Course Syllabus

Spring 2024 | MAT-1030-VO06F - Applied Math Concepts

Flex Class

FLEX courses are online courses with flexible assignment submission, allowing students to manage their completion pace during the semester. FLEX courses remain open for enrollment throughout the first half of the semester. Flex course enrollment for Spring 2024 ends on March 15.

Faculty

Suzanne Gruendling
View Faculty Credentials

Hiring Coordinator for this course: Julie Dalley

General Education Requirements

VSCS Mathematics

Note

Many degree programs have specific general education recommendations. In order to avoid taking unnecessary classes, please consult with additional resources like your program evaluation, your academic program catalog year page, and your academic advisor.

Courses may only be used to meet one General Education Requirement.

Course Description

This course develops students’ ability to think quantitatively and use mathematics as a problem-solving tool in their professional and personal lives. Mathematical applications are selected from a range of business, human services, health, and political topics. Concepts include: set theory, visual representation of data, operations in the real number system, geometry, linear and nonlinear equations, linear systems, personal finance, probability, and statistics. Students must take a math assessment for placement purposes prior to registration. Prerequisite: Math & Algebra for College or equivalent skills.

Essential Objectives

1. Apply basic concepts of set theory and use Venn diagrams to solve problems related to surveys and probabilities.
2. Utilize real number system operations (fractions, decimals, percentages, ratios, proportions, and unit conversions) in the interpretation and analysis of problems from a variety of fields.
3. Analyze and interpret linear and nonlinear relationships using graphs and equations and apply algebraic techniques and models to a variety of problems.
4. Apply geometric concepts including angles, areas, volumes, and the Pythagorean Theorem.
5. Examine and apply the concepts of probabilities using a variety of methods including counting techniques, frequency tables, probability distributions, pie charts, written summaries, and graphs.
6. Apply basic statistics, using sampling, tables, charts, graphs, means, standard deviation and normal distribution, to interpret and draw conclusions from data.
7. Compute and analyze the impacts of simple and compound interest, and analyze finance applications related to savings, taxes, discounts, loans, and purchases.
8. Select and perform appropriate procedures to solve mathematical problems arising in various disciplines and demonstrate proficiency in interpreting, evaluating, and presenting quantitative data and information.
9. Demonstrate proficiency on the quantitative reasoning graduation assessment.
10. Apply quantitative reasoning to analyze social justice problems in a variety of different contexts and consider whether these approaches are just and equitable.

Required Technology

More information on general computer and internet recommendations is available on the CCV IT Support page. https://support.ccv.edu/general/computer-recommendations/

Please see CCV's Digital Equity Statement (pg. 45) to learn more about CCV's commitment to supporting all students access the technology they need to successfully finish their courses.

Required Textbooks and Resources

*** This is a no cost textbook or resource class. ***

This course only uses free Open Educational Resources (OER) and/or library materials. For details, see the Canvas Site for this class.

Methods

The Applied Mathematics course is designed to empower students with the essential skills to think quantitatively and harness mathematics as a dynamic problem-solving tool in both their lives. Throughout the course, students will engage with a diverse selection of mathematical applications sourced from fields such as business, human services, health, and politics, enabling them to recognize and utilize the power of mathematics in various contexts.

The FLEX Course format allows you to work at your own pace while getting individual attention from your instructor when needed.

Key Concepts Covered:

Students will delve into the fundamentals of set theory, developing a solid foundation for understanding mathematical relationships and classifications.

The course will also explore techniques for visually representing data, enabling students to effectively interpret and communicate complex information through graphs, charts, and diagrams and students will learn operations within the real number system, enhancing their ability to perform calculations and manipulate numerical quantities accurately.

Students will gain proficiency in solving geometric, linear, and nonlinear equations, providing them with a toolkit to address a wide range of mathematical challenges. Students will also focus on practical applications that will be emphasized through discussions on personal finance, enabling students to make informed decisions related to budgeting, savings, investments, and debt management.

Students will explore probability and statistics, analyze data patterns, and draw meaningful conclusions from observations.

By the end of the Applied Mathematics course, students will have not only honed their quantitative thinking capabilities but also cultivated a versatile mathematical skill set that can be applied across diverse disciplines. The course helps students with the confidence to engage with mathematical challenges and provides them with the tools to approach complex problems logically and systematically.

Prerequisite: Foundations of Algebra or equivalent skills.

Textbooks & Technology

The textbooks used in this course include: All of these texts can be accessed for free online.

• OpenStax Elementary Algebra ISBN-13: 978-1-951693-20-6

• OpenStax Introductory Statistics ISBN-13: 978-1-947172-05-0

• Math in Society

Technology Requirements: Please make sure you have access to a Scientific Calculator.

Assignments Overview:

Skill Monitoring and Feedback:

To facilitate your skill development, you will complete Quantitative Reasoning Practice Quizzes. These quizzes are designed to track your progress over time and offer specific feedback on your skill-building journey. They provide insights into areas where improvement is needed and allow you to tailor your learning strategies accordingly.

