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Phone: 223-4024
Office: NRG 2139
Email: mmcguff@austincc.edu
US Mail address:
Marcus McGuff
ACC Northridge Campus
11928 Stonehollow Drive
Austin, TX 78758
My office hours are posted on my home page here. I am also available for appointments at other times. Email me or call in advance to set up a time.
Interactive Mathematics Elementary Algebra Personal Academic Notebook by PLATO Leaning. ( If the Client Installer CD in your book is not version 10.0 or later, ask me how to get a new CD set.)
For the license to be valid, it must be purchased new from the official ACC bookstore with the original cellophane wrap and stickers. Don't unwrap it except according to the instructions here. Also, please be sure to get the version for your semester (sometimes the edition changes from summer to fall). The RGC bookstore at 817 W. 12th St. has books for the Distance Learning classes. At other official ACC campus bookstores (on campus at ACC), you can order it and they will get it for you from RGC within a few days.
This course is a personal computer/modem course in which students work on software and some locally-prepared supplements, participate in online discussions, do paper homework, and take paper-and-pencil tests in an ACC Testing Center.
C or better in Basic Math Skills, MATD 0330 taken in spring 2000 or later or C or better in Prealgebra, MATD 0350, or its equivalent knowledge, or appropriate score on the placement test. (See my page on Advising for details.)
Elementary Algebra is a course designed to develop the skills and understanding contained in the first year of secondary school algebra. Topics include review of operations on real numbers, graphing linear equations, variation, solving linear and quadratic equations, solving systems of linear equations, polynomials, factoring, and applications.
As with all developmental math courses, Elementary Algebra is designed to provide you with the mathematical foundation and personal confidence to enable you to use mathematics in your future life. This course is designed to prepare you for MATD 0390 Intermediate Algebra and the algebra-based courses which follow it. It also may provide you with sufficient preparation to be able to pass the math portion of the TASP test. It also offers you one way to prepare for MATH 1332 and 1342, after you have passed the math portion of the TASP test.
You are expected to spend a minimum of about 8 hours per week (perhaps more) on the software, working at least three different days during the week. You are also expected to spend about 4 hours per week on paper homework, the supplements, and preparing for and taking tests.
If you are continually caught up in the course according to the course calendar, keeping up with the class participation requirments (see below), and making at least B's on the homework and tests, then I do not require that you spend any certain amount of time on the course.
If you fall behind in the course, fail to meet the participation requirements, or your homework/test grades fall below 70, you must spend at least 8 hours on the software and 4 hours on other work in the course each week in order to remain enrolled. If you are more than one week behind, I may require you to spend even more time on the software.
For some of you, this is a required developmental course. This means you have not satisfied the math portion of the TASP/THEA test and have been permitted to enroll in other credit courses only on the condition that you participate in this course. Consequently, I am required to keep track of your participation in the course. If you are "TSI mandated" (previously known as "TASP mandated") and do not meet the minimum time commitment for the course (see immediately above) for two weeks, I will withdraw you from the course. If you have computer problems at home, you can do your work in the Learning Labs. When you arrive at the Learning Lab, ask specifically to use the PLATO (may also be called "Academic Systems") software.
For more information, please read the important TSI/TASP notice below. (This notice appears in the course handout of all developmental math courses.)
* If you are unsure whether or not this warning applies to you, see an ACC advisor immediately.
Here is a memo describing the new TSI rules:
New State rules on the Texas Success Initiative (New Spring 2004)
The State of Texas has changed the laws concerning the TASP program. Every institution is required to move all students from the TASP program to the new Texas Success Initiative (TSI). This memo is meant to help you understand the basic changes. It does not provide all the details.
ACC is required to provide an individualized plan to every student as they move from TASP to TSI. Students need to contact an advisor or counselor in order to receive their individualized plan and to get all the details of the TSI program.
If you have not already fulfilled your TASP mathematics requirement then you have two possible paths to fulfill the TSI mathematics requirement:
If you are not required to retest (see below), then you have completed your TSI mathematics requirement. If you are required to retest, then you have fulfilled your TSI mathematics requirement when you have retested after completing Intermediate Algebra. When you receive your individualized plan, the advisor or counselor will inform you if you are required to retest.
Requirement to Retest in Mathematics:
By the new State law, if your mathematics score on your initial testing was below 23 on COMPASS, below 206 on TASP (or THEA), below 30 on ASSET, or below 42 on ACCUPLACER, then State law requires that you must retest on the COMPASS, THEA, ASSET or ACCUPLACER test after you complete your developmental coursework.
