Math 140: College Algebra
self-paced (section W1) and
self-paced extended education (section XW)
Spring 2001

Instructor: B. Wagner
Office: 428 Carver
Phone: 4-1282
E-mail: math140sp@math.iastate.edu
WWW: http://www.math.iastate.edu/wagner

Course homepage: http://www.math.iastate.edu/algebra/sp/s01

TOPICS: Coordinate geometry, complex numbers, quadratic and polynomial equations, functions, graphing, systems of equations, exponential and logarithmic functions.

PREREQUISITES: Satisfactory performance on the math placement exam, two years of high school algebra, one year of high school geometry.

TEXTBOOK: Precalculus: Functions and Graphs (5th edition), by Barnett, Ziegler, and Byleen. Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, and 8 will be covered in the course, along with a review of Appendix A. The textbook comes bundled with a solutions manual, CD-ROM, and Schaum's Precalculus Outline. 

COURSE STRUCTURE: This section of Math 140 will operate as a self-paced, web-based course with no formal lectures. This format contrasts with the large lecture / recitation format used in the other sections.

     Units: The course is divided into 10 units which you will have to complete consecutively. A detailed syllabus and directions for the completion of each unit are given on the web (see the Detailed Schedule). Instruction for each unit will be provided by readings from the textbook, homework problems from the textbook, and supplementary material available online, via CD-ROM, and in the library (video lectures). You must then complete a homework assignment and take the Unit Exam to complete the unit. The homework assignment may be completed online from your home or anywhere else. The Unit Exam is an online exam that must be taken in the Mathematics Computer Lab (see the Unit Exams page for details). Also, before taking the Unit Exam, you can take practice exams on the web from anywhere.

     Midterm and Final Exams: There will also be two written Midterm Exams (dates to be announced), and one written Final Exam during finals week. The Final Exam will be comprehensive. See the Detailed Schedule page for the sections covered by each exam. 

There will be deadlines imposed for the completion of each unit, and the dates for the Midterm and Final Exams are fixed, but in all other respects you will be able to work at your own speed. Thus, depending on your background and workload, you may be able to proceed quickly through the course.

GRADING:

Unit Homework	50 points (5 points each)
Unit exams	150 points (15 points each)
Midterm Exams	100 points (50 points each)
Final Exam	100 points

Unit exams and homework will be graded on the scale given below. In addition, your course grade is guaranteed if you make the grade cutoffs give in the table below. In other words, grade cutoffs will not be any higher, but could possibly be lower (this depends partly on the performance of the class on the three written exams).

85-100%	A
72-84%	B
60-71%	C
50-59%	D

AVAILABLE HELP: Extensive personal help will be available. Two math help rooms are open during the week, and one is also open in the evenings and on Sunday. The course TA's also hold office hours in the afternoons and evenings. Finally, extensive online tutoring using a "whiteboard" is available during many evening and daytime hours, so you can get help from anywhere on or off campus. See the Help page for details.

IS THIS COURSE FOR ME? This course may be appropriate for some students, and perhaps not for others. A student taking this course must be self-motivated and must actively seek help when needed. The course may be especially beneficial for students who have learned the material before and just need a review, and for students who are simultaneously taking Calculus. Students who have trouble learning in a large lecture format may also benefit from this approach. Students who have never taken college algebra may find the usual format a better choice, but even in this case exceptionally self-motivated individuals should be able to take the self-paced version.

This course has run once so far, in Fall 2000. Similar self-paced classes in Trigonometry have run four times so far. The self-paced format seemed to work well for most students, especially those who followed the study guidelines and did not fall behind schedule. You may be interested in grade comparisons between students in the self-paced class and students in the other sections of Math 142 in previous semesters.

USE OF CALCULATORS: A good graphing calculator is required. The calculator must be able to do parametric plots in addition to usual plots of functions, and should be able to solve equations numerically (i.e., find intersections of curves and zeros of functions).

self-paced Math 140 home page