Syllabus

Social Choice Math is designed for anyone who has to make a decision in their life (that’s everyone). This course will improve your ability to analyze situations and make thoughtful decisions using mathematically sound techniques. We want you to leave this class with the confidence in your own ability to make decisions. The course uses strategies to help you plan for your future, choose options best suited to your needs, and identify misinformation and errors in logic in media, marketing, and news. Please understand that struggling with the concepts is okay. This is all part of learning. Once you finish this course you will have gained mathematical and analytical tools to help you succeed in future coursework and you will have become a critical consumer of mathematical information you may encounter in everyday life. I want you to become an agent of your own learning.

A hybrid course is designed to take advantage of both face-to-face (in-class) and out-of-class learning. In this course we will meet in class one full class period one day a week. Notice, half the time does not mean half the work. I will assign you instructional materials and activities through Canvas and MylabsPlus. The out-of-class instructional materials and assignments are designed to help you become an independent learner as well as provided a foundation for in class discussion and work. However, I understand that this may be new to you so please email me or come to office hours with your questions. In this hybrid course, exams will be done in the Math Lab (GL 266).  Please be aware of the dates for the exams and make proper scheduling arrangements now. If you have any questions feel free to contact me at any time.

Again, this is a hybrid class. Half of the class time is replaced with out-of-class activities. We will use class time for:

1. Explaining and practicing the more difficult concepts
2. Working with groups to create a social learning environment
3. Taking mini-quizzes using iClickers
4. Getting an overview of major concepts, minor points, and how they fit together
5. Asking and answering questions

Out-of-class activities includes:

1. Pre-class assignments to lay a foundation for the material discussed in class
2. Going to the Math Lab to study and work on web-based and offline assignments
3. Conceptual assignments that apply the material
4. Viewing online material (videos and notes) on Canvas
5. Taking exams

Because this is a hybrid course, it requires a bit of self-motivation, self-discipline, and some technology skills. If you find that you are having difficulty keeping up with the out-of-class work, please do not wait and do not hesitate to make an appointment with me or email me.

Things you need to do every week:

• Look at your Course Schedule. Do this at the same time every week at least 2-3 times a week. Maybe Saturday or Sunday afternoons as you plan your study and homework for the week ahead. Then check Tuesday and Thursday to confirm due dates.
• Complete all lab hours (2 hours required each week) in the Mastery Math Lab in GL266.
• Read sections in textbook, go through the online material, and take notes in your well-organized notebook. Here is a link to help you keep a good class notebook http://www.wikihow.com/Organize-Notes. Also, try some examples.
• Complete Pre-Class Assignments on Canvas prior to coming to class.
• Complete the weekly Video Reflections on Canvas.
• Attend and participate in every class. Bring your device so you can log into MLP.
• Complete homework assignment on MyLabsPlus. See weekly schedule for due dates.
• Complete and submit all Conceptual Homework on time.

Things I will do:

• Prepare lessons that address challenging topics
• Be available for office hours every week.
• Create questions designed to challenge your thinking and help you strengthen your understanding
• Engage you in class discussions
• Update your gradebook every other Week
• Communicate with you. I will respond to emails within 2 work days but check the office hours above to find me in person. For emergencies call the Math Office 305-349-2743.

By taking a hybrid course your computer literacy skills will grow. Some of the skills that you need at the beginning of the course include:

1. Working knowledge of how to use word processing software and web browsers.
2. Good email and document management skills.

Technical course requirements include:

1. A reliable Internet connection.
2. Regular access to a laptop or desktop computer with an updated operating system and web browser. Remember, if you don’t have access computer you can always go to the Math Lab during lab hours to study and work on assignments.
3. An active FIU email account that is checked daily (or forwarded to an email that is checked daily).
4. Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)
5. Anti-virus software.
6. This is the requirement check: Browser Check and Technical Requirements
7. A MyLabsPlus account
8. iClicker

Please visit our System and Technical Requirements webpage for additional information.

MYLABSPLUS

MyLabsPlus assignments are available at http://fiu.mylabsplus.com. Once you have registered for the class and soon before the start of the semester, an email will be sent to your Panther email account with login information. You will be able to access the site, but to gain access to assignments you must purchase an access code for MyLabsPlus.

Here is information on how to access/register:

• Access code: Purchase an access code at FIU bookstore together with the textbook or as standalone item.

OR

• Purchase it online directly from Pearson while attempting to use the MyLabsPlus site (valid credit card required).
• If you are not able to purchase an access code immediately, you can gain full access and work on the assignments your first day of classes by selecting the ‘pay later’ option when you open HW 1. You will have access to the assignments for only 14 calendar days with the ‘pay later’ option. After that you will be prompted to enter a permanent code or purchase a code using a credit card. You will not be allowed to continue your course until a permanent code is entered. You cannot buy/enter a permanent code until the temporary access expires.

If you took this course in Summer or Fall of 2018, you will still automatically have access to MyLabsPlus.​

ICLICKER

You can use either the iClicker app or an iClicker remote. 