The rules for students being mandated into remediation are not changing. If you are mandated into remediation and you are not enrolled in a developmental course, then you will be dropped from all your college credit courses. Students who do not want to be required to take a developmental mathematics course every semester until they complete the developmental sequence can remove themselves from the mandate of continuous remediation by passing one of the four approved tests.
One of the drawbacks to taking a distance learning course is that students can't interact with each other and the instructor as easily as they can in a classroom-based course. Since this is such an important part of learning, we will use an online discussion board to allow some interaction between everyone in the class. We will use the Blackboard course management system to allow this. I will also post all class announcements on this system and you can check your grades on this system as well. Before you log onto Blackboard for the first time, go here for instructions. Please note that using Blackboard is not optional in this course; it is a requirement.
As part of your grade in this course, you must participate in the class through the online discussion boards. To receive full credit for your class participation grade, you must participate at least twice each week during the course (or do some of the other possible participation activities listed below). Before you post to the message boards, be sure to read the instructions here about use of the message boards and what I consider appropriate behavior. You will only receive credit for posts that follow these guidelines.
You may receive class participation credit for any two (or more) of the following activities (remember, you need credit for 2 different things each week):
Additionally, you may do the following for a one-time participation credit:
Each of these activities will receive a grade of either 2 points (you made a serious attempt to contribute to the class), 1 point (well, you did something, but you didn't really put much effort into it), or 0 points (you didn't really do much of anything). At the end of the semester, all of these will be added together and divided by the total possible number of points to determine your class participation grade.
Class participation grades can be earned ONLY at the indicated time. More posts to the message boards later won't replace missing posts earlier, as far as the participation grade. It will only count during the week it is actually posted (and you cannot carry over posts from one week to the next for credit). Honestly, I really hope that you get so used to asking and answering questions on the message boards that you know you will get 100% on your participation grade. (You can always post more than the minimum, if you find it helpful...) All of the participation problem sets I post will have a deadline attached to them (after which the solutions will be posted) as well.
It is your responsiblitity to check the message boards regularly so that you know what questions other people are asking (that you might want to reply to) and if someone replies to a question you posted.. If you do not receive an answer to your question from one of your classmates or from me in a few days (I usually won't jump in right away answering questions), you can always email me your question. Also, you are responsible for checking for announcements in Blackboard several times a week. This is how I will communicate with the class as a whole; all important announcements will be posted on Blackboard.
This should represent your best possible work. If your work is poorly organized or difficult to read you will not get full credit (or any credit in extreme cases). If you only show the answers and not the supporting work you will receive little or no credit. Homework sent in after the deadline, without permission by email in advance, will not be accepted for a grade. (See the homework page for further homework guidelines.)
Each of the five homework assignments will be graded on a scale of 0-10. You must submit all the parts of each assignment in the same envelope. Incomplete assignments will be accepted, but graded accordingly. At the end of the semester, your homework grade will be computed as a percentage of the total homework grade.
To submit your homework, organize it as described in the guidelines, put your name on the top page, and seal it in an envelope, and be sure that both your name and return address are on the outside. Submit it by US mail or campus mail to me by the deadline. I don't have to receive it by the deadline -- you just have to send it by the deadline. The deadlines are given on the list of assignments. Questions about late homework are answered below.
After completing the Explain, Apply, and paper homework for a particular lesson, go to the section in your software called Evaluate. The Evaluate Quiz is a test, usually between 8 and 12 questions long, that is not timed. You may take this Evaluate Quiz up to three times and the highest of the three scores will be recorded. (Don't do those three all at the same time. If you make a low grade on the first one, do some more work before you take it again. If you still make a low grade, discuss it with me and we'll make a plan for what you need to do to improve.)
You have not mastered a section until you make at least 80 on an Evaluate quiz. This is the only grade from the computer that I will count in your grade. At least one Evaluate Quiz must be taken from each section. If you don't take an Evaluate Quiz from a section, you will receive a 0 for your grade for that section. All of these quiz grades will be averaged together at the end of the semester to make up the quiz portion of your grade. (Go here for more details on using the computer software.)
All of your tests and the final exam will be paper and pencil tests administered at one of the nine ACC testing centers. (They will not be on the computer.) When you fill out the Online Orientation Form, Part 2, you will choose the testing center you will use for all of your tests. For each test, there will be a scheduled time period during which you must go to this testing center and take the exam (see the schedule for deadlines). (You are also required to keep working on new lessons in the material during that time.)
