TIME ON COURSE: The five class hours and project time you spend on this course could require two or more homework hours per day for high grades to around ten hours per week for passing grades. It is best to construct a time schedule for each week of the course and mark out the study time you plan. A plan gives you the needed twenty to thirteen hours indicated above. Three hours per day seven days per week study time is best. This commitment is a pledge you make to yourself for the personal obligation you have undertaken to learn this mathematics. Your instructor expects you to be prepared with homework done each day and a willing effort on your part to put problems on the chalkboard.

TYPICAL CLASS PERIOD: The first part of class time is open for answering student questions about the previous assignment including exercises, reading material, or classroom notes. Add your questions to the class day's START UP LIST. You are encouraged to help answer other student's questions or show your solutions by presenting chalkboard work. While presenting information is expected, this communication is not graded. Use this time to experiment with your ability to understand an exercise and convey your understanding to others. Subtract your contribution of board work from the START UP LIST as you put work on the board with your first name next to the section and problem numbers. Your frequent involvement will help you practice the course material and generally aid your understanding of the problems of the course. Don't worry about mistakes you may make, that's part of learning!

Another part of class is used to introduce new material with examples and discussion. I assume that prior to the date listed on the Course Schedule, you took notes as you read from the new sections. You may wish to include the textbook examples in your class questions of new material as your instructor will cover some of these and do other examples.

Some class time is spent with all students working at the chalk board and some class time is spent in the computer room SW 110.

PROJECT or TEAM ACTIVITIES: Some class time is devoted to project or team work aimed at a deeper understanding of some course topics or their applications. Your instructor will assign you to a project or team of from one to three students. When working on a team, students are to think for themselves treating the instructor as a coach, guide, consultant, and evaluator to the team. Always try to approach your team time with a knowledgeable position based on your personal studies.

During project or team activity, you should display a willingness to generate discussion that leads to answers or more refined questions that converge to solutions to your team assignment. You may be in the dark on some points but being open to change and willing to communicate your points even if mistaken at first helps the team toward the final goals while helping you toward greater clarity. At times we need project or team work to derive all the answers or computations in some assignments. And other times projects or teams provide a natural background for discussion of the material and presentation of solutions. You are expected to help your team or class reach reasonable objectives on time and demonstrate to me that you are participating in a meaningful way. Some grades are given for these assignments and grades are based on the project or group's activities and reports. Also, teams may wish to work as a study group covering daily assignments. This can be implemented via your telephone or email networking.

Individual communication is not permitted in class. Please note that individual communication is not productive while another person is speaking in a group or class room situation.

EXPECTATIONS: This syllabus including its Course Schedule, the Mathematics Department's Syllabus including Assignment Sheets, Objectives, and Policies combined with the St. Louis Community College Fall 2005 Fact Finder student handbook gives you the relevant course, student academic rights and responsibilities, and study guide information. These items will give you a sense of the quality that your instructor works to achieve in this course. Please see me as soon as possible for any personal accommodations you require and please keep in mind that: The quickest way to resolve any difficulty, no matter how small, is to let your instructor know about it as soon as possible.

SPECIFIC EXPECTATIONS: You are expected to read the textbook and take notes from the textbook before the class in which the material is covered. Add to these notes or take separate notes covering the new material and activities in each class. Then, finish each assigned exercise for the following class except perhaps a few of the more difficult exercises that you should ask about in the next class (and then finish). Hint: "Do All The Odd Problems" in each section covered - then more. Put your list of studied but unsolved problems on the class day's START UP LIST. Definitely ask for individual help when needed particularly if you can not work large portions of the exercises. Review processes you used to solve home work exercises each day. Remember that you want to stay on top of your work and be able to adequately prepare for the unit test coming in a few days. This generally means you need to develop a dogged attitude with more than several hours per day spent on solving exercises, keeping good notes from the text and class, and doing plenty of daily reviewing likely including some daily memorization. Give yourself a short test of five problems each day! Use the Mathematics Department's Syllabus sheets to keep track of finished work and extra credit points. If you need help, I am located in the mathematics department during office hours or you may call my home telephone number 314 821 5299 before 9:30 PM. This course takes lots of gumption.

Please read SOME GENERAL GOALS from the course Web pages. Learning in this course may be enhanced by your frequent willingness to use and thereby improve your performance along these suggested avenues.

Try to apply these skills and abilities in specific ways during this course. Experimenting with new ones may help you increase learning or make learning faster or easier. Reorganize your methods for deeper understanding and interest. Use the criterion of - when time seems to flow with a sense of accomplishment, your level of complexity can change - as your gauge. Don't get or stay stuck!

ASSIGNMENTS and NOTES: Your problem assignments, text notes and class notes are checked during regular test times. Turn in your notebook as you enter the test time and take it with you when you leave the test. All material should be in sequential textbook order. Seven extra credit points = 3 for completely worked homework exercises + 2 points for textbook notes + 2 points for class notes are given via a quick review of the thoroughness and spot checked for accuracy of your work.

REPORTS: A few team assignments may be required or some extra credit exercises and reports are suggested during the course and carry the amount of points assigned with the given work.

Copyright © 2005 with all rights reserved by William V. Thayer, Home