Some study notes for the tests in this class
Since there are no lectures in this class, there are several things that I need to mention here that I would normally mention in class about the tests:
- Graphing calculators - As you should have noticed by now, there are a few homework problems that require a graphing calculator to work (marked with an * in the homework list). As I note on the schedule, these are optional, though I really recommend you try them if you have access to a graphing calculator. Also, several of the videos spend some time using graphing calculators. So, I'm sure many of you are asking, "What's going on with graphing calculators and the tests?" Well, I do not allow graphing calculators on the tests. This is tricky for an online course; we do not require graphing calculators for the course, but if this were a lecture course, I would bring in a class set and show people the basics of how to use them. There are graphing calculators you can check out for a short period of time from the college library at most campuses, but I haven't convinced myself that I can realisticaly make this a requirement in an online course at this level yet. Therefore, my policy is: you are free to use them on the homework, but you may not use them on tests. I do recommend you spend some time learning to use one if you have access to it; you may find it helpful in improving your understanding. However, if I want to ask a question on the test that you would normally use a graphing calculator to answer (and I will), I will give you the graph to look at. It isn't quite as cool as using your own calculator to draw it, but it does provide a level playing field for everyone on the tests.
- "Is the test just like our homework?" - No. Don't freak out, though, I will ask the same basic types of questions and certainly won't ask you about things you haven't done in the homework, quizzes, and/or test reviews, but I am not copying problems out of the book, I write them myself. That means you will not be able to get by with memorizing the way the book asks the questions and then just recap them on the test. You must understand the concepts, not just memorize problem types. Of course, lots of things will look the same (how many ways can you really say "Solve for x"?), but you will need to read what the question asks, think about what it means, and then answer it. (If I ask you to do several things, be sure you get them all done.) I promise I'm not trying to trick you or confuse you, but it is important to understand that I'm testing you on how well you understand the material, not on how well you can memorize the homework and reviews.
- What should I study? - Well, the test review is a good first step. Then, go back and review your quizzes and any homework problems you struggled with. If you want some more practice, there are some "Sample tests and quizzes" if you click on Quizzes in CourseCompass and scroll down. (Warning: These are not sample tests/quizzes that I wrote, they are just generated by the software. So do not think of these as "sample tests" or "study sheets", just think of them as extra practice problems.) After you take one or more of these (there are two available per chapter), click on "Extra Study" in CourseCompass and you can find problems highlighted based on which problems you got wrong, giving you some guidance in what you are still weak in and some extra practice on those. (See the explanation of Extra Study in the MyMathLab tutorial I wrote.)
- Some notes on each test:
Test 1
- A good bit of this test is on review material (lines, for example). That material will be covered, but the emphasis will be on more advanced uses of that material.
- Lines, for example, will stress function notation and terminology (so, I might ask you to find a "linear function" rather than just the "equation of the line"). Also, you will need to be able to explain the meaning (and the units) of the slope and the intercepts in applications (i.e., "word problems").
- Numerical data - There will be problems where I don't give you the formula, but just a list or a table of numerical data. You need to be able to determine if that data represents a linear function and, if so, be able to find the formula for that function. (I will not ask about linear regression, however. That would require the use of a graphing calculator, which you won't have.)
- Graphs - You will have to draw a few graphs yourself (pay particular attention to "piecewise" functions), but there will also be problems where I give you the graph and you have to answer questions about them. There are a lot of these in the homework, so this shouldn't be a shock to anyone.
- For most of you, solving absolute value equations and inequalities will probably be at least partially new material. As a result, there will be more of it on the test proportionally than some other stuff. So, don't assume that since it's only one section (and the last one before the test) that it won't be that important. It is.
- Be sure you are familiar with function notation and related terms. So, be sure you know what the following mean and how to find them: increasing, decreasing, domain, range, average rate of change