This is not a self-paced course. If you are working ahead and want to test early, please contact me at least one week before you want to take it to see if I can get the test to your testing center early. No make-ups or retests will be given, but, when I average grades at the end of the semester, I will use your Final Exam grade to replace the lowest grade on the previous tests if your Final Exam score is higher AND your class participation grade is at least 80% AND your homework grade is at least 90%. Questions about late tests are answered here.
Before you go to a Testing Center, read the rules at http://www.austincc.edu/testctr/
Be sure to pay careful attention to the hours of the Testing Center and the rules. Some of the testing centers are fairly crowded and so you may have to wait in line, especially if you go in the late afternoon or early evening. Do not wait until the last day to take the test and NEVER start a test if you don't have at least 1 1/2 hours available to take it before the Testing Center closes and you must leave. Allow more time if you are slow at working the problems in your homework.
I will post your grades in the online gradebook on Blackboard (details here). You may go over your tests with me during office hours in person or (in some cases) by telephone. Individual appointments outside of office hours are also possible, depending on my schedule. When reviewing the test, please have a copy of the problems on the relevant Test Review handy. I have found that trying to review tests via email doesn't work very well if you have missed more than about 10 or 15 points. The best thing to do is to come into my office so you can actually see what you did wrong, if this is at all possible.
You are required to take the final exam on campus in the appropriate Testing Center. If you do not take the final exam you will receive an F for the course, regardless of your class average. The deadlines for the Final Exam and the last homework set are very strict because grades must be computed very soon after those deadlines.
Your final grade in this course will be determined by five components.
| Evaluate Quiz (Software) Average | 8% |
| Homework Average | 8% |
| Class Participation | 8% |
| Test Average (4 tests, 14% each) | 56% |
| Final Exam | 20% |
Grades will be assigned as follows based on your total course average:
If your schedule is such that you have to skip a week for some reason, you should email me to let me know in advance and, IF I approve it, do some extra participation activities either the week before or the week after to make up for it. (Kindly hint: "I didn't get around to it last week." isn't an acceptable reason. These sorts of things must be approved by me in advance, unless there is a serious emergency.) If you haven't made these arrangements with me in advance, missed class participation credit may not be made up.
It is important for you to be well-prepared for each test. Paper homework to be submitted for a grade MUST be completed BEFORE taking the test over that material. The deadline for putting it into the mail is the same day as the deadline for the test (except that the material for the last test may have to be submitted earlier). If, because of the hours of your postal service, or a holiday, it isn't postmarked until the next day, that will be OK. If I give you permission to take a test late, that also includes permission to submit the homework late, too. Paper homework submitted later than this will be subject to a substantial grade penalty, which will partly depend on the number of days late.
There is an approximately one-week period after you should have finished the material before the deadline for the test on that material. That allows for students to take the test "on time" even if they are quite a bit behind in the course. If you are even more behind than that, you must be in frequent communication with me (email exchange almost every day) about your progress and your plans to catch up. In some (rare) situations, if I agree that your progress and plans are reasonable, I may allow you a few extra days past the deadline to take a test with no grade penalty. That must be worked out IN ADVANCE, not after the test deadline. (Hint: This doesn't mean you call me on the last day of the test to request an extension. If you see you aren't going to be ready in time or you have some serious life/job/personal issue that is causing problems, you need to contact me as soon as possible to discuss it.)
Tests taken late without advance permission are subject to a substantial grade penalty (possibly ALL of it, if you are more than a few days late). If you have not taken a test by the deadline, you MUST contact me immediately to discuss when you will take the test (with an appropriate penalty). If you have not contacted me or taken the test within 3 days of the deadline, you will receive a grade of 0 for that test. No extensions will be given for Test 5 (Final Exam) since the course grades must be posted very soon afterwards.
Regardless of these rules, you should NEVER start a test unless you have at least 1 1/2 hours to finish it. If you go to the Testing Center on the last day, and there is a line, and you will only have one hour to take the test, then DON'T TAKE IT. (Whenever you take the test, you will get the grade you earn on it at that time.) Instead, go back the next morning when the Testing Center opens. You may lose a few points for it being late, but probably not as many as you would lose due to not finishing it.
Common Course Objectives for MATD 0370 (revised July 2004)
The following objectives are listed in a sequence ranging from the simple to the more complex. As such, this document should not be viewed as a chronological guide to the course, although some elements naturally will precede others. These elements should be viewed as mastery goals which will be reinforced whenever possible throughout the course.
