Intermediate Algebra

Math 99 – Hybrid
Course Syllabus –Spring 2010
Instructor: Carlea McAvoy
Email: at work: cmcavoy@spscc.ctc.edu
Phone: (360) 596-5573 (for a speedier response, please e-mail me)
Office: Building 35 Room 359
Office Hours: Tuesday: 11am to 1pm Wednesday: 12 to 1pm and 4:30 to 5:30pm
Thursday: 11am to 1pm and Monday and Friday by appointment.

Course Description:
This is an intermediate algebra course, which has a prerequisite of Math 98 or an equitable placement test
score. There is an expectation that you have some knowledge of performing operations with rational
numbers, polynomials, and rational expressions, graphing, simplifying expressions, solving equations,
inequalities, and systems of equations, factoring, and problem solving. The following is a list of objectives
for this course:
• Simplify polynomial, rational, and radical expressions, including use of rational exponents
• Perform operations on real numbers, polynomials, rational, and radical expressions
• Solve linear, rational, and radical equations
• Translate between linear equations and their graphs of data points
• Solve 2X2 and 3X3 linear systems
• Solve quadratic equations by factoring, use of the +/- theorem, completing the square, and using the
quadratic formula. Solve some equations quadratic in from.
• Work application problems which result in linear, radical, rational, and quadratic equations
• Use set notation correctly, including set-builder notation
• Graph quadratic and/or other non-linear relations
• Translate between exponential and logarithmic functions and their related graphs

Materials and Resources:

Textbook: Intermediate Algebra (Tenth Edition) by Lial, Hornsby, and McGinnis and published by
Pearson/Addison-Wesley
Note: You need to have the Access code in order to complete the quizzes, homework, midterm, and tutorials
for the course. This will not be included with a used text. You can purchase the access code for
about $40 at the www.mathxl.com website. The course code for 10W Math 99H is XL0H-71N4-001Y-
79I2
If you want to have a hard copy of the text this is the information you need.
Lial’s 10/e Intermediate Algebra text, Bundled with the MathXL access code. The ISBN is:
9780558332754 The textbook is recommended but not required.
.
You will also need graph paper and a scientific calculator. I recommend the TI-30X IIS

On-Line Websites:
My drupal site where course documents are posted: http://cmcavoy.spscc.edu
The campus site for on-line classes: http://angel.waol.org
Once you get to the site, follow the instructions for logging on. After the first time, you can change your
password. I don’t use this site much because there has been a lot of trouble logging on. Course documents
will be posted there also.
The Pearson/Addison-Wesley site (www.mathxl.com) is where you will take quizzes and tests, submit
homework assignments, and keep track of your grade with the on-line grade book.
On Campus: There is free tutorial help on campus in Building 32 Room 122. The math center hours change
every quarter, but they are usually open from 8am to 2pm daily and have evening hours on Tuesday
and Wednesday. I will post the hours for this quarter when they are available. You do not need an
appointment to use the math lab.

Instructor: I am on-line and on campus to help you be successful in this course. E-mail me with questions
when you have them and I will respond within 24-hours during the workweek. Please remember that
like any on-campus course, you will not have 24 hour a day access to an instructor. If you e-mail me
at 11am, I may not see your e-mail until the next day when I have my office hours. Please be patient.

Classmates: Exchange e-mails and phone numbers and help each other out!

On-line: The MathXL has videos, sample problems, and tutorials built into every homework assignment.
For some students, the website makes the hardcopy of the textbook obsolete. That is a choice you
must make.

Course Procedures:
Your grade is made up of homework scores, quizzes, the midterm, and the final exam. Ideally, you do the
homework on line sometime between Sunday and Wednesday at your convenience. These assignments have about 20
problems that have built in tutorials, videos, and help. You can take it as many times as you want until you get 100%
or the grade you are happy with. Then Thursday through Sunday you find time to take a quiz at that same site that
covers the same materials as the homework (but you don’t get the built in tutorials with the quiz). You get to take the
quiz twice in case you aren’t happy with your first score. You cannot take the quiz unless you have attempted the
homework at least once!
You will take the midterm exam in class (check the academic calendar for the due date) about half way through the
quarter. The final exam is taken on the last day of class. For the midterm and final exam you can have 2 pages front
and back of handwritten notes and a calculator.
You have to get things done by the due date, but you can always work ahead and get things done before the due date.
(Say if you were planning on being gone for a week, you could complete 2 weeks of work in 1 week.)
You may work ahead of schedule and finish as quickly as you want. Homework can be completed
after the due date, but you will not be able to take a quiz once a due date has passed.

Homework (33%): These homework assignments are worth 20 points each. Check the due dates on-line (at
the MathXL site) and in the academic calendar posted at the WAOL site. There is a homework
assignment due most weeks on Thursdays at midnight. You must have attempted this assignment at
least once to unlock the quiz that is due for that week. You may open and work on homework as
many times as you want. You can access the tutorials inside the homework assignments. You will
not be able to change your scores for homework 1 – 4 after you take the midterm. There is an extra-
credit assignment posted at the WAOL website.

Midterm (25%): About halfway through the class there is a cumulative midterm exam. You must pass
this with at least a 55% to continue on with the class. For the hybrid class you should
complete the practice study guide for practice (and extra-credit) before you take the actual exam. The
study guide is posted at the WAOL site

Final Exam (25%): The final exam is also cumulative. You must pass this with at least a 50% to
pass the class with a “C” or better. The final exam is an open note test (2 pages handwritten
but no book) with a time limit of three hours. There will be a practice final exam posted on-line at
the MathXL site that will count as 10 extra-credit points and a written practice final posted at the
drupal and WAOL site, but this will not count as your final exam score. Please note: The best way to
 prepare for the written final exam is to complete the written final exam study guide. Doing work on
paper feels different than completing work on-line.

