MATH 111 A: Algebra with Applications

Welcome to Math 111 Winter 2021

In this course, you will study the use of graphs and algebraic functions as they apply to the fields of business and economics. This course will prepare you for a course in the application of calculus to business and economics.

Instructional Team:

• Instructor: Professor Jennifer L. Taggart, taggart@math.washington.edu
  Office Hours (beginning January 6): MWF 12:30-2:30 pm via Zoom or by appointment

• TAs: 

  • AA/AB:  Camila Vasquez, camilav@uw.edu
    Office Hours:  TTh 12:30-2:20 pm via Zoom
  • AC/AD: Joey David, jdavid5@uw.edu
    Office Hours:  TTh 12:30-2:20 via Zoom
  • AE/AF:  Carlos Rivera, caariv@uw.edu
    Office Hours: TTh 12:30-2:20 via Zoom
  • AG: Michael Kupperman, kupperma@uw.edu
    Office Hours:  TTh 12:30-1:20 via Zoom

Class structure: Most of the course will be taught asynchronously with the exception of Friday quizzes and the final exam. 

• Lectures will be prerecorded for you to watch at any time. 
• Activities will be assigned on Friday and due Tuesday.  Activities are intended to be discussed in pairs or small groups.  You can arrange to meet with your group at any time convenient to all members.  We expect that, at the very least, all group members would be available to meet during class time on Monday or Tuesday.
• Class times listed in the Time Schedule will be used for office hours (via Zoom), Monday through Friday. 
• Every other Friday, you will take an online quiz.  You will be required to start and finish each quiz between 11 am and 6 pm (Seattle time).  You may start at any time in that seven-hour period but must finish by 6 pm.  Once you begin, you will have 45 minutes to finish.
  
• A final exam will be given online on Saturday, March 13, from 1 to 8 pm (Seattle time) --- again, you must start and finish at any time in that period and you will have three hours to finish once you start. 

Course Materials:

• Webassign: Every student must purchase an access code for Webassign in order to complete the homework. Webassign access includes an electronic copy of the Harshbarger/Reynolds text and will cover both Math 111 and Math 112.  You have a two-week grace period, beginning the first day of classes to try Webassign and the electronic text.  Once you decide to purchase Webassign, you may buy it online or from the University Bookstore.  Follow these instructions to login to Webassign.  Students taking the course from outside the US may not be able to purchase Webassign online and should follow these instructions.
• Texts:  
  • The GATROC (Graphical Approaches to Rates of Change) is a pdf written by UW faculty.  This is our text for the first few weeks of the quarter.  Nothing to purchase, just follow the link.  (If you want a hard copy, you'll need to print it yourself.)
  • Applied Mathematics for Business by Harshbarger/Reynolds (12th ed.) serves as the text for the remainder of the quarter.  An electronic copy is included when you buy a Webassign access code.  If you prefer a hard copy of the text, you can buy a custom edition (of only the chapters we'll use in loose-leaf form).  The hard copy covers both Math 111 and 112.  You are not required to purchase the hard copy.
• Other Required Materials:

• • In the first three weeks of the quarter, you'll need a way to draw lines on a graph in a pdf.  You can either print them out and draw with a pencil and ruler or import them into an application that allows you to draw lines on the graphs.  You will therefore need one of the following:
    
    • a printer and a clear plastic ruler to draw straight lines on a graph OR
    • a way to electronically draw lines on a pdf using a computer or tablet (your phone is probably too small but may work if you have no other option)
  • a scientific calculator
    
    • Since we are remote this quarter, any scientific calculator will be fine.   If you don't already have a scientific calculator and you plan to take Math 112 in a future quarter, then I recommend the TI-30X IIS.  It is relatively inexpensive and easy to use and it is the only calculator that we allow in our in-person classes which (I sure hope) will resume someday.

Grading:

•  Grades in the course will not be curved.  I will apply the following grading scale.
  
  

  Overall Percentage	Course Grade
  90-100	4.0
  85-89	3.5
  80-84	3.0
  75-79	2.5
  70-74	2.0
  50-69	1.5
  0-49	0.0

• Your grade will be weighted as follows.
  
  

  Activities	20%
  Homework	20%
  Quizzes	40%
  Final Exam	20%

Activities: During most weeks, you will work on activities crafted to introduce or deepen your understanding of course material. These are designed to be discussed and worked in pairs or small groups.  The purpose of these activities is to get you to articulate your ideas and questions and have conversations about the material with your colleagues.  You may opt to work alone (and ask questions in office hours) or form your own group.  Each student will turn in their own assignment --- you will not be graded as a group.  Each student may request one 24-hour extension on an Activity during the quarter.  (See Make-ups and Extensions below.)

Homework: Homework will typically be due every Thursday night at 11 p.m. on Webassign. Homework is generally assigned a week prior to the due date.   Do your best to work on the homework a bit at a time throughout the week rather than leaving it all to the last minute.  Each student may request one 24-hour extension on a Homework assignment during the quarter.  (See Make-ups and Extensions below.)  In addition, each student may miss up to 20 homework points throughout the quarter without any penalty to their grade.

Quizzes: Every other Friday, you will complete an online quiz over the previous two weeks' material. If you are able to do without assistance the Activity and Homework from the previous two weeks, then you are prepared for the quiz. Additional problems from the Math 111 Exam Archive will be on offer if you want extra practice before the quiz.   Quizzes are open book/open notes.  You will be expected not to receive help from any other source during the quiz.   There will be one make-up quiz offered on the last day of the quarter.  (See Make-ups and Extensions below.)

Final Exam: You will complete an online final exam on Saturday, March 13.  The exam will be cumulative, covering material from the entire quarter.  The exam will be open book/open notes.  You will be expected not to receive help from any other source during the exam.

Make-Ups and Extensions:  Each student will be granted at most one 24-hour extension on an Activity and one 24-hour extension on Homework for the quarter.  Requests for extensions must be made via email (taggart@math.washington.edu) by 5 pm on the day the assignment is due (Tuesday for Activities, Thursday for Homework).  No explanation necessary --- ask and it shall be granted (once).  If you have already received your extension for the quarter, do not ask again.

There will be one make-up quiz offered during the quarter, on the last day of classes, March 12.  Anyone who wants to may take the make-up quiz.  Your grade will be determined by your four highest quiz scores.  There will be no making up the make-up quiz.

If you have a medical or other emergency that prevents you from taking the final exam as scheduled, contact Professor Taggart as soon as possible to make other arrangements.

Resources for Students with Disabilities:  Your experience in this class is important to me. If you have already established accommodations with Disability Resources for Students (DRS), please communicate your approved accommodations to me at your earliest convenience so we can discuss your needs in this course.

If you have not yet established services through DRS, but have a temporary health condition or permanent disability that requires accommodations (conditions include but not limited to; mental health, attention-related, learning, vision, hearing, physical or health impacts), you are welcome to contact DRS at 206-543-8924 or uwdrs@uw.edu or disability@uw.edu. DRS offers resources and coordinates reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities and/or temporary health conditions. Reasonable accommodations are established through an interactive process between you, your instructor(s) and DRS. It is the policy and practice of the University of Washington to create inclusive and accessible learning environments consistent with federal and state law.

Religious Accommodations: “Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Religious Accommodations Policy. Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form."