• Goals
• Course Organization
  • Grades
  • Exams
  • Quizzes
  • Proficiency Tests
  • Homework
  • Office Hours
  • Portfolios

Course Goals

1. Prerequisites
2. Hard Work

As for 2., there is a good analogy with athletics here. Your brain is like a muscle. You have to get it into shape by exercising it. Suppose, by hook or crook or bribery, you were given the chance to play middle linebacker for the Huskies at the Rose Bowl. Think of how preposterous it would be if you listened to descriptions of how to play but didn't train or attend practice. Then the night before the Rose Bowl, you decided to spend 10 hours lifting weights to get into shape. Sounds silly, yet every year there are a lot of students who don't do the homework or don't attend class, then try to study for an exam by staying up late the night before. I know because I tried it as a student.

The majority of the learning that takes place in a math course takes place at home when you have the time to carefully consider the meaning of the material. This course is a 5 credit course. According to the catalogue, one credit equals three hours of work per week for the typical student. That's 15 hours per week for this course, or 3 hours per day. It does not mean 10 hours on Wednesday night before a Thursday quiz. You can't get into shape by exercising one day a week. Find a quiet place to study each day and put in the required work. If you have not mastered the prerequisites (as the Latin words mean: "required before") you'll have to spend additional time filling in the gaps whenever you find them. Leave yourself time to do so. If you are a conscientious builder and see a beam or joist missing, don't just cover it up with flooring, put the beam in. Now most of you are Freshmen and many are in a new living environment. You will have a big transition from a very structured High School environment with lots of hours in class to an unstructured one with few class hours. When I first went to college, I fooled around for a year and a half, then dropped out. It took me quite a while to figure out what the problem was. A good deal of it is that you have to organize your life yourself. If your social life this quarter will preclude you from spending the required daily time in this course, that's O.K. with me, but you should wait to take this course another time.

Many of you have heard that our grade school education in the US is lagging behind Europe and Japan. Students from those countries at your age are far better prepared in math than you are. What is usually not mentioned is that by the time you get out of college you will not only catch up, you'll be ahead. This is also a source of confusion for students coming here. You'll be expected to understand the material more thoroughly than before. Now is the time in your life to put in the effort. What happens in the next four years will determine what you do for the next 50 years of your life.

Now I may have made it sound to hard or impossible. It's not. First, during the next week make sure this is the right course for you...that you know the prerequisites thoroughly. If not, there is nothing wrong with stepping back and starting at a course that covers those prerequisites. Second, put in the quality hours consistently and daily in this course. Make sure you understand all the material given in lecture and that you do all the homework problems.

One of the big difficulties students have in our calculus sequence is doing word (or "story") problems that have more than one "step" to them. We will emphasize such word problems in this class. In another sense, this course is really about how to use the buttons on a scientific calculator. So please buy one. You can get one for under $15 and you will use it in other courses. It should have buttons called

^, sin, cos, tan, exp, and their inverses (including ln)

Some may have slightly different names such as y^x, sin(x) or e^x or 2nd instead of inv (inverse). This course will tell you what these mean and how to use them. You can push the exp button all day long and still have no idea what it does. The calculator alone is not enough. We'll tell you not only what it is about, but how to use it. Our emphasis, though, will be on what's needed for calculus. If you can afford to invest another $80, then it would be a good idea to get a calculator that can draw graphs. This can be useful for visualizing functions, in both precalculus and calculus. The recommended calculator is a TI-83, which is the one I will be using in class.

In some large classes, students have complained about the noise at the back of lecture hall or a general din of conversation. So I'll ask you to please socialize outside of class. There have also been complaints about people coming in late and leaving early, disrupting the class. So I promise to end the class on time: Yell at me if I go over. But I will also request that once you are here, you stay until the hour is over. If that doesn't eliminate the distractions, let me know and I will take further steps to ensure that those of you who want to listen can do so.

I can adjust the course better if I get feedback from you. For example, if you have questions from the reading, come to class early and ask. I can answer your question before class. Moreover, since it is likely other people will have the same difficulty, I can adjust the lecture to address the question. Likewise if something I say in the lecture is confusing, let me know and I'll try to state it another way. I realize that it is hard to formulate a question during a lecture. But it is much easier, if you have read the material before class. Any question that I answer more than once will have the answer on the FAQ (frequently asked questions) page under the Math 120 homepage. I have put two such questions from a previous quarter on that page already, so I suggest you have a look at it. The Math 120 Homepage is located at

http://www.math.washington.edu/~marshall/math_120/math_120.html

It includes a copy of this note, the syllabus, solutions to the quizzes, and other information about this class.