For the iClicker remote:

• Register your iClicker remote online by Monday, January 14th.
• To register online go to http://www.iclicker.com/registration.
• After registration, be sure to register the remote in Reef.
• Find your class and register for it. Be sure to search for your professor by name and choose the correct class and section.
  
  If you already have a registered iClicker remote you must still register the remote in Reef and for our course.

For the iClicker app:

• Download the app from the App store or from www.iclicker.com
• Create a student account
• Find your class and register for it.  Be sure to search for your professor by name and choose the correct class and section.

iClicker Technical support:  Contact (866) 209-5698 or via email support@iclicker.com from 9AM-11PM EST, M-F.

The iClicker website (www.iclicker.com) also has support documentation, video tutorials, and FAQs for students.

Please review FIU's Policies webpage. The policies webpage contains essential information regarding guidelines relevant to all courses at FIU, as well as additional information about acceptable netiquette for online courses.

Calculator Policy: Graphing calculators are not allowed in this course. You can use the scientific calculator TI-30X II S. This is the calculator that you will get for the test so it will be better for you to get one and get used to using it. No other calculator can be used on a test.

Make-up Policy: There will be no make-up tests. If you miss a test due to illness or other emergency and provide documentation, your final exam will count in place of the missed test. There will be no make-ups for MLP assignments. Technological issues are not a valid reason for missing MLP assignments. Personal travel plans are not a valid reason for missing a test. University related absences that require special scheduling must be arranged one week prior to the test.

Final Exam Policy: The final exam is not optional. If you have taken all four exams (or you have missed one examine due to an excused absence), the final exam will replace your lowest test grade as long as it is beneficial to your overall grade. You may not replace more than one test grade with the final. Note that this means your final exam grade has substantially more impact on your overall result in the class (30% of your overall grade).

Incomplete Grade Policy: The incomplete grade (IN) can only be given to you if you have completed most of the course (60% of the course and in good academic standings) but are unable to finish an exam or another assignment because of circumstances beyond the your control. An incomplete grade must be made up within two semesters. I can’t give any extensions beyond two semester deadline. The student must not register again for the course to make up the incomplete. Every incomplete grade must be approved by the Mathematics Department. An IN grade cannot be given if it is necessary for the student to repeat the course.

Drop Date: The last day to drop a course with a DR is Monday, March 18^th, 2019.​

Note: FIU does not automatically drop students that stop coming to class.

Academic Misconduct: Includes (but is not limited to) giving or receiving assistance on a test, quiz, or homework assignment for which such assistance is not permitted, falsifying a document to obtain an excusal from a test, using unauthorized notes on a test or quiz and using unauthorized calculator.  A more complete definition of Academic Misconduct is given in the Student Handbook.  Penalties for Academic Misconduct range from an F in the course to expulsion from the University.

Academic Misconduct Specific (but not limited by) to MGF 1107

• Using another student’s iClicker in class or having someone use your iClicker for you
• Trying to misrepresent your time in the lab by leaving the lab without signing out
• Signing into the lab with a Panther ID that is not your own or having someone sign you in when you are not present
• Accessing your cell phone during a test period or while others are taking a test.

There are no prerequisites for this course.

The Disability Resource Center collaborates with students, faculty, staff, and community members to create diverse learning environments that are usable, equitable, inclusive and sustainable. The DRC provides FIU students with disabilities the necessary support to successfully complete their education and participate in activities available to all students. If you have a diagnosed disability and plan to utilize academic accommodations, please contact the Center at 305-348-3532 or visit them at the Graham Center GC 190.

Please visit our ADA Compliance webpage for information about accessibility involving the tools used in this course.

Please visit the LMS Accessibility webpage for more information:

• Canvas

For additional assistance please contact FIU's Disability Resource Center.

If you are looking for help for yourself or a fellow classmate, Panthers Care encourages you to express any concerns you may come across as it relates to any personal behavior concerns or worries you have, for the classmate’s well-being or yours; you are encouraged to share your concerns with FIU’s Panthers Care website: http://PanthersCare.fiu.edu/.

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) offers free and confidential help for anxiety, depression, stress, and other concerns that life brings. Learn more about CAPS at caps.fiu.edu. Professional counselors are available for same-day appointments. Don’t wait to call 305-348-2277 to set up a time to talk or visit the online self-help portal.

Communication in this course will take place within Canvas. See the Canvas Guide on communicating with course users for more information.

There will be tests, a final exam (cumulative), in-class quizzes, Pre-class assignments, online homework (Mylabplus), video reflections, lab hours, and conceptual assignments.

Pre-Class Worksheets

The classes will have pre-class assignments that are due before every class.  They can be worked on alone, with a friend, or with the help of an LA in the lab.  The worksheets must be uploaded to a dropbox in Canvas by the listed due date.

Pre-class worksheets are designed to get you thinking about the material before our class meets and are crucial to your understanding for that particular lesson. They will be graded.  Please pay close attention to the worksheets--this material will be referred to in class and will appear on your homework, quizzes and exams. You may consider your pre-class worksheets and readings as essential elements of the course.

