MGF 1107--MATHEMATICS FOR LIBERAL ARTS II

St. Petersburg College

3 credit hours

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Term: Spring, '10 (begins January 11, 2010)           Syllabus revision date:  9-18-09

Printable version of the Syllabus is available in the Course Orientation folder under the Lessons Tab.

INSTRUCTOR & DEPARTMENT

INSTRUCTOR

• Name:    Jim Rutledge

• Office:    SA 314    St. Pete/Gibbs campus

• Office hours (on St. Pete/Gibbs campus): TR  8:30 a.m.-11:00 p.m., 2:00-5:30, 6:45-7:00, 9:15-9:30 p.m.

• Online contact hours:  I am online most days and evenings of the week and on weekends and respond to course email regularly.

• Phone:*        727.341.4725  

 

•     *Due to frequent travel, the best way to contact me is via email.  Once you are enrolled, please use the ANGEL course email system for correspondence.  Thanks!

• Fax:               727.341.4332

• Email:        rutledge.james@spcollege.edu                                                      

• Postal mail:  
       Jim Rutledge
       Department of Mathematics, SPG, SA 314
       St. Petersburg College
       P.O. Box 13489
       St. Petersburg, FL  33733

  Link to Instructor page and brief biography: 
          http://it.spcollege.edu/course_info/inquiry.cfm?number=83

  Link to faculty Web page:  http://www.spcollege.edu/spg/math/rutledge

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  ACADEMIC DEPARTMENT

  Mathematics Department Information (St. Pete/Gibbs campus):

  • Dean:  Sharon Griggs

  • Office:  SA 215

  • Phone:  727-341-4605
     

  • Chairperson:  Tyrone Clinton

  • Office:  SA 215

  • Phone:  727-341-3573

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TEXTBOOK & MATERIALS 

    REQUIRED TEXTBOOK & OTHER RESOURCE INFORMATION

Required course PAK (includes textbook and riddle booklet):

Math Is Everywhere! Explore and Discover It!--Third Edition--James J. Rutledge
Riddles for Fun and Profit: The Heart of Mathematical Thinking--James J. Rutledge

                Kendall Hunt Publishing, ©2008.  Course PAK ISBN: 978-0-7575-5384-4

Note:  Both of these items will be packaged together as a shrink-wrapped course PAK with the single ISBN listed above.

 Note:  This textbook course PAK is available in the SPC college bookstores at the main campuses and online through efollett.com.  You'll need to purchase a copy since, for the most part, the textbook materials are NOT available for viewing as online course pages.  I trust that you'll find both the textbook and the riddle booklet to be readable, accessible, user-friendly and, most importantly, enjoyable.    

It is also available at the SPC Online Bookstore at:  http://www.spcollege.edu/textbooks/ 

This textbook was designed in order to minimize the cost to the student as well as provide convenience--hope you enjoy it!

• ease of transport to classes--students can easily remove selected chapters or sections from the binder to carry them to class and avoid having to carry the entire textbook.
• expandable to include notes--students can easily incorporate their own course notes into the binder on three-hole punched 8.5x11 paper
• black-and-white color, three-ring binder and non-glossy pages to keep publishing costs to a minimum

Note:  The Second Edition is no longer current.  These materials have been substantially revised and expanded in the Third Edition.

Please do NOT purchase the Second Edition from another student-- be sure to get the current edition Course PAK (Third Edition) published by Kendall Hunt.  ISBN:  978-0-7575-5384-4

Note:  If you reside out-of-county, out-of-state or in another country, efollett.com provides an option to have your text shipped to you for an extra fee. 

Required hardware: 

Online format:  Computer with Internet connection (preferably high-speed) in your home.  Please do not attempt to take this course online unless you meet this requirement.  Students who have attempted to take this online course without an Internet connection in their homes have generally not been successful. 

On-campus and blended formats:  Computer with Internet connection (preferably high-speed) in your home is most advantageous but not required; you are welcome to use the college student computer labs on campus to access the Internet.

All formats--online, on-campus and blended:  Scientific calculator (a graphing calculator is helpful but not necessary--there are online graphing calculators available for use).  Alternatively, you may use the scientific calculator built into your computer's Windows operating system.  Click on Start/Programs/Accessories/Calculator, then click on View/Scientific to access the scientific version.