Here are some details on the mechanics of the course:

Course Organization

• Text: Math 120 Precalculus by D. Collingwood, available at Professional Copy 'n' Print, 4200 University Way NE, 634-2689 for $16.18 + tax. (Be sure that you get the Winter quarter 1997 version of this book. Problems will be assigned using the numbering in that version.)
• A scientific calculator is required for this course. It is strongly recommended that you obtain a graphing calculator. Recommended calculator: TI-83

  Grades

  • 30% Midterm
  • 30% Final(comprehensive)
  • 20% Quizzes
  • 10% Proficiency Tests
  • 10% Homework
  • Attendance is required in both lecture and quiz sections.

  For each of the categories above, the maximum score will be chosen for ease of grading. At the end of the quarter, your score in each category will then be rescaled according to the percentages listed above. There is no "curve" for the grades in the sense that you are not competing with your classmates for a grade. The grades attached to a given score will depend on the difficulty of the material.

  Exams

  The quizzes, proficiency tests, midterm and final exam are closed book exams, but on the midterm and final you will be allowed to use one 8.5x11 sheet (both sides) of notes. The notes must be in your own handwriting and be signed by you. Printed, typed or photocopied sheets are not allowed. The note sheets will be collected at the end of the final exam. Students are advised to make a photocopy of the notes for their own personal use after the exam. You will also be allowed to bring a calculator, but not a computer, to all exams except for the proficiency tests. For these purposes, any machine with a QWERT keypad will be considered a computer. No other electronics will be allowed unless you are given prior approval by me. Please bring a picture ID to both the midterm and final exams.

  The midterm will cover the first half of the course. The final will be comprehensive, to ensure that you remember all of the needed material for calculus. The midterm and final will be made up of problems close to the harder homework and lecture problems. Note that the time of the final exam is Saturday March 15, 1:30-4:20. This time was set by the Undergraduate Director and officially approved by the Administration.

  Quizzes

  In my opinion, the utility of a quiz ends the moment that you start to take the quiz, since you have stopped studying. I've tried skipping them and everyone just falls behind. The quizzes will be short, about 15 minutes once a week (Thursdays). They will consist of just one or two word (story) problems, always on the material since the previous quiz. They are too short to be comprehensive on that material. Anything covered on the homework or in lecture is fair game for the quiz. Remember that their purpose is to force you to keep up. They will not necessarily be on the most important problem since the last quiz, for then students tend to try to study only what they consider the most important. You can display your mastery of the material in the course during the midterm and final. Since the Thursday quizzes can include material from Wednesday's lecture, they will be given at the end of the quiz section, so that you will have the opportunity to ask questions before the quiz. Please help your teaching assistant to remember to start the quiz at the correct time. There will be no makeup quizzes. It is surprisingly hard to write a good word problem quiz, and usually rather easy to remember the problem afterwards. To have fair makeup quizzes, we would have to write new problems of comparable difficulty every time. Since there would be an expected 30-40 students missing every quiz and since it is rare that so many students will have the same free time, creating many versions of each quiz represents too much work to justify the expenditure of time. However there are legitimate reasons why you might miss a quiz. So to compensate, I will base the total quiz grade on the 7 best quiz scores. Do not view this as a way to overcome a poor grade on one quiz. The purpose is to avoid penalizing you for a valid absence. If for some reason you must miss more than one quiz, see me about it. I will post solutions to the quizzes as quickly as possible under the Math 120 Homepage.

  Proficiency Tests

  There will be proficiency tests on function operations, trig functions, and log/exp functions. These tests will cover manipulative skills that are required to survive calculus. To motivate you to master these skills you will be required to have (almost) completely correct solutions. Unlike the quizzes, however, (since these tests are easy to create and administer) you will be allowed to repeat these tests, up to two times. Here's how the grading scheme works: Each test will be scored on a scale of 0-10. We will be very picky about accuracy on these tests. If you receive a score of less than 8, you can repeat the test twice. If you receive a score 8 or more on any attempt, your grade for that proficiency test will be 30. Otherwise, your grade will be the sum of the scores received in your three attempts. In the latter case, the maximum grade you can receive is 21. There will be proficiency tests on each of the three topics lists above. If you receive a grade of 30 points on each of the three tests, you will also earn a bonus of 10 points. Thus you can earn up to 100 points toward your grade.

  Homework

  I want to emphasize that the homework is required. Reading the book and doing the homework problems is the "exercise" you must put your brain through on a daily basis to get it into shape. Homework will be collected on Tuesdays for the problems assigned during the previous week. I also want you to work together on homework. Helping your fellow student will not hurt your chances because the grading is not competitive. In fact, you will learn the material better by trying to explain it to someone. They also may think of questions that don't occur to you and force you to reevaluate what you know. We've heard repeatedly from employers that they are interested in people who can operate in a team environment. Through these teams you will learn to recognize and how to overcome some of the difficulties than can arise in a team setting. I want you by quiz section tomorrow, to form a study team of 4. You can form them with anyone in your quiz section. Your TA will give you some time at the beginning of quiz section Tuesday for this purpose. Your TA will then randomly group all those who have not found a team and keep a record of the teams. There are study carols available at the Math Study Center, as well as many other places around campus, where you can meet as a group. You should attempt each of the homework problems on your own, then meet as a group on Monday or on the weekend (the MSC is open on Sundays). During this meeting you will examine your solutions to the homework problems, help other members understand the solutions to problems you were able to do if they were stuck, and work as a team on any problem that none of you could do alone. Each Tuesday, your team will turn in one solution set to the problems. This set will be graded and all persons in your team of four who participated will be given the same grade.