Quizzes: (17%) Quizzes will be posted at the MathXL site so make sure you have gone to the site and
downloaded all of the needed plug-ins before you take the first quiz. You should turn off the pop-up
blockers on your browser before you start to take a quiz. You will have two tries for each quiz but
every time you open it, new but similar problems will be generated. Once it is opened, you have 70
minutes to complete it. Each quiz has a due date which can be found on-line and in the academic
calendar posted at the drupal and WAOL site. Quizzes cover the same sections as the homework that
was due a few days before. Each quiz is worth 10 points. The quiz will be locked until you
attempt the homework for that week. Sometimes the computer may not grade it correctly. If you
feel that your quiz was not graded correctly, please e-mail and let me know. Quizzes are due by
midnight each Sunday. If you have trouble with the on-line site while taking the quizzes, please
contact technical support. Take the quiz early if you can so that you will have time to get help
before you open it a second time. If you wait until Sunday night to take it, it will be too late to get
help from Tech Support or me. The syllabus quiz is extra-credit and will be added to your first quiz
score, and there is an extra-credit quiz which will add on to your quiz total at the end of the quarter.

Grading Scale:
A 93-100% B+ 87 – 89% C+ 76 – 79% D+ 66 – 71% F V
A- 90 – 92% B 83 – 86% C 72 – 75 D 63 – 65% Student Student did
B- 80 – 82% (With at least a D- 60 – 62% finished class not finish
(With at least a (With at least a 50% on the with an class or
60% on the final) 55% on the final) final) average below contact
60% instructor

Hybrid mathematics classes can be a very convenient way to take a class, but there may be glitches the first few
times you visit the WAOL and MathXL site. This may be stressful to you as the student, so I warn you
now, that this may not be the best venue for you to take this class. If you are not comfortable with
computer technology, or if you do not have access to high speed Internet at your house, you will
probably not like taking an on-line class. In addition to this, if you cannot learn math from reading the
information from a book or on-line documents, you would be better off taking a traditional on campus
course. I will do my best to help you through the problems that you may have, and I will strive to make
this an enjoyable and productive class but in order to be successful you will need to be self-motivated
and directed.

Every time you e-mail me, you should include your name and the course you are taking in the subject line. I
have 5 on-line classes and about 100 on-line students so please identify yourself!

Every assignment you submit should have your name on the assignment. Even if you put your name on the
e-mail subject line, your name should still appear on your extra-credit work. The homework and
quizzes you complete at the MathXL website will be submitted to me automatically.

Extra-Credit:
The extra-credit assignment is posted on-line at the drupal and WAOL website. Each problem is worth ½ a
point. I will add the extra points to your homework total at the end of the quarter.
The syllabus quiz will add to quiz #1.

The practice final at the mathxl site will add 10% onto your final exam grade.

The practice midterm at the mathxl site will add 10% onto your midterm.
The Extra-credit quiz will be added onto your lowest quiz score. (If you miss a quiz, it will replace the zero)

Course Calendar
There is an academic calendar posted at the drupal and WAOL site to help you keep track of all of the due
dates.

Class Attendance:
Many students ask me if attendance is required. The short answer is “No –except on the day of the midterm
and the final exam.” The longer answer is “If you plan to not attend class, please make sure that you
are staying up on the assignments on your own. Not attending class is not an excuse for not knowing
about announcements made during class.”
COURSE OUTLINE

II. STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to:
A. Simplify polynomial, rational and radical expressions, including use of rational exponents and scientific notation;
B. Perform operations on real numbers, polynomials, rational, and radical expressions;
C. Solve linear, rational and radical equations;
D. Solve linear inequalities including compound and continuing inequalities, graph the solution set;
E. Write/draw and interpret set notation and Venn diagrams correctly, including set-builder notation
F. Translate between linear equations and their graphs or data points
G. Translate between the slope-intercept form of the equation of a line and the standard form;
H. Solve 2 by 2 and 3 by 3 linear systems;
I. Solve quadratic equations by factoring, use of the +/- theorem, completing the square, and using the quadratic formula. Solve some equations
quadratic in form;
J. Work application problems which result in linear, radical, rational and quadratic equations;
K. Graph quadratic and/or other non-linear relations;
L. Correctly interpret and apply function notation;
M. State domain and range of simple functions;
N. Create and apply an equation to represent direct and inverse and joint variation;
O. Graph and apply exponential functions (extension to logarithms optional).
III. COLLEGE-WIDE ABILITIES:
Evaluate and process quantitative and symbolic data.
IV. COURSE CONTENT:
A. Review topics:
1. Solving linear equations and inequalities; Graphing linear equations; Systems of equations with applications (3 by 3 system with
application strongly recommended); Exponent properties and scientific notation
B. Polynomials:
1. Operations with polynomials 2. Factoring polynomials including ax2 + bx + c where a ≠ 1 3. Use of factoring to solve quadratic
equations 4. Applications
C. Rational expressions:
1. Definition, restrictions or variable, simplifying; Operations with rational expressions; Rational equations; Simplifying complex
fractions ; Applications
D. Radicals
1. Definition, properties; Simplifying complex fractions; Radical equations
E. The general solution to the quadratic equation
1. The +/- theorem; Completing the square; The quadratic formula; Complex numbers
2. Equations quadratic in form (lightly); Graphs of non-linear relations (choose some); The quadratic relation; Shifting and
stretching of the quadratic relations, seen from y = a(x-h)2 + k; The distance formula and circles; Inverse, absolute value, square
root