Course Syllabus

Jump to Today

Basics

Everything you need to do and when to do it can be found in Modules

Important Info
Math 130-0696 – College Algebra
El Camino College, Mathematics Department
Fall 2022
Instructor: Michael Zeitzew  Email: mzeitzew@elcamino.edu  
Use Pronto (click here to download the app)
Expect responses in under 24 hours
Virtual Office Hours [OPTIONAL]: Zoom, Tuesday 12-1 PM, Thursday 8-9 PM


Fall 2022 Important Dates

Important Dates
Fall Semester Classes Begin (1st 8 Week Session and Full Semester Courses) Saturday, August 27, 2022
Weekday Classes Begin (1st 8 Week Session and Full Semester Courses) Monday, August 29, 2022
First Day to Apply for Degrees and Certificates (Fall)* {this is subject to be earlier} Monday, August 29, 2022
Last Day Add (w and Add Code)/ Drop for a Refund/No Notation (1st 8 Week Session) Friday, September 02, 2022
Labor Day Holiday (Campus Closed) Monday, September 05, 2022
Last Day to Add with an Add Code (Full Semester Courses) Sunday, September 11, 2022
Last Day to Drop for a Refund/No Notation on your Record (Full Semester Courses) Sunday, September 11, 2022
Active Enrollment Census Monday, September 12, 2022
Last Day to Apply for Degrees and Certificates (Fall) Friday, October 14, 2022
Mid-Term Classes Begin (2nd 8 Week Session) Saturday, October 22, 2022
Weekday Classes Begin (2nd 8 Week Session) Monday, October 24, 2022
Last Day to Drop for a Refund/No Notation (2nd 8 Week Session) Friday, October 28, 2022
Veterans Day Holiday (Campus Closed) Friday, November 11, 2022
Last Day to Drop with a "W" (Full Semester Courses) Friday, November 18, 2022
Thanksgiving Day Holiday/Weekend (Campus Closed) Thursday-Friday, November 24-25, 2022
Fall Semester Ends Friday, December 16, 2022


Prerequisite:

Mathematics 80 with a minimum grade of C in prerequisite or qualification by testing (El Camino College Mathematics Placement Test) and assessment

To learn more about our math courses, please check our website:  https://www.elcamino.edu/academics/mathsciences/


Catalog Description:

3 units
3 hours lecture
Prerequisite: MATH 80 with a minimum grade of C in prerequisite or qualification by testing (El Camino College Mathematics Placement Test) and assessment
Credit, degree applicable
Transfer CSU, UC*

In this course, students will explore polynomial, radical, rational, exponential, and logarithmic functions and their graphs, as well as sequences and series.

Specific Learning Objectives:

  • Computing and Interpreting Various Measures:  From data or bivariate data, compute statistics and develop displays of the data that illustrate the measures of central tendency, variation, relative position, and correlation. Interpret the displays in context.
  • Probability:  Compute probability of an event by applying the basic assumption in classical probability and using addition rule and multiplication rule for contingency tables.
  • Central Limit Theorem:  Use the Central Limit Theorem to compute probabilities concerning the distribution of the sample means and comparing these to the probabilities of the related random variable.
  • Confidence Intervals and Hypothesis Testing:  Compute the confidence intervals and conduct hypothesis testing for a variety of parameters and perform non-parametric hypothesis testing.

Course Objectives:

  1. Identify, compare and contrast various types of data and sampling techniques.
  2. Create appropriate displays of data, including histograms, frequency distributions, stem and leaf plots, box plots, bar graphs and pie charts. Use the displays to interpret and answer questions in the context of the data.
  3. Calculate appropriate measures of central tendency, variation and relative position. Use the measures to interpret and answer questions in the context of data.
  4. Calculate the probability of a given event using elementary probability techniques.
  5. Calculate and interpret confidence interval estimates of various parameters. Justify the choice of confidence interval by demonstrating that the necessary criteria are met.
  6. Perform parametric and non-parametric hypothesis tests using the classical (critical region) and probability (P-value) methods and interpret the results in context. Justify the choice of test by demonstrating that the necessary criteria are met.
  7. Describe the role probability and the central limit theorem play in confidence intervals and hypothesis testing.
  8. Create appropriate scatterplots for a given set of bivariate data. Calculate the regression line and correlation coefficient, interpret the results and use the regression line to calculate predicted values.
  9. Perform tasks corresponding to objectives 1 through 8 using statistical software

