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MATH 101 Syllabus

Mathematical Concepts

Revised: September 2020

Course Description

Introduction to applications of mathematics to daily experience. Topics to include statistical analysis and interpretation, applications to business, measurement methods, and selected topics of interest. (C2) Three semester hours.

Student Learning Objectives

MATH 101 is a C2 (Mathematics) Liberal Studies Course.  Specifically, this course will emphasize the following Liberal Studies learning objective and outcome:

Objective: Means of Expression

Students will craft written and/or oral communication demonstrating organization, clarity, logic, and skill for various audiences.

As a C2 Course, this course introduces applications of mathematics to daily experience, emphasizing the development of conceptual understanding rather than computational drill.  An assignment in which students display an application of mathematics and/or analytical problem solving will be required.

Course Objectives Specific to Math 101

 By the end of the semester, students will be able to:

  • Understand descriptive statistical concepts found in daily life;
  • Describe mathematics behind a variety of topics that students may not have seen before; and
  • Write clearly and critically about mathematics in their own lives and in our world.

Text

Edward B. Burger, Michael Starbird, The Heart of Mathematics: An invitation to effective thinking, 4th edition, Key Curriculum Press, 2013.

Grading Procedure

Grading procedures and factors influencing course grade are left to the discretion of individual instructors, subject to general university policy.

Attendance Policy

 Attendance policy is left to the discretion of individual instructors, subject to general university policy.

Course Outline

 As a terminal course in mathematics, and in accordance with the Liberal Studies philosophy of trusting faculty to use their expertise and creativity in providing an excellent learning experience, broad discretion is given to each faculty member in the particular content to be covered the individual course sections, subject to the following guiding principles:

  • The course should consist of an in-depth exploration of a few (three or four) topics, as opposed to a broad but shallow coverage of numerous topics. The instructor should NOT attempt to cover all (or even most) of the topics in the text, but should divide the course into three or four modules, each module focusing on a particular topic.
  • The one content area which should be common to all sections of Math 101 is statistical literacy. Thus, one module of the course should include selected material from chapter eight of the text (or related material, as selected by the instructor).
  • The instructor is not restricted to the topics included in the text. Following the principle that faculty should be encouraged to use their creativity to provide the best possible learning experience, the instructor may (but is not required to) devote a module to a topic outside of the textbook, provided that the instructor provides suitable resource materials (handouts, homework problems, etc.) for the class.
  • One component of the course grade should be a student project. Beyond the fact that the project must involve mathematical analysis, instructors are given broad leeway in determining the project constraints for each individual course section. (For example, the instructor may designate whether the project is an individual assignment or a group activity, and whether the final product is a written paper, an oral presentation, or both.)
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