Note:  To see whether your computer meets the general requirements for online classes, please visit the SPC eCampus Web site and make use of the automated system checkup provided there and review the technical requirements for online classes:   http://www.spcollege.edu/Central/utilities/systemCheck/

Required software:

Word processing software.  Microsoft Word is the preferred and recommended software although you may use other word processing software if desired.

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Helpful, but NOT required:   

• scanner (to use instead of a fax machine or postal mail)
• digital camera, PDA (personal digital assistant, e.g., Palm Pilot) or cell phone with camera feature to use instead of a fax machine or postal mail
• Microsoft Excel or a similar spreadsheet application
• graphing calculator (there are several excellent online graphing calculators) 

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Recommended Web browser: Internet Explorer 7.0. 

Note:  If you are using a Macintosh computer, then Firefox is the recommended browser (available at no cost from mozilla.com).. 

Note:  For all computers,  IE 8.0 and the Safari and Chrome browsers are not yet compatible with ANGEL.  Please use the Firefox browser instead.

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Note: Tutorials will be provided within the course on using ANGEL features such as email, discussion forums, drop boxes, saving your documents, and using Microsoft Word and Excel software features (if you have installed these Microsoft programs on your computer).

Note: All online course materials are copyright ©2005-2009 by James J. Rutledge. 

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MEETING INFORMATION

Class meeting days, times and rooms (on-campus only):

• Section 1261:  TR 11:00 a.m.-12:15 p.m. in Room SA 228

• Section 1262:  TR 5:30-6:45 p.m. in Room SA 228       

See Attendance Policy below for details on attendance requirements.

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IMPORTANT DATES

• Course dates:  1-11-10 through 5-6-10

• Drop/add:  Friday, January 15

• Withdrawal date:   Wednesday,  March 24

• Financial Aid:  http://www.spcollege.edu/central/SSFA/HomePage/calendar.htm

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COURSE DESCRIPTION & PREREQUISITES                           

PREREQUISITES 

Prerequisite: MAT 1033 or appropriate score on the SPC mathematics placement test.

Important Note:  You may take MGF 1106 and MGF 1107 in either order, or even simultaneously if you wish; neither course is a prerequisite for the other.

Note:  For online students, there are NO required visits to campus.  The online version of this course may be taken entirely from a distance and former students have completed this course while living out-of-state or in other countries.  This is one of the many benefits of online courses and distance education!        

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The intent of MGF 1107 is to present topics demonstrating the beauty and utility of mathematics to the general student population and to provide knowledge and skills useful for college, life and career.  The course will include topics related to patterns and reasoning, growth and symmetry, linear and exponential growth, and personal finance; mathematical connections with music, art, architecture and nature will be explored.  History of mathematics, critical thinking skills, problem solving strategies and appropriate use of technology will be emphasized throughout the course.  This course is designed to satisfy three credits of the Gordon Rule which requires “Six semester hours of mathematics coursework at the level of College Algebra or higher” but is not a prerequisite to any other mathematics course.  47 contact hours for on-campus classes.   

   For more details about the course and comments from former students, please visit my SPC eCampus course information page and click on one of the current listings for MGF 1107.

   For a complete course description, see the SPC Approved Course Outline.

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COURSE GOALS & OBJECTIVES   

    COURSE GOALS

Major Learning Outcomes

1. The student will demonstrate a mathematical understanding of patterns and reasoning.
2. The student will demonstrate a mathematical understanding of natural growth patterns
   and symmetry.
3. The student will demonstrate a mathematical understanding of linear and exponential
   growth and decay models.
4. The student will demonstrate an understanding of financial mathematics.

For a detailed description of the SPC college-wide student performance objectives associated with the above learning outcomes, please visit:  http://www.spcollege.edu/spg/math/rutledge/MGF1107(20011)20021.pdf

For a correlation between these learning outcomes and performance objectives and the textbook content, including projects and activities, please visit:  http://www.spcollege.edu/spg/math/rutledge/1107LearningObjectives.pdf

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Course Textbook, Objectives and Goals

  Math Is Everywhere! Explore and Discover It! is a unique, project-oriented mathematics textbook and course of study for college students, particularly those who are Liberal Arts majors, and for anyone interested in mathematics and its relevance and application in today’s world.

