August 5, 2008
Dear Fall 2008 Students:
Welcome to Math 081! I am glad you chose to enroll in this online section of Basic Mathematics. I am excited about spending this semester with you. Please read all the information in this packet carefully and keep it for future reference.
In order to start the course,
you need to complete five tasks:
1.
Buy the textbook.
2.
Register for MathZone.
3. Log in to WebCT.
4. Check the technical requirements for
the course.
5. If possible, attend a face-to-face orientation meeting on Wednesday, August 27 at 7:00 pm.
1. Buy the textbook as soon as possible (but no later than August 25). You will use the textbook to study most of the course content and to practice many exercises. You are required to buy the following textbook:
Basic
College Mathematics (First Edition) by Miller, O’Neill, and Hyde;
McGraw-Hill Publishers
This book can be found at the CCBC bookstores on any of the three campuses or online by visiting http://www.bookstore.ccbcmd.edu/catonsville/main/ . Other sections of Math 081 (both “traditional” and online) use different textbooks so be sure to purchase the book listed above. If you purchase a used (rather than a new) textbook, you will be required to pay an additional fee of approximately $20 to register for MathZone.
2. Register for MathZone as soon as you have purchased the textbook. MathZone is a Web site maintained by McGraw-Hill, the publisher of your textbook. You will use MathZone to complete Practice and Graded Homework. MathZone also contains many resources to help you learn the material, such as videos and “e-Professor” explanations of textbook exercises.
To log in to MathZone, connect to the Internet and visit the Web page below:
The first time you log in, you will need to select our textbook (see above) and register for this section using two codes. One code is included with your new book. The other code, the Student Section Code, is 6F6-EB-BFE. Enclosed with this letter is a page with detailed instructions on how to register for MathZone.
3. Log in to WebCT beginning August 25 and every day during the semester. You will use WebCT to access instructions on what to study, to view the calendar, to receive announcements, to keep track of your grades, and especially to communicate by email, chat room, and discussion board.
To login to WebCT, connect to the Internet and visit the Web page below:
http://student.ccbcmd.edu/distance/online/login.html
Click the Login button for the Fall 2008 semester. Enter your WebCT ID and password, which you should have received in a letter from the Office of Distance/Extended Learning. If you have not received that letter by Monday, August 25, please contact me as soon as possible so I can email you with the needed information.
The first time you login to WebCT, go to the START HERE link. This page will provide additional information on how to use WebCT in this course.
4. Check the technical requirements for the course. It is your responsibility to ensure that the computer you will be using meets the technical requirements for this course. First, check the technical requirements for CCBC online WebCT courses at
http://www.ccbcmd.edu/distance/technical.html
Next, check the technical requirements for MathZone and use the Plug-in checker at
http://www.mhhe.com/math/mathzone/support/index.html
If you have any technical
difficulties, notify me immediately.
5. If possible, attend a face-to-face orientation meeting on Wednesday, August 27 at 7:00 pm. This meeting will be held on the Essex campus in Room J200 and will last approximately one hour. I encourage you to attend but I realize that some of you may not be able to because of school, work, or family responsibilities.
Now you are ready to study math! Keep reading to find out what is expected of you in order to be successful in the course.
How to Work Through the Course:
You will find an outline of the course under the Course Work link in WebCT. The course follows the chapters in the textbook, with each chapter broken down into sections. Select a section to view the required work.
· After reading the section, complete the textbook exercises. You do NOT have to submit these exercises for a grade but it is important to complete all of the problems. I assign odd-numbered exercises because the answers are in the back of the book. If a picture of a videocassette appears next to an exercise, you can view a “video lecture” of that exercise in MathZone. If you have any questions about a textbook exercise, email me, visit me during chat, or post to the discussion board.
· After completing the work in the textbook for a section, try the practice homework in MathZone. Practice homework is not graded but you are strongly advised to complete this homework. You can attempt the practice homework as many times as you like.
· When you feel comfortable with the practice homework in a section, you are required to complete the graded homework assignment in MathZone. Graded homework can only be attempted ONCE. The graded homework assignments count about 10% of your final grade in the course.
· Email me in WebCT immediately after completing each individual Graded Homework assignment. I respond to your email with your “official” score and explanations of any problems you missed.
In addition to the course work, it is important for us to communicate as a class.
· Log in to WebCT beginning August 25 and every day during the semester. Check for announcements, email messages, discussion board postings, and calendar entries.
· At the beginning of each week, I email the entire class with an update and announcements. In that email, I also include a Question of the Week (QOTW). You are required to reply to that QOTW no later than Sunday at 11:59 pm. I will reply back with a score based on your response. Your QOTW scores will count as part of your Graded Homework/Participation average weighing 10% of your overall course grade.