Overall objectives:
1. Description and classification of whole numbers, integers, and rational numbers using sets and the operations among them
2. Polynomials
3. Solve linear equations in one variable involving integral, decimal, and fractional coefficients and solutions
4. Solve and graph linear inequalities
5. Application problems
6. Linear equations in two variables
7. Quadratic equations
8. Description and classification of irrational numbers
9. Rational expressions
10. Geometry
It is the student's responsibility to initiate all withdrawals in this course. The instructor may withdraw students who fail to make the minimum time committment of the course for two weeks, but makes no commitment to do this for the student. (If you decide to stop working on the course, you had best make sure that you drop the course. While I MIGHT do this, it is YOUR responsibility. If you fail to do so, you could receive an F on your permanent record.) After the withdrawal deadline, neither the student nor the instructor may initiate a withdrawal. If you are withdrawn by mistake, I will only consider reinstating you if you have taken all necessary tests, are current in your homework, and are caught up in all coursework to the point at which you are requesting reinstatement.
Please check the schedule page for the withdrawal deadline for the semester.
Students who withdrew or were withdrawn generally will not be reinstated unless they have completed all course work, projects, and tests necessary to place them at the same level of course completion as the rest of the class.
Acts prohibited by the college for which discipline may be administered include scholastic dishonesty, including but not limited to, cheating on an exam or quiz, plagiarizing, and unauthorized collaboration with another in preparing outside work. Academic work submitted by students shall be the result of their thought, work, research or self-expression. Academic work is defined as, but not limited to, tests, quizzes, whether taken electronically or on paper; projects, either individual or group; classroom presentations; and homework.
Students who violate the rules concerning scholastic dishonesty will be assessed an academic penalty that the instructor determines is in keeping with the seriousness of the offense. This academic penalty may range from a grade penalty on the particular assignment to an overall grade penalty in the course, including possibly an F in the course. ACC's policy can be found in the Student Handbook page 33 or on the web at: http://www.austincc.edu/handbook/
Each ACC campus offers support services for students with documented physical or psychological disabilities. Students with disabilities must request reasonable accommodations through the Office of Students with Disabilities on the campus where they expect to take the majority of their classes. Students are encouraged to do this three weeks before the start of the semester.
Students who are requesting accommodation must provide the instructor with a letter of accommodation from the Office of Students with Disabilities (OSD) at the beginning of the semester. Accommodations can only be made after the instructor receives the letter of accommodation from OSD.
Institutions of higher education are conducted for the common good. The common good depends upon a search for truth and upon free expression. In this course the professor and students shall strive to protect free inquiry and the open exchange of facts, ideas, and opinions. Students are free to take exception to views offered in this course and to reserve judgment about debatable issues. Grades will not be affected by personal views. With this freedom comes the responsibility of civility and a respect for a diversity of ideas and opinions. This means that students must take turns speaking, listen to others speak without interruption, and refrain from name-calling or other personal attacks.
Classroom behavior should support and enhance learning. Behavior that disrupts the learning process will be dealt with appropriately, which may include having the student leave class for the rest of that day. In serious cases, disruptive behavior may lead to a student being withdrawn from the class. ACC's policy on student discipline can be found in the Student Handbook page 32 or on the web at: http://www.austincc.edu/handbook/
Clearly, since this is a distance learning course, there is no actual "classroom" per se, but this policy applies to use of the message boards, email, and other class-related activities.
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Before you can use the software, you must receive your username and password from me for the online software. I will assign them on or before the first day of class. I will send them at that time to each student on my official roll sheet for whom I have a working email address from Orientation Form 1. If you want to start early, you must contact me in advance. After contacting me, you must purchase the book and make sure I receive the wrapper before I will create your user account.
You can work in the campus Learning Lab for the first few days until you purchase your materials, if necessary. You should work enough in the first week in order to not get behind. If you don't have a username and password by the day classes begin, please email me right away and ask me for it. If you enroll after classes begin, please send me your Orientation Forms 1 and 2 immediately.
Don't forget to bring your username and password with you if you go to use the software in a Learning Lab.
In order to use this program, you will need a computer with the following minimum requirements:
Computer (PC): Windows 2000 (SP 4), XP (SP 2), or Windows Vista
[NOTE: The math program will not run directly on Macintosh computers. The software can probably be run on a Mac using Virtual PC, Boot Camp, Parallels Desktop, or VMWare Fusion, but you are completely on your own if you decide to try this. The publisher will not provide technical support for this and I will not be able to help you make this work. However, I HAVE seen it working successfully.]