  This text was written to engage students in active learning and to reveal the beauty, practicality and pervasiveness of math in our daily lives.  Math Is Everywhere! provides an effective means by which students can  enter into a new relationship with math and find empowerment in their own analytical reasoning and critical thinking abilities.  The text conveys a sense of enthusiasm, offers encouragement for success, and provides a wealth of opportunities for students to become actively engaged in mathematics in interesting and enjoyable ways.

  Math Is Everywhere! is designed around the following seven goals:

• to engage students in active learning through the use of projects and activities
• to demonstrate the beauty, practicality and pervasiveness of math in our daily lives
• to lead students into a new and refreshing relationship with mathematics
• to alleviate student math anxiety
• to empower students to build confidence in their analytical reasoning skills
• to promote technological skills
• to encourage students to become lifelong learners of mathematics

For a complete set of course objectives, please visit:  http://www.spcollege.edu/spg/math/rutledge/MGF1107(20011)20021.pdf

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COURSE ORIENTATION 

REQUIRED STEPS BEFORE BEGINNING ASSIGNMENTS

  Due to the popularity of this course and the continuing growth in online student enrollments, and due also to the project- and activity-based nature of the course that involves the submission of numerous assignment documents and use of various ANGEL features (ANGEL is the learning management system that is used for this course), I have found it both necessary and advantageous to institute a required Course Orientation.  This consists of a description of ANGEL features and specific course requirements in terms of assignment submissions and grades and is followed by a Course Orientation Quiz.

Note:  You will be able to access our ANGEL course home page on the semester begin date; however, the Unit folders containing course assignments and the Discussion forums will not be accessible until you have successfully completed the Course Orientation Quiz.

Please complete this quiz as soon as possible (ASAP) since course assignments from Unit 1 are due at the beginning of the second week of classes.

Students who do not get started immediately in this course make up a significant majority of those who are unable to complete the course successfully, so please do not delay getting started!

  To get started and to prepare for the Course Orientation Quiz, after you gain access to the course please click on the Lessons Tab. 

• If you have NOT taken an online course using the ANGEL course management system:
  • Please click on the folder entitled START HERE to Learn About ANGEL. This folder contains an introduction to the ANGEL system and college tutorials on a number of ANGEL features. 
  • After reading through the START HERE materials, please read and follow the Orientation Instructions posted in the Course Orientation folder.  
• If you are already familiar with ANGEL, you may skip the START HERE folder and begin with the Orientation Instructions posted in the Course Orientation folder.

  After you have successfully completed the Course Orientation Quiz with a grade of 100%, the Unit folders will become accessible under the Lessons Tab.  

• Please click on the Unit 1 folder and read the Unit 1 Assignments and Objectives page for detailed instructions on how to proceed with course assignments, drop box submissions, discussion postings, et al.

Note:  For online students, there are NO required visits to campus.  The online version of this course may be taken entirely from a distance and former students have completed this course while living out-of-state or in other countries.  This is one of the many benefits of online courses and distance education!

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GRADING   

GRADES

Grades will be based on a total of 800 points distributed as follows:

715 points:  Projects of various lengths and types including several writing assignments and weekly discussion postings

  85 points:  Activities (Math Is Everywhere! readings/exercises and other assignments)

In addition, a limited number of extra credit projects and activities are available; these projects and activities provide opportunity to earn up to 40 extra credit points.

  While there are no formal tests, midterm or final exams, the course projects and activities represent a SUBSTANTIAL REQUIREMENT in terms of personal involvement, effort and time; in particular, there are a number of report writing assignments involved and, as a result, much more writing required than you would normally encounter in a math class.

SEMESTER PACE AND GRADING SCALE

I would encourage you to make every effort to stay current with the course schedule and turn in your assignments in a timely manner; many students have thoroughly enjoyed and successfully completed this course, but in their own words: Don't fall behind!  (Or if you do happen to fall  behind, then get caught up quickly!). While the course assignments are interesting, enjoyable, and rewarding, this course requires a substantial amount of work on a regular basis.

