve probably seen several already in computer writing: ;-) :) :o) :-( etc., These are actually faces turned on their side to represent emotions. They take the place of body language and facial expressions that are a natural part of communication. In this setting, it’s difficult sometimes to discern between sarcasm and criticism. Using emoticons can often convey the context of the comment when words can’t.

Most importantly, this class will be free of sexual, verbal, and racial discrimination or harassment.

Attendance Withdrawal Policy
Herkimer College has an Attendance Withdrawal Policy whereby students who miss 20% of the required logons for the class may be withdrawn from the class.  A logon without any work submitted (a discussion post, a quiz, homework, etc.) does not count as a required logon. My expectation is that you will log on and submit an assignment, participate in a discussion, or ask a question at least four to five times per week during the semester. Logging on and not doing any work does not count as a log on.  As a result, any student that misses more than 20% of the required assignments may be withdrawn from the course.

Disability Statement
Students with disabilities who are seeking academic accommodations should contact the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) office at 866-0300 Ext. 8331. The SSD office is located in the Academic Support Center in the library.

Personal Counseling
Personal Counseling is available on campus. It is free and confidential. You can make an appointment to meet with a counselor by calling 315-574-4034 or in person by going to RMCC 302. Anyone on campus with a mental health emergency, should contact Campus Safety by calling 911.