For more information see Math 150 Course Outline of Record 


Materials Needed:

These are explained in the sections below in detail, but you'll need:

  • Textbook (electronic version OK, physical copy optional)
    • The textbook is free, see below.
  • Latest version of Firefox/Chrome on a laptop/desktop computer
    • You can borrow a laptop (for free!) if needed, see below.
  • Edfinity access
    • Because other browser-platform combinations (such as iOS) may handle cookies in a way that can prevent students from launching into Edfinity from Canvas. 
    • If students opt to use such browser-platform combinations, our support team may not be able to diagnose any issues that occur.
    • Edfinity is not free, unfortunately.
  • Graphing calculator is recommended
    • You can use an app on your phone or an emulator on your PC or Mac if you don't want to pay the $$$ for the calculator.  Information about that can be found on this page


Textbook:

Great news: your textbook for this class is available for free online!
College Algebra from OpenStax, ISBN 1-947172-12-3

You have several options to obtain this book:

  • View online (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.)
  • Download a PDF (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.)
  • Order a print copy (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.) 

You can use whichever formats you want. Web view is recommended -- the responsive design works seamlessly on any device.


Laptops/Hotspots/Calculators Available for Loan

Currently enrolled El Camino College students are eligible for laptop and Hotspot loans. Units are available for the Fall 2022 term. No application is needed. Please come to the second floor of the library, room 263 M-Th from 8:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m., and Friday 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. You may also check out units on Saturday, August 27th from 12:00 p.m. until 4:45 p.m. Please email eyates@elcamino.edu for questions.


Edfinity (REQUIRED):

Get started on Edfinity ASAP.  Click on the link to your left to sign up.  Your first assignment is to complete the Demo homework in the  Getting Started module.  Note that refunds are available should you drop the course.

Problems? Contact support here.

Class Content

The basic flow of the class is as follows:

  • Watch pre-recorded video lecture(s)

    • The lecture videos are found on YouTube.  The links to the video playlists can be found in Modules.  The playlists are organized by chapter in the textbook.

    • The linked videos are MANDATORY to watch. 
    • Other videos linked are considered OPTIONAL and you may find them useful. 
      • You're welcome to search out other videos, but please let me know if you find something good so I can share it with the rest of the class.
  • Attend optional Office Hours using Zoom
    • See TechConnect Zoom link on the left for days and times
    • For maximum value, please watch the videos for that week BEFORE attending the live sessions
      • THE OFFICE HOURS ARE NOT MEANT TO BE LECTURES NOR A SUBSTITUTE FOR WATCHING THE VIDEOS
  • Access the class notes and other supplementary material using the Class Notebook in Canvas
    • I will be using Class Notebook to write my notes during office hours
    • The Class Notebook can be viewed in your browser or inside Microsoft OneNote
  • Complete Edfinity Homework assignments
    • These are listed in each Module as described below
    • Pay attention to the due dates!
  • Complete the Canvas Discussions
    • Links to these will be in Module during the week they are assigned
    • Be sure to contribute to the Math 130 Help Board throughout the semester.  This is a good way to improve your math knowledge and engage with your classmates.  This Discussion can earn you some valuable extra credit, but you need to earn it by actively participating throughout the semester.
    • Discussion assignment grades are based on a required number of posts and replies.  See instructions for assignment-specific details.
  • Take the online Edfinity Exams at the scheduled dates
    • You don't need any special software or hardware, it will be a similar experience to the homework.
    • The exams are timed and must be completed within the designated time window.

The Course Summary at the bottom here has all the material and dates, but not everything is visible or available yet, it will automatically update throughout the semester.  The chapter Module more specifically tells you which sections are covered each week.  There is one Module per chapter.  A chapter Module will remain locked until the previous chapter Module is completed.  This means that you won't be able to advance to the next chapter until completing the current chapter, including all exams, homework & discussions are completed, if applicable.  


Edfinity Homework:

Homework assignments will be administered and submitted online through Edfinity.  You don't need to log in directly to Edfinity, you can access the assignments directly from Canvas.  It is the student’s responsibility to check the current assignments and due dates. You can find these in Modules. Homework is graded on correctness and completeness. Late work will not be accepted but I will drop the two lowest scores of Homework when computing your homework grade. 

