Course Syllabus

Spring 2024 | MAT-1030-VO02 - Applied Math Concepts

Online Class

Online courses take place 100% online via Canvas, without required in-person or Zoom meetings.

Faculty

Todd Darrow
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. ***

MAT-1030-VO02 Link to Textbooks/Resources Information for this course in eCampus.

The last day to use a Financial Aid Advance to purchase textbooks/books is the 3rd Tuesday of the semester. See your financial aid counselor at your academic center if you have any questions.

Methods

Online Tools:If you are worried about taking a math course you can relax. This will not be your typical math class. I have built this course to support all types of learners. You will not be left to learn math on your own independently! I will be providing video lessons you can watch at your convenience, pause, replay, and use to learn at your own speed. The videos will model the types of problems you will be solving. I have adapted my strengths as a teacher in the classroom to include online tools to make sure you have the tools to be successful in math.

My Approach:When Covid hit my learning took a huge curve when we went from in-person math classes to remote classes overnight. Even though I got positive feedback from my students in this transition I consider myself a learner just like you as I grow my skills as a teacher with 28 years of experience. In the classroom I pride my work as a teacher on meeting the needs of my students and adjusting my teaching strategies to best support them. We aren't in person in this class, but I hope you find that my online course provides a similar level of support for your learning this semester. You will have opportunities to learn at your own pace each week with lessons I teach via videos you get each week to support your learning. It is important that you have the opportunity to get support when you are feeling stuck or lost. Sending me an image of the problem you are stuck on via Canvas Inbox works really well as I can send you some thoughts or notes to help you get unstuck. Therefore we will use multiple strategies to help you do your best this semester.

Understanding Applied Math Concepts:This course will focus on introducing you to multiple strands of mathematics and solving problems in those strands (Algebra, Geometry, Statistics, etc.). The term "Applied" infers the application of concepts to solve meaningful problems. Good and meaningful problems sometimes take several attempts to solve. Failure to solve a problem the first time is not a failure. Quitting after the first failed attempt is unfortunate and robs you of learning. Persevere and keep trying. I encourage revision of work, until you are happy with the outcome and grade, ultimately. Students who are most successful in this course often retake quizzes and revise problem sets, after I have provided feedback. You are not required to revise or redo work, typically. But don't be shy in taking the opportunity to revise and redo!!!

Active Math Learner:Whether you love math or have math anxiety, the best way to tackle math is be an active learner. To be active means, but is not limited to:

• Asking questions and participating in weekly discussions.
• Checking your understanding by sending an Inbox message to me: "Todd do I understand this correctly..."
• Responding to questions and reflections about your current learning.
• Work with other students via discussions boards.
• Inboxing your instructor with questions or reach out to a fellow student.
• Access MyTutor or the CCV Learning Center if you need some extra support.
• Revising work or looking for other ways to solve problems.
• Being open minded and challenging yourself to think, accept challenges as opportunities to learn, and not as opportunities to reinforce a negative perception of your math abilities.

Grading Weights and Assignment Types:Below is how I weight different parts of your grade:

• Exams (2 exams) = 45%
• Project = 15%
• Quizzes (4 quizzes) = 25%
• Homework (weekly) and Discussion Boards= 15%

Quizzes and homework assignments can be resubmitted to improve your grade. So if you get a quiz back with a 75% and you want to improve, retake it from home, and resubmit a new copy. I will regrade it and revise your grade if you improve.

You will have two exams. A midterm and final exam. If your final exam grade is higher than your midterm grade I will replace your midterm grade with your final exam grade.

Discussion Boards: Some discussion boards are already loaded in the modules of the course. However, I do some other discussion boards through the semester based on student needs and patterns I am seeing in homework and quiz submissions. If everyone is missing a common concept, I might use a discussion board to present a new idea for folks to try and then discuss with your peers.

Technology Requirement:This course will have digital homework packets each week. You will need a printer or way to write on these digital documents. Most students just print the documents, write on them, and then scan them into a PDF for submitting to CANVAS. Other options are using an IPAD with stylus or Apple Pen to write directly on the digital docs. Smartphones can be used to scan documents as well. Some students type their work out on the documents as well with their computers. This is probably the most time consuming option. Either way, make a plan or contact me about strategies for managing math work online. The more work you show me, the more feedback I can provide on what you are doing correctly and errors you might be making. It's all about helping you to be more successful learning the math this semester!

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

Weekly Schedule

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.

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