Note:  As a general rule, a three-credit hour course requires 9 or more hours per week of study, preparation and class time during a normal semester; you should expect to spend an average of 9-12 hours per week on the assignments in this course in either the Fall or Spring semesters.  The shorter summer semester will require proportionately more time each week.

Note:  As you will see below, this course is NOT completely self-paced although you are welcome to work ahead at your own pace if desired and complete the course ahead of schedule. 

  You are responsible for submitting course assignments on time; penalties of up to 100% of the value will be deducted for late submissions.  In particular, a late submission will be assessed a penalty of 20% of its maximum value if it is submitted during the first week after its due date and a penalty of 40% of its maximum value if it is submitted during the second week after its due date as indicated below:

Note:  Assignments will not be accepted beyond two weeks AFTER their DUE DATE and will receive NO CREDIT.  NO EXCEPTIONS to this final cut-off date will be permitted, so please don't ask. The ANGEL system will remove Unit folders from view for those Units whose final cut-off date has passed.

Note:  There is a grace period (two days, i.e., 48 hours, after noon on the due date) with no penalty for late submissions.   The grace period does NOT apply to Unit 16.

Note:  At the end of two weeks after an assignment's due date and time (i.e., at the assignment final cut-off date and time), no additional grace period will be given for submissions that are delayed due to ANGEL server problems or your Internet service provider's connectivity problems or your own computer-related problems so please don't wait until nearly two weeks after the due date to submit your assignments--at that point there is no grace period for technical difficulties.  No assignments will be accepted after the final cut-off date for any reason--No exceptions.

Note: The final cut-off date for submissions for assignments from Units 13 through 16 is Monday, May 3, at NOON (12 p.m.); submissions after that time will receive NO CREDIT; NO EXCEPTIONS will be permitted.

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SPECIAL NOTICE: STUDENT SURVEY OF INSTRUCTION

  Every student is expected to complete the college Student Survey of Instruction (SSI).  This tool helps SPC evaluate and improve course material and instructional methods.  The survey will become available online during the last few weeks of the semester.  It is a college policy that you must then submit the survey before you will be able to move on to the next part of the course.  All survey responses are anonymous, and you will be able to skip any questions that you choose not to answer.  Participating in the survey gives you a chance to provide feedback on your educational experience and helps SPC maintain superior instructional quality.  A class announcement will be posted when the survey becomes available.  Thanks for your cooperation with this college policy!

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ATTENDANCE & WITHDRAWAL

ATTENDANCE

The college-wide attendance policy is included in the Syllabus Addendum.  The policy notes that each instructor is to exercise professional judgment and define "active participation" in class (and therefore "attendance"), and publish that definition in each syllabus.  For this class, attendance is defined below.

General info for all class formats: 

• Due to recent changes in federal laws with regard to financial aid, SPC now requires instructors to record student attendance in on-campus classes and to record student participation in online educational activities in online and blended classes.. 
   
• If you do not attend and actively participate in class during the first two weeks of the semester, you will automatically be withdrawn from a course by the college registration system.

  Note:  Successfully completing both the Academic Honesty Orientation Quiz and the Course Orientation Quiz with grades of 100% is required in order to meet the active participation requirement for these first two weeks. 

  It is also important to begin submitting class assignments during these first two weeks in order to stay current with assignment due dates.

• If you are inactive in this course for more than two weeks before the college Drop Date and if you have earned less than 100 points by the Drop Date, you will be assigned a grade of WF by the college registration system.
   
• It is the student's responsibility to notify the instructor of ANY absence.  Please review the college Attendance Policy (Revised December, 2007)
   
• Please be aware that if you withdraw yourself from or discontinue participation in ALL of your courses on or prior to the college Drop Date, you are responsible under federal law to return all financial aid payments that you may have received during the semester.

Active participation after the first two weeks of the semester is defined as follows:

Online classes:  Although the fully online course does not involve any mandatory, on-campus class meetings, it is expected that you will access course content and make assignment submissions and discussion postings on a weekly basis.  If you have more than two weeks of inactivity, your semester grade will be at risk.  

