Always an Adventure in Lockett 109

Math 1021: College Algebra, Fall 2005
Section 9: Tuesdays 7:40am-8:30am, Room 277 Lockett Hall
Instructor: Moshe Cohen, moshe@math.lsu.edu
Course Website: http://math.lsu.edu/~moshe/06f1021.html
Office: Room 109 Lockett Hall, (225)578-4965
Administrative Office Hours held on Tuesdays 8:40am-9:30am and by appointment.
Math Lab Hours on .

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Frequently Asked Questions
• Course material
• Introduction Letter
• Course Description
• Syllabus
• Tuesday's Schedule
• MyMathLab Registration
• Pentagon Testing Procedures
• Log on to CourseCompass.com. Please follow the instructions when you register! The Course ID is "cohen87486".

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: I can't take my Quiz. Every time I try to I get an error message that says I need your permission to continue the quiz. What should I do?
The way I understand it is that you still have a quiz open. You cannot get back to that particular quiz; you will have to submit it and use another one of your 10 attempts. There should be a button that says something to this effect.

Question: Will you be dropping anything like low quiz grades?
If you consult your course syllabus, you will see that indeed two of your quiz scores will be dropped. Also, two of your homework scores will be dropped. Lastly, your lowest test score may be replaced by your final exam grade if it is a higher grade.

Question: I heard that we get to drop some homework and quiz grades at the end of the semester... is this true?
Two homework grades and two quiz grades are dropped. Also, your final exam grade can replace one of your lower test scores.

Question: Is there anyway I could make up my hours or be excused?
If I were to allow you to make up this time in the lab, I would be failing you as your teacher. I cannot let you fall behind on this material.
My suggestion is this: spend as much time as you can actively learning this material. If you cannot make it to the lab, spend a great deal of time in the comfort of your own home. By missing your lab requirement for the week, you will lose 1 point of out 30 of your 10% participation, which amounts to only .33% of your final average. However, if you do not understand this material, it will affect your HW grades, your Quiz grades, your Test grade, and your Final grade.

Question: What is the weight of the grade you give us for completing our lab hours? Do we get partial credit or is it "all or none"? What if we finished our work at home, but couldn't make it to the lab?
Your participation grade is a total of 10% of your total grade. This grade is calculated by adding one point for each class you've attended and one point for each of the weeks you completed your entire three lab hours. Then we will divide this number by the total number of possible classes + weeks.
Each week is "all or none" three hours. If you complete your work at home, I congratulate you for staying on top of the material, but I cannot grant you credit for being in the lab, since you were not in the lab.

Question: The link for Math Test #2 does not yet appear under my quizzes and tests on coursecompass.com, and I am scheduled to take the test Tuesday evening. Is this normal, or should I see about why it is not showing up yet?
For Test #1, many students were confused about the dates of their exams. Accordingly, we have changed our format so that the test window is only the two days our class is scheduled to take the exam.

Question: It does not say anything about _________ on Course Compass. Why is that?
You should have printed out your class schedule at the beginning of the semester, and you should have been checking off assignments as you've completed them. This schedule can also be found under the Course Materials section of MyMathLab.
Now that you are becoming an adult, you will need to keep track of your own deadlines. Please keep this in mind throughout your college career. It is not an acceptable excuse.

Question: One of the problems on my Quiz was correct but was counted wrong. Neither the tutor in the math lab nor I could find the error in the problem.
Despite the fact that the tutor in the lab did not recognize this, you cannot be granted credit for this problem. If such a situation arises again, your best bet is to simply try the quiz again. This will ensure you don't make the same mistake on the test.
If you feel like you are spending too much time on the quizzes, here is a suggestion. Take the quiz the first time, then look at all the problems you got wrong. Write them down in your notebook, and go back to the homework to find these specific problems. Work them there until you understand how to enter the answers correctly, and then return to the quiz.

Question: I can't schedule my test because the website won't let me login. It says "invalid username or password". I already tried changing my paws password and it stills tells me that.
I believe the first time you use the site, you must use your social security number as your password. Then you will be asked to change it.

Question: On the web site for The Center for Assessment and Evaluation, www.cae.lsu.edu, I do not see the "computer based testing" link on the right. Where is it?
First click "Assessment and Evaluation", the first of the three pictures. Then follow the instructions as noted.

Question: Are the quizzes due on Mondays and the homeworks due on Sundays, or vice versa?
The quizzes come from homework problems and can only be taken 10 times. That is why we want you to have completed your homeworks before attempting your quizzes.

