Prof. Wladis

cwladis@bmcc.cuny.edu

alternate email: cwladis@nyc.rr.com (please use this email only if the bmcc email is not working)

General Course Syllabus for Math 100 DL

Read this ENTIRE document carefully! It explains all of the details of how the course works and how you are graded. You may want to print this out and keep it with you as a reference throughout the course.

If you have already read the syllabus and are just looking for an answer to a specific question, you can click on the links below to take you directly to that section.

Required Textbook:

Mathematical Ideas, Second Custom Edition for BMCC, by Miller, Heeren and Hornsby, Addison Wesley Educational Publishers, 2004.

This is a NEW edition. It is different from the book used a few years ago.

(This book was used for the first time in fall 2004.)

To see a few places where you can buy the book, click here.

What you must do to pass this course:

1. Login to the course webpage at least twice a week whenever class is in session, and read the Announcements. Then look at the Assignments page for the week to see what work has been assigned for that week.
2. Check your BMCC email (or the email address you have set your BMCC email to forward to) 2-3 times per week while class is in session.
3. Turn in all work by the deadlines posted each week on the course webpage under the Assignments menu.
4. If you have a valid reason for turning work in late (i.e. death in the family, sickness, etc.), let me know ASAP and be prepared to provide written justification.
5. Start your work several days BEFORE the deadline. If you wait until the night before work is due to begin and then cannot complete it on time because you have technical difficulties, your work will lose points for being late!

How to submit work:

When submitting homework, be sure to label your homework with the page numbers and the homework number given on the assignments page that week. For example, a title like "Homework 4: pgs. 183-184 #1-10 and pg. 192 #2-20 even."

1. Put it in the digital drop box: This can be found on the main menu for this course in Blackboard. You can type up or scan in your work and submit it here. Be sure to hit the submit button when you are through so that your work actually gets submitted to me! If you forget this step, I will not be able to see it!

   If you need help writing symbols, see the help page under "Technical Help" on the main course menu.

2. Email it to me: You can type your work into the body of an email, or if you prefer, you can type it in Microsoft word or scan it in as an image file and send it to me that way.

   If you need help writing symbols, see the help page under "Technical Help" on the main course menu.

Do not put work into my box in the math department or fax it to me at the math department; I will not get it over the summer, as I will be travelling and not in the office.

How to Tell When Work is Due:

Look at the Assignments page in the main course webpage: The Due Date column, which is the far left column gives the final due date for all the assignments that are listed in each row of the Assignments table. Because the first post to the discussion board is due 3 days before all the other work, the deadline for the first post to the discussion board is listed in the Discussion Board column, to the far right of the assignments page. In this column it will clearly say, First Discussion post due 11:59 pm and then give the date it is due. This will generally be 3 days before the final deadline for all work for the week.

Remember that Discussion Board postings and Tests cannot be taken late, so you must be sure to complete these by the deadline listed on the assignments page. Lecture questions and homework may be submitted late, but you will lose points for their lateness (to see policies on late work, click here.)

Assignments and Grades:

This class has several kinds of assignments:

• Discussion questions: (10% of your final grade)

The discussion questions will be posted each week under the Discussion Board button on the main course menu.

You must always post your first response to the discussion board 3 DAYS BEFORE the deadline for the assignments each week; if you miss this deadline, you will lost points on your discussion board grade because other students won't have enough time to respond to your post! This deadline is always listed on the Assignments page, in the Discussion Board column.

You can see which discussion questions have been assigned for the week by looking at the Assignments page for that week.

What is required to get full credit:

• YOU MUST READ ALL OTHER STUDENT POSTS before the final deadline. If you find that another student's post makes you reconsider your answer, then you should go back and correct your post, even if that student has not commented specifically on your work.

If I find that you have not been reading other student posts, you will lose points. (If your answer has obvious errors that have been addressed by other student posts and you never repost to correct these, then it will be clear to me that you have not read the others students' posts.

• You are required to give an answer to each discussion question in your own words.

If I respond to your post and ask you to fix or clarify something you’ve said, you must respond to my post.

If other students give you feedback on how to fix your answer or explain why they think that your answer has an error, then you must respond to them by either correcting the error and reposting your answer, or if you think they are mistaken and that your answer does not have the error they have described, then explain clearly to them why the error they have pointed out is, in fact, not an error.

• You must then reply to at least 2 of the other students’ posts for each question.

