MAT120 - Concepts of Mathematics & Technology

Syllabus, Spring 2013

 

Section A	Section B
Three (3) Credit Hours Time: 8:00-9:15 a.m., (T, Th) Room: HR 312 (Labs in HR 314)	Three (3) Credit Hours Time: 12:45-2:00 p.m., (T, Th) Room: HR 312 (Labs in HR 314)

Office Hours: As shown below and by appointment.

Text: Concepts of Math and Technology by Angel, Abbott, Runde and Blitzer, 2012 custom edition for Asbury University, published by Pearson: selections from A Survey of Mathematics with Applications (2009) and Thinking Mathematically (2011), ISBN 13-978-1-256-43400-9

Prerequisite: MAT 100 or ACT/SAT Math score of 22/510 or higher.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

This course is a survey of topics from finance and statistics with an introduction to the use of spreadsheets to generate mathematical models to solve problems. The course emphasizes the practical application of concepts and basic computer skills in the solution of realistic problems.

For approximately half of the class sessions we will meet in a regular classroom and for the other half we will meet in the computer lab. The lecture sessions generally focus on general concepts using a calculator to implement the corresponding mathematical models. In most of the lab sessions you will use spreadsheet software to implement mathematical models based on the concepts presented in the lecture sessions. One lab session will be used to administer the finance test. The statistics test will also be administered in the computer lab during final exam week.

Students successfully completing this course will be able to

• solve percentage markup, discount, and sales tax problems using a calculator or Excel.
• generate information for a credit card statement.
• solve finance problems involving simple interest, compound interest, and ordinary annuities using a calculator or Excel.
• create a table and appropriate graphs for the period by period details for compound interest and ordinary annuity problems using Excel.
• summarize a set of quantitative data, calculate descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, and five-point summary), and create a bar graph (for ungrouped data) or a histogram (for grouped data) illustrating the frequency distribution using either a calculator or Excel.
• find probabilities based on normal distributions using a calculator and left-tail probability tables.

ASSIGNMENT OF GRADES

Grades will be assigned on the basis of the following activities:

• Fifteen quizzes. Each quiz is worth 10 points and will focus on the topic covered during the preceding class period or two. Quiz dates are indicated in the course schedule below by an asterisk. Quizzes are given at the beginning of the class session. Students arriving late to class but before the quiz has been collected will be permitted to take the quiz but must turn it in at the same time as the rest of the class. In general, students who arrive after the quiz has been collected will not be permitted to take the quiz. Exceptions to this rule may be made on the days when we are working in the computer lab.
• Two exams. Each exam is worth 100 points and will be given in the computer lab. See the tentative schedule for specific dates and links to sample exams. In general, makeup exams are given only if suitable arrangements are made before the regular exam period or if an unanticipated absence is officially excused.

Grading Scale

Final grades will based on the following scale:

Grade	Points
A	326-350
A-	315-325
B+	305-314
B	291-304
B-	280-290
C+	270-279
C	256-269
C-	245-255
D	210-244
F	000-209

ATTENDANCE POLICY

All students are expected to attend class and to complete assignments and readings outside of class. If a student misses a class, the student is responsible for the work missed. The registrar will excuse an absence due to

• hospitalization or serious illness (as determined by a physician).
• Asbury University approved group event or travel (e.g., class trip, athletic team trip, etc.).
• death or serious illness of a family member.
• other unusual circumstance.

When you present me with the official excused absence form, you will be permitted to make up any quiz or test you might have missed. An excused absence does not give you an excuse to turn homework in late. Homework can be turned in early by slipping it under my door, giving it to the Hamann-Ray administrative assistant (located on the middle of the second floor on the front side of the building), or giving it to a classmate to bring to class.

Decisions regarding missed or late work resulting from such circumstances as travel difficulties, bad weather, conflicting schedules, oversleeping, minor sickness, doctor or dentist appointments, job interviews, discretionary trips (such as weddings), and family responsibilities will be at my discretion and will be made on a case by case basis.