Testing Center Requirements:
You are required to take three exams and the final exam on campus (in person). Each exam counts 20% of your final grade. The chapters covered on each exam and the exact deadlines for completing the exams are listed on the enclosed syllabus (which is also included in WebCT under the START HERE information). The comprehensive final exam for the course will count 30% of your final course grade. The final exam must be completed on campus no later than Wednesday, December 10.
When you are ready to take an exam, contact the testing center at your school by email or phone to make an appointment to take the test. Visit http://www.ccbcmd.edu/testing/essex/proctor.html for more information. In the middle of the page, you will find links to the individual testing centers at Catonsville, Dundalk, and Essex. Appointments should be made at least a week in advance of when you wish to take an exam. If you are limited as to when you can come on campus, I recommend scheduling your appointment more than one week in advance.
Testing centers require a picture ID in order to take a test so be sure to bring one with you. Bring a pencil or pen with you also. You may not use a calculator on the first two exams but you will be allowed to use one for the third exam and the final exam (bring one with you). You are not allowed to bring any hand written notes or formulas. The testing centers have been instructed to confiscate any test where students are using any forbidden items. Any testing violations will result in an automatic score of zero on the exam.
You can take an exam anytime before the published deadline. You have the flexibility to arrange a time that is convenient for you, as long as it is before the deadline. Please notify me as soon as possible if you have an emergency or unusual circumstance. I will not accept “there were no appointments available” as an excuse to miss an exam. It is your responsibility to schedule an exam on time.
How
to Receive Grades:
Graded homework (in MathZone) is scored immediately by the computer. However, your grade is NOT official until I have personally reviewed the homework. I reserve the right to make adjustments to the computer score. It is required that you email me as you complete each graded homework assignment. I will respond with your official score and detailed explanations of any questions you missed. I will post your official grade for the homework to the WebCT gradebook. The WebCT gradebook (not the MathZone gradebook) will contain all your official scores. All paper-and-pencil exams taken at the testing center will be marked and mailed back to you. The only exam not returned is the final exam, which I keep because of CCBC policy.
Chat
Time Requirements:
You are encouraged to attend at least one chat session per week. I will hold “office hours” in the chat room at the following times:
Mondays from 5:00 pm until 5:30 pm
Thursdays from 9:30 pm until 10:00 pm
I am also available for chat by appointment. You may use the chat room to communicate with your classmates at any time.
Online Tutoring:
Free tutoring, both online and on campus, is available for this course. For more details about tutoring, visit
http://www.ccbcmd.edu/tutoring/index.html.
Your
Responsibilities in This Course:
It is your responsibility to complete your assignments in a timely manner. You may submit work for a given unit at any time prior to the deadline for that unit. Do not expect extensions beyond that date. The deadlines for the course are listed on the syllabus, so you know all due dates in plenty of time to make arrangements.
It is your responsibility to email me if you have any questions, no matter how small they may seem. Remember that I cannot “see” you to know when you need help. I will answer my email several times a day Monday through Friday and once over the weekend. If I don’t get back to you within 48 hours, assume something happened and that I did not receive the email. Send it again or leave a message with my secretary at 410-780-6412.
It is your responsibility to let me know if there is any problem affecting your ability to complete this course. I will work with you on any difficulty, but I can’t if you don’t let me know in a timely manner.
It is your responsibility to log into the class at least once a day. Check for any new mail, discussion board postings, or calendar postings.
It is your responsibility
to download the course assignments from the Course Work link in
WebCT. It is strongly advised to
download at least one chapter beyond where you are currently working. For example, if you are working on Chapter
2, print all of the material relating to Chapter 3 as well. This way, if the website is down or your
computer is down, you still have material to work on. If your machine goes down, you can go on campus and work on the
course from there. I will not accept
your computer being down as an excuse for getting too far behind on your assignments. Let me know about any technical difficulties
immediately.
Your Instructor's Responsibilities in This Course:
It is my responsibility to answer emails within 48 hours of when they are sent. Usually, you will not have to wait that long, but sometimes things come up. I will notify you ahead of time if I anticipate a time when the delay may be longer than 48 hours.
It is my responsibility to be in chat at the scheduled times. If I am not there, then wait for me or email me. Sometimes technology is slow! Occasionally, I need to reschedule chat hours but I will notify you in advance.
It is my responsibility to answer my voice mail once a day, during the week. If you need to talk to me, call me at 410-780-6412. Leave a message with Mrs. Linda Darnell (the Mathematics Department secretary) and I’ll get back to you.
If you feel there is something else I could do to help you be successful in the course, let me know. I am always open to suggestions.
I am looking forward to working with you this semester. I'll "see" you on August 25!
Kathy Baranoski