CPU: Intel Pentium Processor, 500 MHz or faster (1 GHz under Windows Vista)
RAM: 256 MB Minimum (512 MB under Windows Vista)
Video Card: Capable of High Color (16-Bit) with 800 x 600 Minimum Recommended Resolution
Sound Card: Amplified, Windows Compatible [NOTE: Must be amplified]
CD-ROM: 4X CD-ROM Drive (or Higher) with 32-Bit Drivers
Hard Drive: 150 MB Uncompressed Free Space
Internet Access: Internet Dial-Up (Minimum 56k Modem) or High Speed Internet Connection
[NOTE: ACC does not provide internet accounts for students. You must have your own.]
Browser: Netscape Navigator 6.2 or Higher, or Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 or Higher (Internet Explorer 7 or higher under Vista)
Configuration information for firewalls, web browsers, and filtering software can be found here.
If you are running Windows Vista or Internet Explorer 7, you will need to apply an extra software patch; instructions can be found here.
This section of the course uses the PLATO (may also be called "Academic Systems") Interactive Mathematics computer software package. The software provides visual explanations and includes an audio component so that you may listen to the explanations. It is called "interactive" because you are continually being prompted for input.
Please be careful with the CDs in your book. They hold lots of information and are very sensitive. Please handle them with care. If they become dirty or scratched, you may get error messages while using the software. If you receive an error message while working outside of ACC, print or copy the error message. Then try cleaning the CD with rubbing alcohol on a lint-free cloth. If that doesn't work, please call the free Academic Systems technical support line listed above, and wait on the line to get help for your error message. If they are unable to help you, please ask your instructor for help.
For more information about using Interactive Mathematics, please visit the PLATO (may also be called "Academic Systems") web site (http://www.plato.com) and explore the pages called "Getting Started" and "Interactive Mathematics Resources." This web site contains the latest information about computer requirements as well as instructions for installing and using the Interactive Mathematics software.
Before you begin, you will need a user name and password. See above for information on how to obtain these.
Begin your math course by installing the software:
If you have any problems, verify you have the computer requirements needed and contact PLATO (may also be called "Academic Systems") at 1-800-681-4357 or use their support web site http://support.plato.com/. They are available M-F 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Central Time. If you have problems, do NOT spend very long trying to install it without getting help.
When installed, go to the PLATO/Academic Online website and set things up:
To do a lesson:
It is important to note that this program will not be accessible when it is being backed up. Backups are scheduled for 1:00 AM every day and take approximately 2 hours to complete. If you are working on Academic Online near this time, I would log off before 1:00 AM to save the work you have done in that session
First, install the software on your computer (see above). (You can't use it until you have your username and password.) Start with Lesson 1.1. If you think that you might know the material in this lesson already, go to Overview and take the Pretest. If you make above 95, that will count as completing this lesson. If you make below 95, you will be given instructions on what parts of the lesson to do, based on what you missed. After you have done Lesson 1.1, go through this checklist and then fill out the Orientation form, Part 3. This will ensure that you have found the important parts of the course. You must do this by the end of the first week of school, unless you enrolled very late. In that case, you must do it by the middle of the second week of school.
If you would like a more detailed walk-through of using the software (including instructions on using it in the ACC Learning Labs), go to this page.
In this class, you will be in charge of your learning in a way that is different from a traditional lecture class. The format of the course is somewhat self-paced, which means you may complete the material before the end of the semester. It also means that you may spend less time on familiar topics and more time on troublesome topics. In order to complete the course within the semester, you must generally keep up with the weekly schedule and test schedule provided. In order to succeed in this class, you should plan to spend about 9 to 15 hours each week (or more, if necessary) working on the material, depending on how much of the material is already review for you. The program is available all day everyday except when it is being backed up. Backups are scheduled for 1 AM every day, and should only very rarely take more than 2 hours to complete.
Even if you start working on the course early, you may not take tests right away. Especially early in the course, the tests may not even be available right away. If you are working ahead and want to test early, please contact me at least one week before you want to take it to see if I can get the test to your testing center early. It is possible to finish the course early if you work enough hours and learn quickly enough. If you do plan to try and finish the course early, you must increase the number of class participation activities you do each week so that you have enough total participation grades (32 for a 16 week semester) by the end of the semester. However, regardless of this, you must complete at least 2 class participation grades per week every week until you take the final.
Be sure to go to the Getting Started checklist (make sure you haven't forgotten anything) and that you have completed the different Orientation Forms by the appropriate deadlines. If you don't submit these in time, you may be dropped from the course.
Free tutoring is available at the Tutoring Centers (Learning Labs) at most ACC campuses. Visit http://www.austincc.edu/tutor/ for more information.
Online tutoring is also available through http://www.smarthinking.com/ . Contact me for a username and password.