Your replies to other students’ posts should say something useful! It is fine to reply to another student, “Your answer really helped me to understand the concept better!”, but this post does not contain any information about the math itself, and therefore will not count as one of your two responses.

• Lecture questions: (10% of your final grade)

• As you read the lectures, you will come to several sections of lecture questions. These questions must be completed online. To get to these questions, go to the main course webpage in Blackboard and click on the Lecture Questions button on the main course menu .

• You can save lecture questions and come back to them later, before you submit them. You can even redo them once they have been graded so that you can see if you can get a higher grade. But you must hit the submit button at the end of the lecture quesitons in order for them to be graded.

• Homework: (10% of your final grade)

Each chapter has its own homework problems taken from the book, which you can find by looking at the Assignments page for that week.

• Be sure that you have the correct edition of the book, or the page numbers listed for the homework will not match the page numbers in your book. The correct edition of the book is available at the BMCC library, and you can photocopy the pages of the book that contain the homework if you like.

• To submit the homework: Click here to see the different ways that you can submit the homework.

Please do not send me attachments via email or documents in the digital drop box if you have recently had or suspect you might have a computer virus. Instead, copy your work into the BODY of an email and send it to me that way.

• Group Projects: (10% of your final grade)

  Some weeks we will have a group project assigned , which you can find by looking at the Assignments page for that week.
  

  • I will put you into groups, and your group will have an area under the Group button on the main course menu where you will have your own discussion board, digital drop box, and chat room, where you can communicate with your group members.
  • Each group will have a group leader. Whoever volunteers for this position first will receive 10 extra points on the project grade. If no one volunteers, I will choose someone at random for the job and everyone will lose 5 points on their final grade.

    The job of the group leader is to decide what tasks each person in the group will complete and to set up any times the group might meet online to discuss the problems. You will receive more detailed instructions when you are assigned your first group project.

  • How to get a good grade on the group projects:

    1. Logon to your Group discussion board as soon as the project is assigned, and be sure to log on regularly throughout the week. If you don't login soon enough and your group leader has set group deadlines that you have missed, then you will have to do the project completely by yourself or you will receive a 0!
    2. Make sure the final version of any answers you submit as a part of the group project are correct and contain adequate explanation of your answers . Anytime you submit incorrect work, as soon as you discover your mistakes, resubmit the work with your corrections.
    3. Respond promptly to the group discussion. Be sure you have replied to several other group members’ posts, at different times, with an answer that actually talks with them in detail about the math involved. Remember, just like in the discussion board, answers without substance (for example, responses like, “You did a great job,” and “I don’t understand,” without any other details) will NOT count!
    4. Make sure that you look at everyone else’s work in the group, and if you see someone in your group who is doing something that is incorrect, help them to fix it. Politely point out their mistakes and try to clearly explain to them how to correct them.

  • If you have any questions or problems while working on the group project, you can feel free to ask me about them. It is always ok to ask for help.

• Section Tests: (40% of your final grade total)

  Whenever we have a test assigned for that week, you will see the test assigned on the Assignments page.

  • Tests are open book, but you must do them ALONE.

    All tests will be open book, but they will be timed, and you will be expected to work on your own when you take the tests. Cheating by working with another student is still prohibited and if I discover that you have cheated, you will receive a zero on the test, and if it happens more than once, a failing grade for the class.

    If you are caught cheating, you may also be turned over to the committee on academic standing, where they have the authority to expel you from CUNY if they think the offense is serious enough; if this happens, then the student can’t take any classes at any CUNY college. Cheating is very serious! So please don’t risk it!

  • Everything you write on the test should be in your own words.

    If you give an answer to an essay question that you have copied word for word from my lecture, or from the book, or from another student's posts you will get a 0 on that question!
    

  • You will take all of your tests online.

    You will have a week to take the test, during which time you can log in anytime to take the test. Be sure to take the test well before the deadline. The test will disappear after the deadline for taking it is past, and you will not be able to get in to take it after that without my permission!
  • Once you begin the test, you must finish it.

    Once you begin the test, you cannot log out and then get back in again to take the test.
    Before you take a test, be sure to close all other programs.
    While taking the test, DO NOT click on any of the browser navigation buttons (back, refresh, etc.). Otherwise, the test may freeze up and not allow you to log back in to take the test.

  • Before you take any of the tests, be sure that you are able to read all the equations!

    If you are not sure that you can do this, go here to find out:
    Click here to see if your computer is prepared to read all the equations for this class!



