Montgomery College

Department of Mathematics

Elementary Applied Calculus I (MA 160)

Course Syllabus

Course Description

MA 160 is a general calculus course primarily for business students. Topics include algebraic, exponential, and logarithmic functions and their graphs, an intuitive approach to limits, differentiation, integration, and functions of several variables. Major emphasis is on applications in business, economics, and the life sciences. The course is not open for credit to students who have a grade of C or better in MA 181 or equivalent. This class is conducted entirely online. PREREQUISITE: A grade of C or better in MA 100, MA 103, appropriate score on mathematics assessment test, or consent of department. Assessment levels: EN 101/101A, RD 120.

Unlike a traditional class, this class does not "meet" at any scheduled time. The class is ongoing from the first day of the semester until you complete the final exam. This allows you to do your homework and "go to class" at whatever times best fit your schedule. This is NOT a self-paced class. This means students cannot move ahead in the syllabus, complete assignments and finish the course early. You and your classmates are a community of learners, not a collection of independent study students, so you all need to keep on the same schedule. Interact with me and your classmates regularly. Get to know each other on the Discussion Boards. Classroom lecture and discussion will be replaced by reading assignments, online activities, and posts to the WebCT Discussion Board.

Instructor Information
Professor Ingrid Scott
Telephone: 240-567-5216	Fax: 240-567-5182	Office: 213-A Science East (Rockville Campus)

Required Material

· Textbook: Calculus and its Applications, 9^th Edition, Bittinger/Ellenbogen, 2007

· MathXL student access code to complete online quizzes

· Graphing Calculator: TI 83/83+, 84/84+ preferred.  Note: Students are NOT permitted to use a TI-89, TI-92, or other equivalent calculators containing computer algebra system capability.

· Regular access to a computer with broadband internet access

Grade Policy
Category	Grade	Description
Homework	5%	Homework will be assigned using textbook exercises, online MathXL assignments, and weekly “Did You Get It?” (DYGI) assignments.
Discussions	5%	The WebCT Discussion Board will replace the traditional class discussion. It's a place for you to provide input, ask questions and help other students with their questions. Discussion topics will be posted weekly based on the reading assignments, posted notes, and exercises. You will be assessed on the content of your posted responses.
Quizzes	10%	Thirty-minute quizzes will be administered online every week using the web-based MathXL or WebCT’s Assessment tool. Quiz questions will come from assigned notes, textbook problems, DYGI assignments and discussions. The quiz for a given week will be available from 11:55 pm on Thursday through 6:00 am on the following Monday. It is wise to first study the topics, and do the corresponding assignments before attempting a quiz. You will have two attempts. There are no make-up quizzes. The lowest quiz grade will be dropped at the end of the semester. Quizzes will not be administered during the weeks of tests, the midterm exam, and the final exam.
Tests (2)	20%	Three (3) one-hour tests will be administered online in MathXL. Make-ups are NOT permitted. You are permitted to take each test one (1) time [no retakes]. Students are expected to take the test without the assistance of outside aids [including notes].
Midterm	30%	The two-hour midterm exam is a proctored “paper-and-pencil” assessment students will take at one of the Montgomery College Assessment Centers. You must identify which of the three Assessment Centers you will use at least seven (7) days before you plan to take the exam. You are required to present a Montgomery College issued photo ID.
Final Exam	30%	The two-hour cumulative final exam is a proctored “paper-and-pencil” assessment students will take at one of the Montgomery College Assessment Centers. You must identify which of the three Assessment Centers you will use at least seven (7) days before you plan to take the exam. You are required to present a Montgomery College issued photo ID.

General Information

· Student Attendance/Class Participation: Students are expected to actively participate in online discussions, which, among other things, measure to a certain extent your attendance. You should regularly (preferably daily)

· Check for new announcements.

· Read your email.

· Post original messages on the discussion board.

· Reply respectfully to messages posted by fellow classmates.

· General Course Questions: When you have questions about assignments or other aspects of the course, do not email your questions to me unless the subject must be private.  Post your questions to the appropriate topic in the WebCT Discussion Board area. 

· Computer Skills: You need to be comfortable with basic computer skills (including sending and receiving email, downloading attachments, viewing and printing pdf documents, listening to audio files using speakers or headphones, etc). If you struggle with computers, this is not the course for you. Five or six days of computer access per week is optimal; access from home is ideal. A reliable computer, dependable internet access, and an up-to-date web browser are absolutely necessary.

· MathXL: MathXL is an interactive website you will use to take your weekly quizzes. Access codes can be purchased from the college bookstore or online. If you have used MathXL in a previous course and your account is still active, you may use your old username/password without charge for this course. It will be necessary to sign up for this course by following the “My Courses” link.

