All assessment deadlines are set to 11:59pm on the dates specified.
Ten late passes are built into the XYZ Homework during the semester.
Each late pass extends the deadline of one homework section by 24 hours.
There are no make-ups for missed quizzes and exams. Contact me ahead of
time if you have a conflict with a deadline and we will find a mutually
agreeable solution.
Assessments
Calendar
of all assessment deadlines (homework, quizzes, exams)
Three attempts are allowed on each problem.
The number of problems per section varies.
Homeworks will be available beginning two weeks before their deadline.
We have scheduled 14 homework assignments.
Quizzes
One attempt is allowed on each problem.
There are 10 problems on each quiz.
The time limit on each quiz is 40 minutes.
Quizzes are available beginning 3 days before their deadline.
We have scheduled 10 quizzes.
Exams
One attempt is allowed on each problem.
There are 20 problems on each exam.
The time limit on each exam is 80 minutes (1 hour and 20 minutes).
Exams are available beginning 5 days before their deadline.
We have scheduled 4 exams.
Final Exam
One attempt is allowed on each problem.
There are 30 problems on the final exam.
The time limit on the final exam is 120 minutes (2 hours).
The final exam is available beginning 7 days before its deadline.
Timed assessments are an integral part of this course and a
specific skill that you are learning. You are learning to promptly
produce the correct answer with the appropriate supporting work.
Time limits are set by doubling the average expected time to
complete the given problems. Extensive practice may be required to
be able to complete all questions in an assessment within the time
provided.
Attendance
Attendance in our course is measured only by on-time completion of
assessments.
If you complete all assessments assigned for a given week on-time you are
marked "present" for the week, otherwise you are marked "absent".
Official Course Dates:
This course does not meet on Marting Luther King, Jr. Day (Monday, January 20)
or during the Delta College Spring Break (Monday, March 3-Saturday, March 8).
Student Resources and College Policies
There are many excellent resources that you can benefit from and many
college policies that you should be aware of all gathered at one place:
https://www.delta.edu/students/.
I answer your emails in the order they are received, usually within 24
hours. I will use your Delta College email address.
Reading
Read through the sections that we will cover at the beginning of each
week and make notes of your questions as you read.
Recommended problems
Test yourself by doing the recommended problems listed on our section
outlines.
The purpose of our recommended problems is to give you practice and
examples to help you complete the XYZ Homework problems and prepare for
your timed quizzes and exams.
Office hours
Office hours, in-person or online, are open times for you to come and
have your individual questions answered.
Steps to success
Read each section that we cover.
Work through each example in each section.
Read handouts and watch videos on our website and in our homework system.
Work recommended problems and homework problems together. Request
solutions to recommended problems and suggest additional recommended
problems that will help you with your homework problems when you come to
a problem that you are unable to complete correctly.
Write down your questions at each step above and get each question
answered from a reliable source (instructor, tutor, classmate, ...).
A reliable source is someone who gives you a correct explanation that
you can understand.
You will need to actively practice doing and repeating many problems in
order to complete the timed quizzes and exams. Questions are designed to
take 1-2 minutes and we have doubled that to allow you a margin of safety.
If you find yourself up against the time limits and making mistakes in
your work, then that is an indication that you need much more practice
before you take a quiz or exam.
You need to actively ask questions.
Technology
You need to use both a graphing calculator and Desmos at various times
throughout the course to produce graphs and diagrams.
You need to draw accurate, effective, and complete graphs and diagrams
by hand. The accuracy of your own graphs and diagrams should match the
accuracy of the graphs produced with technology and shown in the textbook.
I will demonstrate calculations and graphing with both a TI-84 calculator
and Desmos.
25% of your grade will be your percentage score on homework.
25% of your grade will be your percentage score on quizzes.
25% of your grade will be your percentage score on exams 1, 2, 3, and 4.
25% of your grade will be your percentage score on the final exam.
Add these four products and round up to the nearest whole percentage to
determine your letter grade.
A (93%-100%), A- (90%-92%), B+ (87%-89%), B (83%-86%), B- (80%-82%),
C+ (77%-79%), C (73%-76%), C- (70%-72%), D+ (67%-69%), D (63%-66%),
D- (60%-62%), F (0%-59%).
Example: with overall percentages of 86.7%, 70.3%, 78.4%, and 72.4% on
homeworks, quizzes, exams, and final exam, respectively, the grade would be:
Each week I will give you a copy of your current grade report, including your
scores on all assessments taken to date. Review your grade report to make sure
that it is accurate and to know your current grade in the course.