Math 119 -- Calculus with Algebra II -- Spring 1995

Instructor

    Peder A. Bolstad
    Analytical Skills Coordinator &
    Instructor in Mathematics
    St. Olaf College




Texts and Materials

We will continue through the remainder of the first five chapters of Calculus From Graphical, Numerical and Symbolic Points of View by Ostebee and Zorn (also known as OZ) together with appropriate background material from Contemporary Precalculus by Hungerford (also known as CP). Each student must have a copy of each text and a graphing calculator of his or her own.

Structure

The course will comprise reading, class discussion, writing (focused more on explanation than description), group work (to develop ability in communicating ideas as well as information) quizzes, tests and problem sets.

Reading assignments are very important. Please recall that there are two major aspects to technical reading: (1) looking for the overarching structure of the ideas being presented for an understanding of what the issues are and who might care and (2) a detailed "unpacking" of the notation graphs and calculations for a complete understanding of how and why things work as they do.

Class discussion of ideas and your work will be a major part of our class time. You will be expected to ask questions, present solutions (not just answers), and work together efficiently. Meeting three days a week instead of five means that you will have to do much more work for this class on your own and come to class prepared to ask pointed questions that your study group is unable to answer. Your attendance and participation are expected and will be necessary if we are to engage all the remaining topics of first semester calculus before the end of this semester.

Studying for this Course

You should expect to spend AT LEAST three hours of effective and efficient work, probably in three or more separate study sessions, between class periods. College study should require at least the time committment of a full time job, and it will likely be of little use to you without active participation in the learning process. College in general and this course in particular do not qualify as spectator sports. Your instructor is available for coaching, but the outcome depends primarily on your energy and tenacity.

Writing in sentences is expected with every assignment -- simply getting an answer is not sufficient. You should be able to explain how you got there, what the whole thing is good for and what you think you were supposed to learn from doing the work. There will be PROBLEMS that are meant to help you develop deeper understanding, and EXERCISES whose purpose is merely skill development. Noticing which are which will be helpful.

Your class notes should provide an outline of your ideas (rather than your instructor's) and your responses to the ideas being discussed in the class. You should learn to ask and answer ``What if...?'', ``Who cares?" and ``So what?'' questions with regard to your reading and homework so as to gain better understanding from each assignment. Emphasize quality rather than quantity in your work. You should be conscious of what information you need to do a problem and what information is unnecessary so that you can include the former and not the latter when you write up your solutions. There is a difference between adequate and elegant writing -- strive for the latter.

Homework and tests will emphasize understanding supported by appropropriate logic and algebra skills. Memorization and the doing of routine exercises is not the principal goal, but there will be "gateway" sections on in-class tests or quizzes which must be passed at the 100% level!

It may also help to know what the underlying purpose is for this course. The goal is that you understand and learn to balance three modes of mathematical communication: words to convey ideas, graphs to present information, and formulas to allow you to compute in support of the two preceeding modes. This understanding and balancing will result in an increased ability to solve quantitative problems and understand the nature and interactions of certain kinds of change.

Grading for this Course

The final grade will be calculated as follows:

    45% - Tests
    25% - Assignments
    25% - Final exam
    5% - Attendence/Participation

Available Help

    YOUR CLASSMATES

    No one is smarter than all of us. If you try to learn this mathematics by locking yourself in a closet and thrashing through it on your own, you are missing one of the greatest resources around - your colleagues. It is true that you don't want to have other members of your study group do it all for you, but once everyone in the study group has had a chance to go after the ideas and the problems it is almost always useful to compare your thoughts and calculations to check each other's thinking and work. Quiz each other. Write your own test questions and share them. If the whole group is stumped it's time for one of the other resources below.

    YOUR INSTRUCTOR

    Your instructor expects you to make use of the help available from regular study group sessions, regular Math Clinics and from visiting his office at the Academic Support Center (ASC) in the Old Main Annex. There are no specific office hours since essentially the entire day (M-F) is appointment time. If you need or want to talk, please call x3288 to set up a time. If the receptionist can't find a time that works for you in "regular" appointment times just say you are in my class and some other times will open up too.

    THE MATH CLINICS

    Math Clinics (help with homework sessions) are scheduled to begin February 16. They are open Sunday through Thursday evenings from 7:30 to 9:00 in SC 188. You may ask either about specific exercises in the clinics or you may ask about particular ideas that are not making sense. The tutors are asked to help you figure things out rather than to do the problems for you. Clinics are also a good place to find study groups or a study partner. Please use the clinics!

AGAIN - 'cause it's really important:

Implicit in the above is the outline of a survival kit for this course. This survival kit consists of:

    (1) Reading ahead to be prepared for each class and to improve your ability to read and understand technical material.

    (2) Studying in short, frequent bursts to keep your mind fresh and to practice bringing the ideas back to mind (in preparation for tests which primarily ask you to bring things back to mind).

    (3) Working in small groups to support each other and develop your ability to communicate your ideas clearly.

    (4) Asking questions to get the most out of class time and to learn to think better analytically.

    (5) Using the help that is available from your instructor, your classmates and the Math Clinics.

Many of you made significant progress in your reading, writing and study skills during the first semester. You should be aware that this semester the expectations will be higher to encourage continued improvement. An effort at continued improvement here will pay dividends in this course, in future course work and in the problem solving necessary in your non-academic life. We're in this together to chase down some of the quantitative aspects of this thing called change. Let's have fun with it!
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