• Final exam: (20% of your final grade)

At the end of the class, we will have a final exam. It will be cumulative. It will be very similar in structure and difficulty to the chapter tests. If you have studied and done well on all the previous tests, you will probably do well on the final. When it is time to take the final, you will see it on that week's Assignments page. Like the tests, you will have about a week to log in to take the final. The final will also be timed and be open book/notes.

 

Policy on Late Work:

• What will be accepted late: lecture questions, homework problems, group work


• What will NOT be accepted late (without a valid excuse): tests, discussion questions


• Penalty for late work turned in:


• Before the last day of classes: You will receive 75% of the credit for the assignment. This means that the highest grade you can get at this point on the assignment is a 75.


• After the last day of classes: You will receive NO credit on this work unless you have a valid excuse (i.e. sickness, death in the family, etc.) with some kind of documentation, and you have let me know about the problem ASAP.

What Excuses will be considered Valid enough to Get an Extension for Classwork?

• Illness or death in the family are the most obvious valid reasons why you may request an extension; just be prepared, especially if you have missed a test, to give me some kind of documentation. Other unexpected events of a magnitude similar to these may also be considered; just be sure to contact me as soon as possible.

• Technical problems: Technical problems will only be considered as grounds for an extension under certain circumstances.

Here is what you must do if you want to request an extension due to technical problems:

1. Do NOT wait until the night before work is due to begin the assigned work. Start the work for the week at least 3 days before the due date. This means, for example, that if the due date for the week is midnight on Wednesday night, you should have at least begun the work by midnight on Sunday.


2. When you encounter a technical problem with the course material, call Information Technology (IT) right away. (If it is after hours, leave a message, and then call back in the morning.)
   

   Every time you call Information Technology (IT):

   1. Write down the date and time you contacted them.
   
   
   2. Write down the name of the person you spoke to at IT.
   
   
   3. Write down a short but specific description of what you told the person at IT about your problem and what they told you to do about it.
   
   
   4. Email me to let me know that you’ve contacted the IT and to describe to me what the technical problem is that you are havivng. Just remember that I cannot fix the problem; only IT can fix the problem. I want you to email me to let me know what is going on, but I do not have the technical expertise or the right kind of access to Blackboard to actually fix the issue.
   
   
   5. Keep contacting IT until the problem is fixed. Sometimes it can be frustrating if you have called several times but have still not been able to get through or not been able to get the right kind of technical help to fix your problem, but your technical problems won’t get fixed unless you keep calling.

      (I know this can be frustrating, but unfortunately, I cannot fix technical issues. It is your responsibility as the student to keep calling the help desk until you can get through to a person who has the expertise to solve your problem. If the first person you talk to can’t help, then ask them to transfer you or give you the name of someone with more expertise who might be able to help you. Then contact that person. Keep this up until you can get someone to fix the technical issue.)

3. Finish all other work that does not depend upon the technical issue by the deadline. For example, if you are having problems with a set of the lecture questions, be sure that you still turn in the homework and respond to the discussion question by the deadline.

 

What to do if you are having technical trouble:

1. On the course webpage, go to “Technical Help” on the main course menu. Read what it written here FIRST! Read it carefully! Most the problems you are likely to encounter are already listed here! This is the place to go if you are having trouble writing equations, or reading them, or are having any other technical issues with the course webpage.


2. If that doesn’t work, contact Information Technology (IT) for problems with the course webpage, Blackboard or the portal at (212) 220-8122 or at it@bmcc.cuny.edu. If you are having BMCC email trouble, contact the Help Desk at BMCC at 212-220-8379 or at helpdesk@bmcc.cuny.edu.

Each time you contact IT (or the Help Desk), write down the DATE and TIME you contacted them, and write down the NAME of the person you talked to.

Keep calling or emailing IT (or the Help Desk) until you get through to someone who is able to solve your problem. You may need to ask to be transferred to the right person.

Keep calling back until you get the problem fixed.

3. If it takes more than a day or two to fix your technical problem, then email me at cwladis@bmcc.cuny.edu and tell me:
   
   
   1. What the problem is:
   
   
   1. Describe to me step-by-step exactly what the problem is and what happens when you run into it. (For example, don’t just tell me that you “can’t do the lecture questions.” Instead, do tell me specifically what is wrong, like this: “When I go to the Assignments page for this week and click on the link to the lecture questions, I get an error message that says, ‘The page cannot be displayed.’”
   