Homework is absolutely crucial to your success. The exams questions will be similar in appearance and content to the Edfinity Homework.  The Edfinity Homework is worth 25% of your final grade.


Discussions:

You will be asked to participate in Discussion. These can be found on Canvas and will be based on the current topic, or anything else I find relevant. The Discussions will be graded on your initial post and your responses to your peers (precisely how many replies are needed for each Discussion may vary and will be specified in the directions). This interaction replicates the type of interaction you would have with your classmates if we were a traditional in-person class.  No late work accepted.  No discussion score will be dropped.  Discussions are worth 15% of your final grade.

One of the discussions is a "help board", meant to be a place where you can go ask or answer questions with your classmates.  Significant participation throughout the semester will be rewarded with up to 5% extra credit.


Canvas & Support Services:

Instructions for how to access Canvas can be found on the El Camino homepage. You will see “CANVAS” in the top right bar. Click on that for information on how to log in to Canvas.

Other resources:


Edfinity Exams:

We will have four midterm exams and a final exam in this class.  Exams will be given through Edfinity, but they will be accessed by clicking links in Canvas.  The online exams will be timed assignments and must be completed within the designated time period, typically around 72 hours.

Makeup exams will not be given. If you must miss an exam due to an extreme, documentable emergency, please email me before the exam. If you cannot reschedule the exam, it will be the exam you drop.

The exams will be similar to the homework problems.

At the end of the semester, your lowest exam of these three will be dropped.  As such, only one exam can be dropped.  The remaining three exams are each worth 15% of your final grade. (45% total)

Exam rules:

  • Work alone
  • Open book, notes, calculator, websites, etc. but you must work alone
  • No late submissions
  • No makeups
  • One only midterm exam may be dropped. 
  • The final exam will not be dropped.

Final Exam:

The final exam will be given on 12/12 at 12:00PM and will be due 72 hours later. The final is cumulative. Makeup finals will not be given nor will the final be dropped under any circumstances.  The final exam is worth 15% of your final grade.

Late Exam Penalty

There will be no late exams accepted, please don't ask.

Grading:

Grading scale
Homework 25% A 90-100%
Discussions 15% B 80-89%
Midterm Exams 45% C 70-79%
Final Exam 15% D 60-69%
TOTAL 100% F Below 60%

Check your grades regularly and report grade errors within one week of the assignment due date. Grades will be posted in Canvas.

Rules & Responsibilities

Student Responsibilities: You are responsible for your own success!

You must be current on all assignments and concepts if you wish to succeed. If you are struggling, it is up to you to ask for and seek help ASAP.  Please plan on dedicating several hours to this course. 

Free Tutoring

The Math Study Center Online is opened for business!  See this link for more information.  You can also access tutoring by finding them in Canvas under The Tutoring Hub.  (You may not see the Tutoring Hub if you are accessing Canvas using the mobile app so open Canvas in a browser.)  You will be connected with the Front Desk Zoom Room and they will find you a tutor who can help (hopefully). 

Student attendance policy:

Students are expected to log in to Canvas frequently and participate in each Discussion assignment.

Students who do not engage in the first required Discussion of the academic term by the instructor’s deadline may be dropped from the class.  If illness or emergency prevents a student from completing the first required Discussion, the student must contact the instructor. 

Students who do not continue to complete required Discussions by the assigned due dates specified in the syllabus may be dropped.

Nettiqutte:

There is a page mandatory Discussion that addresses the topic of acceptable ways of communication online.  Look at this page.

Academic Honesty:

El Camino College places a high value on the integrity of its student scholars.  When an instructor determines that there is evidence of dishonesty in any academic work (including, but not limited to cheating, plagiarism, or theft of exam materials), disciplinary action appropriate to the misconduct as defined in BP 5500 may be taken.  A failing grade on an assignment in which academic dishonesty has occurred and suspension from class are among the disciplinary actions for academic dishonesty (AP 5520). 

ADA Statement:

If you believe you may need accommodations in this class now or at any point in the semester, please go to the Special Resource Center (SRC) or call (310) 660-3295. For more information visit www.elcamino.edu/student/studentservices/src. You are also encouraged to communicate with your instructor.

This course will follow this schedule below.  All dates are subject to change, if necessary.

Course Summary:

Date Details Due