Note:  Your earned points from participation in required weekly discussion postings and/or required weekly dropbox submissions will be used to validate your activity for each week in the semester.  Please be sure to make these discussion postings and dropbox submissions each week.

On-campus classes:  Due to the project-oriented nature of the course content, attendance at all class sessions is strongly and enthusiastically encouraged!  If you have more than two weeks of inactivity, your semester grade will be at risk.

Note:  Your earned points from participation in required weekly discussion postings and/or required weekly dropbox submissions will be used to validate your activity for each week in the semester.  Please be sure to make these discussion postings and dropbox submissions each week.

Blended classes:  Due to the project-oriented nature of the course content, attendance at all class sessions is strongly and enthusiastically encouraged and it is expected that you will access online course content and make dropbox submissions and discussion postings on a weekly basis.  If you have more than two weeks of inactivity, your semester grade will be at risk.

Note:  Your earned points from participation in the required weekly discussion postings and/or required weekly dropbox submissions will be used to validate your online activity for each week in the semester.  Please be sure to make these discussion postings and dropbox submissions each week.

All formats: 

• If you have special circumstances, please let me know and I'll be glad to work with your schedules and needs.  I don't mind if you work somewhat sporadically in the fully  online course but, if you do so, I strongly advise that you schedule your working times so that you stay current or even ahead of our class schedule.  It is quite hazardous to get behind and your grades may suffer due to late penalties.  It is far better to work ahead and then have some relative ease and freedom with which to take a break from the course if needed or desired.
   

WITHDRAWAL

   The college Drop Date is Wednesday, March 24.   If you should find that circumstances require you to withdraw, please login to MySPC and choose "Drop/Withdraw from a class" on the right under Academics. Select the term and follow the directions to withdraw. 

   It is the responsibility of the student to withdraw from a course on or before the Drop Date in order to receive a grade of W.   Failure to complete the course after the Drop Date will normally result in a grade of F although a student may choose to withdraw and receive a grade of WF.

Important Note:  Instructors are no longer be able to withdraw a student  for any reason; withdrawal before or after the college Drop Date is now a student responsibility.

SPC Withdrawal Policy (official):

Beginning January 2008, instructors can no longer withdraw students from classes. If a student wishes to withdraw from a course, it is the responsibility of the student to withdraw either online through MySPC or with the help of an advisor in the registration office.   If the withdrawal is completed by the college Drop Date, a grade of “W ” will be recorded which does not impact the student ’s GPA.   If the withdrawal occurs after the college Drop Date, the student will receive a grade of WF (withdraw-failing). The WF grade is punitive; it has the same impact on the GPA as an F. Students in the third attempt of a course who withdraw will receive a WF regardless of the date of withdrawal.

Students who do not attend during the first two weeks of classes will automatically be withdrawn from the course by the college and will still be responsible for the tuition and fees.   Also, students who do not show sufficient active participation (i.e., completion of tests and quizzes and regular attendance) in the course by the college Drop Date will be administratively withdrawn by the college and receive a WF. Students who withdraw from all classes may be required to repay some or all of the financial aid received for the term.   Should you consider totally withdrawing from all classes before the college Drop Date, it is important that you consult the Scholarships & Student Financial Assistance office on your home campus to understand your options and the consequences of total withdrawal.

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CONDUCT & ACADEMIC HONESTY 

COURSE ETIQUETTE/NETIQUETTE: STUDENTS' EXPECTATIONS & INSTRUCTOR'S EXPECTATIONS

   Please read the SPC Online Student Participation and Conduct Guidelines for expectations concerning online conduct including netiquette for discussion participation and email content.  Please also review the SPC Expectations and Performance Targets for online students.

ACADEMIC HONESTY

  Please review the SPC Academic Honesty Policy.  It is your responsibility to be familiar with the policies, rules and consequences of violations.  There is no tolerance for cheating and academic dishonesty.  Discipline can range from a zero on that specific assignment to expulsion from the class with a grade of F.  Note that copy/pasting published information, whether it's from your textbook or the Internet, without citing your source is plagiarism and violates this policy.  Even if you change the words slightly, the ideas are someone else's, so you still have to cite your sources.  Cheating, plagiarism, bribery, misrepresentation, conspiracy and fabrication are not allowed under the college Academic Honesty Policy.

