Math 141: Trigonometry
Section XW: self-paced extended education class
Spring 2009
Instructor: B. Wagner
Phone: 707-476-4207
Fax: 707-476-4424
E-mail: math141x@math.iastate.edu
WWW: http://orion.math.iastate.edu/wagner
Course homepage: http://orion.math.iastate.edu/trig/sp/xs08
TOPICS: Trigonometric functions and their inverses, solving triangles, trigonometric identities and equations, graphing.
PREREQUISITES: Satisfactory performance on the math placement exam, two years
of high school algebra, one year of high school geometry, or enrollment in Math 140.
TEXTBOOK: Precalculus, 8th edition, by Michael Sullivan, published
by Prentice Hall, 2008, with Student Study Pack (includes Student Solutions
Manual and access code for the Prentice Hall Tutor Center) and CD Lecture Series,
ISBN #0132422956.
Textbook packages will be available through the Iowa
State University Bookstore online at http://www.isubookstore.com
or by telephone at 1-800-478-0048.
(As another option, you may buy a used copy of either
the 7th or 6th edition of the textbook if you want. Homework assignments will be
available for all three editions. If you decide to buy one of these older editions,
then you should also buy the Student Solutions Manual that corresponds to that edition.)
COURSE STRUCTURE: This section of Math 141 will operate as a self-paced, web-based
course with no formal lectures, offered through the Extended
and Continuing Education office.
Units: The course is divided into 6 units which you will have to complete consecutively. A detailed syllabus and directions for the completion of each unit will be given on the course web site (see the Detailed Schedule page for Math 141). Instruction for each unit will be provided by readings from the textbook, homework problems from the textbook, and supplementary material available online and via CD-ROM. To complete the unit, you must take the Unit Pretest and the Unit Exam.
Final Exam: There will also be one comprehensive Trigonometry Final Exam at the end of the course.
All graded exams are taken over the World Wide Web, and the Unit Exams and the Final Exam must be taken in the presence of a designated proctor (see the proctor arrangements page for details). However, you can take the Unit Pretests and take practice Unit Exams from home or anywhere else on the web. See the Online Testing page for specific details and rules concerning online exams.
There will be deadlines imposed for the completion of each unit, and the deadline date for the Trigonometry Final Exam is also 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 Pretests |
30 point (5 points each) |
|
Unit Exams |
120 points (20 points each) |
|
Trigonometry Final Exam |
100 points |
|
85-100% |
A |
|
72-84% |
B |
|
60-71% |
C |
|
50-59% |
D |
AVAILABLE HELP: Personal help will be available both from the instructor via
email and fax, and through the Prentice
Hall Math Tutor Center. Additional advice and help resources are given on the
Help page.
IS THIS COURSE FOR ME? This course may be appropriate for some students, and
perhaps not for others. Students taking this course must be self-motivated and must
actively seek help when needed. Because there are no class sessions, more independent
learning is involved in this course. Consequently, it is very important that you
follow the study guidelines, schedule regular study times for yourself, and do not
fall behind schedule. This course may be especially appropriate for students who
have learned the material before and just need a review, and for students who are
simultaneously taking Calculus.
Some students make the mistake of believing that an online course is easier than an on-campus course. However, in reality, online courses are generally more difficult, and most students find it easier to learn the course material in an on-campus section. In that setting, the instructor will provide additional discussion, examples, and activities to help you understand the concepts, and help is more readily available if you need it. Therefore, enrolling in an on-campus section is highly recommended if possible. However, if you live far from campus or have a difficult schedule, then the online section may work out well for you, provided that you follow the study guidelines and do not fall behind schedule. As with all courses, it is especially important that you schedule enough time to devote to the course and don't overextend yourself with other commitments.
The eLearner web site also has some helpful information for students planning to take an online course.
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).
My own recommendation for this course is the TI-83+, which is an excellent, easy-to-use
calculator that meets these requirements. However, many other calculators also meet
the above requirements and will work fine in this course.
DISABILITIES: Any student who feels that s/he may need an accommodation based
on the impact of a disability should contact
the instructor as soon as possible. The student will also need to obtain a Student
Academic Accommodation Request (SAAR) form from the Disability Resources (DR) office
(515-294-6624). Every effort will be made to meet accommodation requests. However,
because this course uses online assessment exclusively, some types of accommodations
may not be possible. In addition, no retroactive accommodations will be provided.