   
   2. Do you have the same problem on several different computers, or just one?
   
   
   2. Approximately what day and time the problem started.
   
   
   3. Who you have contacted at IT (or the Help Desk) and when you have contacted them.

   Do not contact me with technical problems until you have already contacted IT (or the help desk)! I cannot fix any technical problems; I am not a computer technician and will not be able to help you with computer issues because I do not have the knowledge or the website access needed to fix most technical issues. Only IT (or the helpdesk) can fix computer problems. The only reason you should contact me about your technical issues is so that:

   • I am aware that you are having a problem, and
   • If several students are having the same problem, I will then be able to tell that the problem is likely to be something to do with the course itself rather than your computer.

What to do if you need help with the math:

• Ask a fellow student: Click on the “Math Help” menu and post a question on the “Help Discussion Board” to see if any of your fellow students can help.

  Extra credit points go to any student who posts an intelligent answer to another student’s question!

• Ask me: You can email me any questions you may have. Be sure to be specific - give me a particular problem or example that you are having trouble with and explain where you are getting lost - the more specific you are about what you don't understand, the more I can help you. "I just don't get this chapter," or "I just don't understand how to do truth tables," for example, are requests for help that don't really give me any information about what you are struggling with, and so it makes it hard for me to give you any meaningful help.
  
  
• Get tutoring:
  
  
  • The Math Lab: You can go to the Math Lab in room S511 any time they are open to get help. You can get tutoring here, but you will have to be patient, as the tutors are usually helping several students at a time in several different subjects. You will need a valid BMCC student ID to get into the math lab. The usual math lab hours are below, but you will need to be careful as these hours may change, particularly around holidays.

    Monday - Thursday 10:00am - 8:00pm

    Friday 10:00am - 7:00pm

    Saturday 10:00am - 4:00pm

    Sunday 11:00am - 4:00pm (Room S-500)

    
    For more information you can also check out the Math Lab webpage at http://www.bmcc.cuny.edu/mathlab/.
    
  • The Learning Resource Center: The Learning Resource Center Offers several kinds of tutoring. You can take a look at their webpage at http://www.bmcc.cuny.edu/lrc/index.html. Some specific kinds of tutoring they offer are:
    
    
    • One-on-one tutoring: To sign up for this, drop by the LRC at the main BMCC campus in room S500, call the Tutor Hotline at 212-220-1383, or email the LRC at lrc@bmcc.cuny.edu. You should have your student ID and your schedule available. If you are interested in one-on-one tutoring at the LRC, it is a good idea to check out the information about what you can expect at tutoring: http://www.bmcc.cuny.edu/lrc/tutoring/expect.html or the LRC’s frequently asked questions about tutoring: http://www.bmcc.cuny.edu/lrc/tutoring/faq_tutoring.html.
    
    
    • Online tutoring: The LRC also offers online e-tutoring, where you can submit any questions via email and get a response within 24 hours (or if it is a weekend or vacation, by the next day that classes are in session). To submit a question to the e-tutors, just visit the webpage: http://www.bmcc.cuny.edu/etutoring/. You can also contact the e-tutoring office by phone at 212-220-1380 or by email at e-tutoring@bmcc.cuny.edu if you have any questions about the program.

Where to find things on our course webpage:

The main menu for the course is the purple menu on the left of the course webpage. It has the following menu titles:

• Course Information: Click here to find a copy of this syllabus or look at the BMCC academic calendar.


• Announcements: Click here to look at the course announcements will be posted. Be sure to check this at least twice a week.


• Assignments: Click here to see all the assignments listed by the week in which they are assigned. To see what is due each week, look here.


• Lectures: Click here to read the lectures. Just remember that in order to see what assignments go with each of the lectures, you have to look at the Assignments page. You can also get to the lectures by clicking the link to the lectures on the Assignments page for each week.


• Discussion Board: This is where you can find the discussion board. You must post your answers to the discussion questions here each week.


• Groups: Click here to communicate with your group when I assign a group project.


• Digital Drop Box: Click here to turn homework into the digital drop box.


• Technical Help: Click here when you have technical problems.


• Math Help: Click here to get help when you are having difficulties working some of the problems or understanding some of the contents of the course.


• Send Email: Click here to send an email to me or other students in the course


• Check grades: Click here to see your grades for the course or to check which work you are missing.


• Chat: Click here to chat live with other members of the course.

Click here to return to the Assignments Page for this Week.