Make sure you choose Montgomery College - Rockville as your school when registering [there are other variations listed for MC campuses].

· Final grades will NOT be mailed. Final grades will be available online at MyMC. To access your grades, log on to MyMC and go to the Quick Links section on the left of the MyMC home page. Click on My Grades.

· IT Helpdesk: For technical assistance contact the College’s IT Helpdesk at 240-567-7222 or ITHelpdesk@montgomerycollege.edu . The Office of Information Technology conducts computer network maintenance on Sunday morning from 12:01 AM to 6:00 AM each week.  During this time you may be not be able to access My MC to login to WebCT.  Do not rely on this time to submit course work.

· Assessment Center Options: Individuals residing outside of the Washington, DC, metropolitan area who are unable to take the exams at one of the college’s assessment centers will need to find a proctor in their area who can supervise the administration of the exam. It is crucial that you make your request at least three weeks prior to the examination date.

· Student Work: In this course you will complete most of your assignments on a computer.  You are responsible for ensuring the safety of your work by making regular backups (extra copies).  “The computer ate my homework, I lost my disk, my hard drive crashed, or my printer isn’t working,” are not acceptable excuses.  Make frequent backups of your work and save the work in multiple places.  In general, late work is not accepted. Contact me if you have a compelling reason for submitting your work late.

· Tutoring: For those of you who can visit, Montgomery College’s Math/Science Centers are an excellent resource. Faculty and student tutors are available (for FREE!) and no appointment is necessary. Internet accessible computers are also available for student use. Click here for general information about the College’s centers.

· Accommodations: If you have a documented disability or learning difference and wish to discuss academic accommodations, please contact me as soon as possible. A letter from Disability Support Services (240-567-5058) authorizing your accommodation(s) will be needed.

· Code of Conduct: Academic integrity and honesty are expected from you. Violations of academic integrity undermine your own education, the hard work done by all your classmates, and my own efforts as an educator. Any violations of the college’s Guidelines for Acceptable Student Conduct will result in disciplinary action. See the Student Handbook. In other words, unless collaboration is specifically allowed, all of the work you submit for the course must be exclusively your own and completed according to the guidelines provided for each assignment.

Course Learning Outcomes

Student should be able to:

• Evaluate limits graphically and algebraically. 

• Use the graph of a function f(x) to determine if the function is continuous and/or differentiable at a given value of x.

• Find a derivative directly from the definition of the derivative. 

• Write a verbal interpretation of the derivative as a rate of change in the context of an application, using everyday language and appropriate units.

• Identify and apply the appropriate rule(s) for symbolic differentiation to find first and higher order derivatives.

• Recognize and use all standard notations for first and higher order derivatives.

• Use first and second derivatives to determine the critical numbers, increasing and decreasing behavior, relative extrema, inflection points and concavity of a function; use this information to sketch the graph of a function.

• Use the graph of the first derivative of a function to obtain information about the behavior of a function.

• Formulate applied problems – business, economic, and life-science, in particular – into mathematical equations using appropriate calculus symbols; solve and interpret the solution of such problems in a real-world context.

• Interpret the indefinite integral as an inverse process of differentiation and evaluate indefinite integrals.

• Use the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus to evaluate definite integrals.

• Set up and evaluate definite integrals to solve applied problems including problems involving area, total change, and average value.

Co

Keys to Success

Reading is Key: Remember that you won't have all those non-verbal cues that you get in the physical classroom and neither will your instructor. Also, my role as instructor will be much less that of the distributor of information, and much more that of a guide or resource for you in exploring an area of knowledge. Almost all your information will come in the form of words (and math symbols). Taking a class online means you won't be sitting quietly in the classroom; participation is even more essential.

Communication is Key: Effective communication is critical to success. In the online environment you will be responsible for initiating more contact, for being persistent and vocal when you don't understand something. Please write your question and send it along, express your confusion, your concern, and be direct! Be sure and ask about anything and everything that has to do with course content, course procedure and evaluation.

Time Management is Key: Manage your time. You will find that your time management skills will be critical in an online class. An online math class does not take less time than a class taken in the traditional manner. In fact, during the first few weeks it will almost certainly take you more time than a classroom course. Why? Because it's very easy to spend either far too little time, or far too much time on the class. Set designated blocks of time to work on the class. This will help you stay up with the assignments and with the interaction required.

Participation is Key: In the online environment, it's not enough to show up! Your comments and input are needed to add to the information, the shared learning, and the sense of community. You should log in to WebCT at least four times a week.

Preparation is Key: Do all assignments so you will know exactly where your weaknesses are. You must be prepared for frequent quizzes. Keep an organized notebook for the lecture notes and homework.