You can find Asbury University's attendance policy in the university bulletin at the following link:

https://www.asbury.edu/offices/registrar/bulletin/academic-policies/courses-and-attendance

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

The work (quiz or test) submitted by a student is expected to be the product of the student alone. In this course, cheating includes unauthorized collaboration (giving or receiving help from some person) and unauthorized access to sources (including notes, cheat sheets, digital documents, and so on). Incidents of academic dishonesty will be recorded in your permanent file. In addition, the following penalties will apply:

• The first offense will result in a grade of 0 on the work in question and you will be required to meet with the Academic Dean.
• The second offense will result in a grade of F for the course and you will be required to meet with the Academic Integrity Committee.
• The third offense will result in suspension from the university.

You can find Asbury University's complete academic integrity policy in the university bulletin at the following link:

https://www.asbury.edu/offices/registrar/bulletin/academic-policies/general-policies

TUTORING SERVICES

The Center for Academic Excellence has tutors available to meet with you to work on a full range of academic meets. If you find yourself struggling in any of your classes, please contact them, and they will work to match you with a tutor ASAP. Services are all FREE, so take advantage of the opportunity! If there is not currently a tutor for the specific class for which you are requesting assistance, the CAE will do its best to work with your professor to find a student who can assist you.

To apply for a tutor, please locate the application on the CAE website https://www.asbury.edu/academics/cae.

The CAE is located in KL 139 (basement of Kinlaw Library). You can send emails to [email protected] or call at campus extension 2196.

7-11 LAB

The mathematics department sponsors an open lab in HR 314 from 7:00 to 11:00 each weekday evening from Monday through Thursday. The student lab assistants have all had at least a full-year of calculus and should be able to answer your questions. You may need to describe the context of a problem or give them a formula because they have not taken MAT 120. However, they should certainly know how to do the mathematics involved.

TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE

Note: LAB indicates that we will meet in the computer lab, HR 314, that day.  On lecture days, the "Material Covered" column lists the section(s) in the text that will be covered. For lab days, the lab topic is listed.

Quizzes will be given on dates marked with an asterisk. Each of those dates is also a link to a sample quiz that shows you exactly what type of problems to expect on the actual quiz.

Some of the items listed in the "Material Covered" column are links to appropriate online resources. Content links take you to online supplemental material covering the same topic. Lab links take you to online material that you will work through for that lab project. Test links take you to a sample test.

Month	Day	Material Covered
Jan	8	3.1 Percent
	10*	LAB - Percent
	15*	3.2 Simple Interest
	17*	LAB - Simple Interest
	22*	3.3 Compound Interest
	24	LAB - Compound Interest
	29*	LAB - Compound Interest
	31*	3.4 Ordinary Annuities (Savings)
Feb	5	3.4 Ordinary Annuities (Savings)
	7*	LAB - Savings
	12	Assessment Day
	14	LAB - Savings
	19*	3.5 Ordinary Annuities (Loans)
	21	3.5 Ordinary Annuities (Loans)
	26*	LAB - Loans
	28	LAB - Loans
Mar	5*	LAB - Finance Review
	7	LAB - Finance Test
	12	Spring Break
	14	Spring Break
	19	2.1 - 2.2 Sampling Techniques & Misuses of Statistics
	21	2.3 Frequency Distributions
	26	2.4 Statistical Graphs
	28	LAB - Ungrouped Frequency Distributions
Apr	2*	LAB - Grouped Frequency Distributions
	4*	2.5 Measures of Central Tendency
	9	2.6 Measures of Dispersion
	11*	LAB - Descriptive Statistics
	16	LAB - Descriptive Statistics
	18*	2.7 Normal Curve
	23	2.7 Normal Curve
	25*	LAB - Statistics Review

May	1	LAB - Statistics Test (Section A-Statistics Exam), 8:45 - 10:00 A.M.
	2	LAB - Statistics Test (Section B-Statistics Exam), 10:30 - 11:45 A.M.

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