Course Calendar

This is available at online from this link.

Required Materials:

• software: MyMathLab - includes the electronic form of the textbook
• textbook: Prealgebra, 4th edition by Blair, Tobey, and Slater - either electronic form or actual paper copy of the text

If you want to use the e-book in the software instead of a paper copy of the textbook, then you only need to purchase access to the software. I don't recommend that - I think that most students these days benefit from having a paper textbook to read from and to have sitting open in front of them when they do their paper homework. But it is your choice which to use.

For this Fall 2009 semester, there are no used books in the ACC bookstores. If you do buy a used book elsewhere, you'll have to pay $70 for the software to go with it. So that's not a good deal for you!! From the ACC bookstores, ou have three choices, at different prices. Each is a package. Once you open it, you can't return it! Folder with access code for software, which includes an electronic copy of the book. (Costs about $70) Looseleaf notebook version of the book, with the folder for the software included. (Costs about $90) Bound copy of the book, with the folder for the software included (Costs about $135) For discussion of how to purchase the software somewhere else besides ACC bookstores, look at the Software page from the link on the left here.

Do not open your package until you are sure that you intend to stay in this course. (That means that you agree that you don't need to move to a different course.) Once the shrink-wrap is opened, you cannot return it to the bookstore as a new book.

You can start looking at the book before you begin the course. Go to this page and follow the link to our course - MATD 0330 use the password acc0330 . These are pdf files of the sections in the first two chapters. No other chapters will be available in this way.

(Instructions here are for Fall 2009 only.) You can start work in this course with temporary access to the MyMathLab software. It takes a few days to get this set up, and is something of a hassle. You should only do this if you are unable to purchase your materials by the second day of class. When you fill out the online form, you'll be asked for several things. Notice that you are restricted on how you can turn this into permanent access to the software - you will have to purchase a copy of the software or software/book from the bookstore.

After the semester ends, you can keep the paper book if you think it will be useful to you to study as you take later courses, or, if it is a bound book (not the looseleaf notebook) you can sell it as a used book. You may continue to use the MyMathLab software for at least the next semester, but you can't sell it to anyone else - the name and email address on it are permanently yours. Each student who will use the MyMathLab software in the course must purchase his/her own new copy of the software.

Supplemental Material:

Computer adequate to run the software (see the software page on this website for computer requirements), email address, paper, pencils, basic calculator to be used at the end of the course, and five mailing envelopes.

Instructional Methodology:

This course is a personal computer/modem course in which students

• work in the MyMathLab software to view instructional videos and / or read the sections in the textbook to learn how to do the material
• work in the MyMathLab software to do online homework and online quizzes
• do paper homework, including Chapter Tests
• take paper-and-pencil tests in an ACC Testing Center.

Course Description:

A course designed to develop basic arithmetic and algebra skills to prepare for courses covering secondary school algebra, the first of which is MATD 0370. Content includes operations on whole numbers, integers, fractions, decimals, ratio and proportions, percent, solving linear equations in one variable applications, and relating simple algebra concepts to geometry.

Course Rationale:

Basic Math Skills is designed to be the first course in the three-course sequence for Developmental Math. The other two courses are Elementary Algebra and Intermediate Algebra. Students who pass Basic Math Skills will have a solid foundation in arithmetic of rational numbers, solving linear equations, and the beginnings of polynomial arithmetic.

Department course objectives are available at http://www.austincc.edu/mthdept2/tfcourses/obj0330.htm

Is this course necessary?

The later courses in math require some algebra. Skill in algebra is based on a foundation of understanding arithmetic in a certain way. The purpose of this course is to help you review/refresh/relearn arithmetic in the way that leads naturally to understanding algebra. This is really a "prealgebra" course and includes some algebra as well as that arithmetic. The next course, Elementary Algebra, requires that you know that arithmetic and beginning algebra before beginning it.

If you believe that you already know the material in this course and are ready to pass a test on those to go on to the next course, please look through the review for the final exam, available from the math department's page of these. Before the course begins, ask the instructor for a test to prove your skill and move to the next course.

What math courses are required to complete your TSI requirement?

Completing this course will not prepare you to pass the state-required test to complete the TSI requirement. Passing that test requires good full knowledge of the material in Elementary Algebra, MATD 0370.

Students who aren't able to pass the test after Elementary Algebra may take an additional developmental math course to further improve their math skills. Two courses are available.

One of these courses is Intermediate Algebra, MATD 0390, which prepares students for taking College Algebra and other algebra-intensive college-level courses. Generally speaking, it is easier for students to learn Elementary Algebra well and take the test to meet the TSI requirement than to take Intermediate Algebra. However, if you haven't taken high school Algebra II ever, or if you are going on to an algebra-intensive college level math course, you are required to take Intermediate Algebra to meet the prerequisites for those college-level math courses. (Includes MATH 1314, 1324, and most others.)

The other course is Developing Mathematical Thinking, MATD 0385. ACC is just beginning to offer MATD 0385, Developing Mathematical Thinking, after MATD 0370, Elementary Algebra, to better prepare students for any of MATH 1333, MATH 1333, or MATH 1342.

Students who have passed high school Algebra II and who want to take one of the non-algebra-intensive college-level math courses (MATH 1332, MATH 1333, or MATH 1342) may take those after passing any of the appropriate assessment tests at the state-approved level. We recommend that you choose the THEA test to study for and take, because the material you will study for it is most useful for preparing for these courses.

What is the TSI requirement and why do we have it?

Read more about the TSI requirement, meeting it, and why we have it.