Interactive Discussions:

Taking part in discussions is a really important part of each section of the course. On the discussion forums, you can talk with your classmates and share your thoughts, ideas, and questions. One cool thing about these discussions is that you'll write your thoughts first, before seeing what others have said. This helps you think on your own and hear different ideas from everyone else later.

If you join in on the quizzes, exercises, and discussions, you'll get better and better at solving math problems step by step. This class isn't just about learning facts – it also helps you use math in real-life situations. As you go through practice quizzes, problems to solve, quizzes, tests, and talk with others, you'll become really good at using math to solve different kinds of problems. This will help you feel more confident when faced with math challenges.

Discussions will be graded based on the following rubric:

	Meets Expectations	Approaching Expectations	Does Not Meet Expectations	Points
Analysis	Discussion posting shows significant evidence or understanding of the assigned topic or mathematical problem. (4 points)	Discussion posting shows minimal evidence or understanding of the assigned topic or mathematical problem. (2 points)	Discussion posting shows no evidence or understanding of the assigned topic or mathematical problem. (0 points)	4 points
Replies	Discussion posts are distributed throughout the week and the student responds to postings in a timely manner. (4 points)	The discussion posting contributes to the class conversation. (2 points)	There are no replies to students or the reply does not contribute to the ongoing conversation. (0 points)	4 points
Professional communication that generates learning within the community	The discussion post is clear and demonstrates knowledge and evidence of the assigned topic and elicits further reflection for other learners. (2 points)	The discussion post attempts to elicit responses from other learners. (1 point)	The discussion post contains grammatical errors and does not facilitate effective communication or encourage responses. (0 points)	2 points
			Total Points:	10 points

Assessment

Rubrics are attached to each of your discussions and assignments. It’s important to review the grading rubrics before starting your work so that you will know exactly how your work will be assessed. Please review the instructions for viewing assignment rubrics and for viewing discussion rubrics.

Feedback

It is important to review feedback for your assignments and discussions to see where you are meeting expectations and where additional work may be needed. You can review rubric results from the instructor for your assignments and discussions. Your instructor may also leave general comments or annotation feedback within the assignment link.

Course Summary:

Additional Notes:

a) Scientific Calculators are required for this course. (about $10). They can be used for all assignments and exams. Free-ware apps are acceptable and meet the needs of this course. Graphing calculators are not required.

b) Math is a subject to be learned daily, please make every effort to spend time with the material every day. Many students find it helpful to keep your book and syllabus with you to increase the minutes you can spend reviewing material even if it is just for a few minutes.

Evaluation Criteria

Your final grade will be based on the following assessments:

Assignment Category	Grade Weight Percentage
Discussion Forums	20%
Weekly Assignments	20%
Quizzes	30%
Exams	30%

Grading Criteria

CCV Letter Grades as outlined in the Evaluation System Policy are assigned according to the following chart:

	High	Low
A+	100	98
A	Less than 98	93
A-	Less than 93	90
B+	Less than 90	88
B	Less than 88	83
B-	Less than 83	80
C+	Less than 80	78
C	Less than 78	73
C-	Less than 73	70
D+	Less than 70	68
D	Less than 68	63
D-	Less than 63	60
F	Less than 60
P	100	60
NP	Less than 60	0

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance and participation in classes are essential for success in and are completion requirements for courses at CCV. A student's failure to meet attendance requirements as specified in course descriptions will normally result in a non-satisfactory grade.

• In general, missing more than 20% of a course due to absences, lateness or early departures may jeopardize a student's ability to earn a satisfactory final grade.
• Attending an on-ground or synchronous course means a student appeared in the live classroom for at least a meaningful portion of a given class meeting. Attending an online course means a student posted a discussion forum response, completed a quiz or attempted some other academically required activity. Simply viewing a course item or module does not count as attendance.
• Meeting the minimum attendance requirement for a course does not mean a student has satisfied the academic requirements for participation, which require students to go above and beyond simply attending a portion of the class. Faculty members will individually determine what constitutes participation in each course they teach and explain in their course descriptions how participation factors into a student's final grade.

Participation Expectations

Students' participation in a FLEX course is to complete the assignments by the end. Participation each week is not required.

Missing & Late Work Policy

• In the FLEX Course format, you will have suggested scaffolding to help you pace to the end of the course, however, due dates are flexible as long as you complete all of the material by the end of the course.

Accessibility Services for Students with Disabilities:

1. Provide disability documentation to the Accessibility Coordinator at your academic center. https://ccv.edu/discover-resources/students-with-disabilities/
2. Request an appointment to meet with accessibility coordinator to discuss your request and create an accommodation plan.
3. Once created, students will share the accommodation plan with faculty. Please note, faculty cannot make disability accommodations outside of this process.

Academic Integrity