Question: I was unable to log in to schedule my first test. I used my correct paws id and password, but i was still not able to get in.
The first time you log in, you must use your social security number. It is your default password. After logging in, you will be forced to change it.

Question: When we have completed all of our hours for the week, can we take the quiz the following monday at home?
After you complete your hours in the lab, you can work any of the material you want from home.
Did you know that you can take your quiz as soon as you are ready? You need not wait until Monday.

Question: I don't really understand the Math lab we take. Are there certain times it goes on during the day? How do you know when you can just show up and take it, or do you register somewhere to take it at certain times?
The first step is to show up to my class on Tuesday morning at 7:40am in room 277 Lockett Hall. Then your "week" officially begins, and you will have Tuesday through Monday to complete your 180 minutes in the lab. The lab is located in Pleasant Hall (off of Dalrymple across the street from the Parade Grounds). You need to bring your software package (first day only), your notebook, and your Student ID, and you will be able to log in whenever you'd like.
You are free to go to the lab whenever it is open. The hours are

• Monday through Thursday 9am to 9pm,
• Friday 9am to 5pm, and
• Sunday 5pm to 9pm.

Question: I do not have a link for Math 1021 under my student services section. Is it not uploaded yet or is there another way I can download the materials needed for class tuesday?
I understand it takes a business day or something like that before it will show up. You can get all the information on the class website.

Introduction Letter

Math 1021 Section 9 students,

Welcome to Math 1021! I am Mr. Cohen and will be the instructor for Section 9 which meets in Lockett Hall room 277 from 7:40am to 8:30am on Tuesdays. You will also be meeting in the Math Lab in 1155 Pleasant Hall at least three hours a week.

Be aware of the First Day Attendance Policy for Math 1021 as stated in the schedule of courses for fall 2006:
FIRST DAY ATTENDANCE IN MATH 1021 IS MANDATORY. STUDENTS MISSING THE FIRST CLASS MEETING WILL BE DROPPED FROM THE COURSE. TO ADD OR RE-ENROLL IN MATH 1021 AFTER THE FIRST CLASS MEETING, REPORT TO 1155 PLEASANT HALL.

Your grades for this class will be posted on your PAWS account through Semester Book. When you receive this email, go to Math 1021 under Student Services of your PAWS account and download your syllabus and class schedule (they will be in the Materials section). IMPORTANT: These materials will NOT be given in class.

Please come to our first class with paper, pencil, and materials downloaded above and be prepared to stay the entire class period. We have lots to cover in Math 1021.

You will notice in the syllabus that the required materials for this class are the MyMathLab software, your LSU Student ID card, and a non-graphing calculator.

IMPORTANT: If you buy the software now, DO NOT try to register. I will give you information at our first class meeting on how to register. This software will be used to complete your homework and take the quizzes and tests.

If you have questions or concerns about this class, please feel free to e-mail me at moshe@math.lsu.edu, my primary email account that I check every day. I am looking forward to meeting each of you and know we will have a good semester.

See you bright and early Tuesday morning, August 29th.

Mr. Cohen
http://www.math.lsu.edu/~moshe/06f1021.html

P.S. I will use this class website to post information and answers to frequently asked questions. You will also find a description of the way the course is run and a link to Ten Tips for the Course Coordinator.

Course Description

Students should understand the methodology of the Roadmap to Redesign (R2R) program before the course begins. The course is structured to provide each student with at least three hours a week of hands-on problem solving using computer software. The traditional teaching method has been compressed to offer students more time to develop their mathematical skills. During this time, student learning is supplemented by two distinct staffs: not only the instructors and tutors working for LSU but additionally several multimedia presentation types housed within the computer software itself, including videos with audio and step-by-step tutorials for every type of problem. This method allows for a much greater understanding of the material, as the software can generate many different problems of the same type. This allows students to work together, strengthening their understanding of the procedure rather than the placement of numerals. In addition, this program enables students to travel at their own pace through the material: speeding through those sections they understand or devoting more time to troublesome or difficult material.

I would like to impress upon you the importance of developing your own routine for this course within the first week of classes. Find room in your schedules now for at least 3 hours (180 minutes) a week to attend the lab in Pleasant Hall. I recommend visiting the lab between Tuesday and Friday while the material is still fresh in your head. While quizzes will be due on Mondays (see Schedule above), I strongly recommend you finish them during the week before. This will allow you plenty of time when the material starts to get more difficult. It is very easy to get behind by not attending the lab. On the other hand, students who attend all classes and required lab hours have a very high probability of succeeding in this program.