  Most of the projects in this course are graded on individual effort--they are NOT group projects; those projects that will be completed as a group will be clearly identified by the instructor.  Copying the work of another student, allowing another student to copy your work and other forms of academic dishonesty will result in grades of 0 and possible further consequences.  College policy requires that violations be reported to the appropriate Associate Provost's office and that violations be recorded on student transcripts.

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TECHNICAL, ACADEMIC & STUDENT SUPPORT & SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS

TECHNICAL SUPPORT

  eCampus offers a variety of technical support information via its Web site; some pertinent links are given below:

• Technical Information: computers and requirements
• Technical Help: online registration, ANGEL help, technical support desk (727-341-4357)

ACADEMIC SUPPORT SERVICES 

  eCampus also offers a variety academic support services for online students; some pertinent links are given below:

• Student Services home page
• Tutoring Resources for Online Students
• Important Tips for Online Students
• Library Online 

COUNSELING AND STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

  For help with counseling and advising, admission/registration, financial assistance and related issues, please visit the link below:

• Student Services home page 
• Academic Advising

ADA SERVICES--SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS

  If you wish to request special accommodations as a student with a documented disability, please make an appointment with the Learning Support Specialist on any SPC campus (see table below).  If you have a documented hearing loss, please contact the Program for the Deaf/Hard of Hearing at 791-2628.  If you will need assistance during an emergency classroom evacuation, please contact your campus learning specialist immediately about arrangements for your safety.

Learning Support Specialists ( Office of Services for Students with Disabilities)

Campus	Counselor	Room	Phone
Seminole	Linda Giar	UP 110	394-6289
St. Petersburg / Gibbs	Mary Dresser	AD 120	341-4758
Health Education Center	Stefanie Silvers	HE 182	341-3721
Tarpon Springs	Barbara Thompson	AD 114	712-5789
Clearwater	Aimee Stubbs	SS 101E	791-2110

 

 

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EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

HURRICANES AND OTHER NATURAL DISASTERS

  In the event that a hurricane or other natural disaster causes significant damage to St. Petersburg College facilities, you may be provided the opportunity to complete your course work online.  The online Course Orientation materials will provide detailed instructions on how to do so in the event of loss of electrical power for extended periods of time or loss of access to St. Petersburg College facilities. 

  Following the event, please visit the college Web site for an announcement of the College’s plan to resume operations.  Log in to ANGEL to confirm that you have access and report any difficulty to the SPC Student Technical Call Center at (727) 341-4357 or via email at Onlinehelp@spcollege.edu.

  Please know that I will do everything possible to ensure that you can complete your course work and receive credit for this class even under adverse emergency conditions.

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CAMPUS SAFETY & SECURITY

CAMPUS SECURITY DISPATCH

  In the event of a situation that requires campus security personnel, please call the Campus Security Dispatch officer at 727-791-2560.  The officer on duty will dispatch campus security officers to the scene at the pertinent campus.

Required College announcement concerning sexual predators or offenders:

  Federal and State laws require a person designated as a “sexual predator or offender” to register with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). The FDLE is then required to notify the local law enforcement agency where the registrant resides, attends or is employed by an institution of higher learning.  Information regarding sexual predators or offenders attending or employed by an institution of higher learning may be obtained from the local law enforcement agency with jurisdiction for the particular campus or by calling the FDLE hotline: (1-888-FL-PREDATOR) or (1-888-357-7332).   If there are questions or concerns regarding personal safety, please contact the Provost, Associate Provost, Campus Security Officer or Site Administrator on your campus.

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CLASS SCHEDULE

  COMMENTS

  I hope that you thoroughly enjoy this class!  Mathematics is a most fascinating and amazingly useful subject and, as you are about to learn, it is everywhere around us! 

Note:  Assignment due dates (for full credit) and final cut-off dates (for reduced credit) are posted in each Unit folder under the Lessons Tab in ANGEL; these dates are also posted on the course Calendar and in the Milestones report.

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ASSIGNMENTS

Please review the Class Schedule and Assignments document for a complete listing of course assignments, due dates, and individual project and activity point values.

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Copyright ©2009 by James J. Rutledge.  All rights reserved.