  Each person in the team will have a role:

• Explainer: The Explainer is responsible for making sure everyone in the team understands the solution to each problem. This may involve restating the solution in clearer terms, adding more details, or finding out why a team member does not understand the solution (what is causing the misunderstanding). If there are disagreements, the Explainer will attempt to clarify the difficulty by restating each idea.
• Organizer: The organizer is responsible for contacting each member of the team and arranging a meeting time, place, food, etc. The organizer will also run the team meeting. If another team member is unable to attend, the organizer will assume that member's role.
• Recorder: The Recorder will be responsible for the final version of the homework. If a member of the team has already written a solution to a problem that the team agrees is completely correct, then the recorder can xerox that solution. Otherwise, the recorder will write up a version agreed upon by the team. Be sure that the solution is clearly stated, and that it includes pictures or diagrams where appropriate.
• Reporter: The reporter is responsible for writing a report on the team meeting. The report will be on a separate sheet attached to the front of the homework solution set. The report will include: the names of the team members who participated and their roles, how long the team met, what difficulties or successes the team encountered, and a description of any disagreements about the solution of a problem. If there is a significant disagreement, the majority will choose the version to be submitted by the recorder and the reporter will give the alternate solution(s), along with an explanation of the disagreement.

  You are not limited to one meeting on Monday. You may find that it is useful to arrange your daily study time, working on your own but having the others nearby so that you can ask questions. Or you may prefer to simply to contact one or more members of your team when you are stuck on a problem before the team meeting. You can meet any time in the Math Study Center, or in rooms available for this purpose at the library. On the first Tuesday be sure to exchange phone numbers and email addresses so that you can easily contact each other. Rotate the roles around the team every week or two. If there are difficulties with your team, contact your TA immediately for assistance. In some cases, your TA may reorganize the teams. Decide on a method for making xerox copies of the corrected homework and how to distribute a copy to each member. It is important that you do the homework on a daily basis, as described in the syllabus. Do not divide up the problems among the team members. You will understand the solution to a problem you have attempted on your own. A solution explained before you have had a chance to think about it tends to go in one ear and out the other. One of the most important things you will learn in college math classes is this ability to judge the correctness of your own work and the work of others. In the outside world, there is rarely an "answer sheet". You will have to be sure that what you do is correct and properly presented, so you might as well learn now how to do it. It is your responsibility to be sure you understand and agree with each solution submitted by your team.

  The university does not have the resources to pay someone to grade all of your homework solutions. Homework will be collected and we will have as much of it graded as possible. Typically that may mean only a few problems on each assignment will be graded. The purpose of having it graded is to at least give you some feedback and to force you to do the homework. I have tried several times assigning homework, but not grading it and it always results in few students actually doing the homework. No late homeworks will be accepted. Late homeworks would take a disproportionate amount of the grader's time because of the mechanics grading with partial credit and recording the scores. You will not receive credit if you did not participate in your team's solutions of the problems. As with quizzes, there may be legitimate reasons why you cannot participate. To compensate, I will delete your worst homework score when computing your final homework grade. As with quizzes, if there is a legitimate reason why you must miss more than one homework assignment, please see me.

  Office Hours

  • Professor Don Marshall
    Office: Padelford C-443
    Phone: 543-9352
    e-mail: marshall@math.washington.edu
    "office" hours: 8-8:30 MWF in Kane 130 or by appointment in PDL C-443
    
  • TA's and their hours at the Math Study Center

  I will be in the classroom at least a half hour before the class begins. You can ask me questions at that time, or make an appointment to meet me at another time in my Padelford office. Each of the 6 TA's will have office hours in the Math Study Center. They will be happy to help you, whether or not you are in their quiz section. I will announce the times as soon as they are available. But please feel free to come to the Center any time it is open. The Math Study Center has tables reserved for Math 120 students. Also there are carols available if you would like to discuss something privately with your TA. To assist us in diagnosing any difficulties you may be having with the course, you will be asked to bring your portfolio with you whenever you make an appointment with me. Your portfolio will consist of all graded homeworks, quizzes, proficiency tests, and exams. It will be a record of your performance in the course. You may also find your portfolio useful when you meet with your TA. Your quiz section will be run by a TA who is there to help you. Don't view him or her as a threat. Ask questions in quiz section. Go to their office hours and ask more questions. Use the Math Study Center: you can do your homework there, and get help when you need it.

  I will be happy to discuss any aspect of the course with you. I have thought a lot about how it is organized and will be happy to give you my reasons for the current format. I will also be glad to hear any suggestions you might have.

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