Each week, the Math Lab will hold ‘Pre-View’ sessions that will aid in your completion of the pre-class worksheets.  Look for emails from the Math Lab for day/time and sign up information.

At the end of the semester, the pre-class worksheet with the lowest grade will be dropped.

Conceptual Assignments

The conceptual assignments are done outside of class. These assignments are designed to challenge you to apply the new concepts that you have been learning to novel and realistic situations. Real problems are almost always ill-defined with complex assumptions and interactions. This can be intimidating at first and you may not know where to begin – but that is ok. That is how we all approach true problems. It is the goal in this class that you will learn how to be a mathematical problem solver.  You will be uploading these assignments into a dropbox in Canvas by the listed due date.

At the end of the semester, the conceptual assignment with the lowest grade will be dropped.

Projects

Projects are designed to help you integrate the material covered in class with other areas of life.  They will be graded out of 100% and the more effort you put into, the better.   Projects will be assigned at the end of every testing unit and should be uploaded to the dropbox in Canvas by the listed due date.

Web-based (MLP) Assignments

Your web-based course assignments are available at http://fiu.mylabsplus.com. Your username is your panther ID. Use “Forgot your password?” link to obtain your password.  You will be able to access the site, but to gain access to assignments you must purchase an access code for MyLabsPlus. The assignments are due by the date listed canvas, but you can work on them up until the corresponding test for a grade deduction of 15%.

At the end of the semester, the MLP homework with the lowest grade will be dropped.

In-Class Quizzes/In-class Participation

You are expected to attend all classes. In order to provide us (you and me both) with immediate feedback in the classroom, we are using a personal response system called the iClicker (remote or app).  You will be graded on that feedback and/or your in-class participation.

There will be daily in-class quizzes.  The quiz will be based on work done in class that day and will target challenging topics.  You must come to class prepared to participate with either a functioning remote or a functioning device with the iClicker app every day.

Participation and in-class quiz grade will make up 3% of your total grade.

Video Reflections

The goal of the video reflection is for you to familiarize yourself with, explore, and apply ideas about the nature of mathematics and what it means to do mathematics. In other words, the goal of the reflection is to give you a broader, kinder view of math.

Every week we’ll have 1 video reflection. Students must post their response to a dropbox in Canvas by the listed due date. The length of the post is not important, but rather the depth of the response, the deeper into the discussion the better. Video Reflections will be graded on a 2-point scale:

• 1 point for participation (a reasonable attempt at posting).
• 1 point for posting a thoughtful, clear response to the question.

  Keep in mind that reflection entries are public, and care should be taken when determining what to post.

  At the end of the semester, the video reflection with the lowest grade will be dropped.

Tests

Preparation for a test:

• Make sure that you understand what you’re doing on your homework and quizzes. They are meant to prepare you for the tests!
• If you are relying on the “Help Me Solve This” function of MLP to do all of your work or you are trying to memorize the steps based on what a problem “looks like”, then you are not ready to take a quiz! Get help from a faculty or an LA so that you can understand why the steps work to get you the answer!
• Tests and the final exam will be taken using MyLabsPlus while being proctored. There are four tests and a cumulative final exam.

Registering for the Test:

• Your exams will be on Mondays and Tuesdays during the semester in the Math Lab.
• A week or so before the test you will need to register for a time to take your exam. There will be a number of time slots on that day, so please choose one that fits into your schedule. You will be sent an email with a link. You can then see the various times the test is being offered.
• Once you sign up for your test, you will receive a confirmation email. If you do not receive the email, then you did not register properly. It is suggested that you bring a copy of that email to the exam.
• Successful registration for your test will result in one free hour of lab for the testing week.

Taking the Test:

• All tests will be taken in GL 266 and will be given through MyLabsPlus, so you must have access to the site, your login information and your Panther ID card.
• There will be four tests. You will be provided with a TI-30X II S calculator.
• You must bring a standard sized blue book to each exam.
• All your personal items will have to be stored in a book-bag and placed under the desk. You may not access your phone at any time once you enter the lab.

The days and times for taking the tests/final exam are:

• Test 1: February 4^th and 5^th
• Test 2: February 25^th and 26^th
• Test 3: March 25^th and 26^th 
• Test 4: April 15^th and 16^th
• Final Exam: Week 16

Participation

In-class Participation:             

• You are expected to attend all classes.
• In order to provide us (you and me both) with immediate feedback in the classroom, there will be daily in-class quizzes using iClickers (remote or app).
• Missing a class does not change the due dates for your MLP assignments. If you have an excused absence with documentation, please contact me via email as soon as possible.

Mastery Math Lab Participation:

• Our class requires that you spend at least 2 hours in the lab (GL 266) each week.
• The week runs Monday through Friday, and lab hours need to be completed each week by Friday at 8 PM.
• Lab participation makes up 7% of your grade in this course.
• Your time in the lab can be continuous or broken into smaller time periods. The total time you spend in the lab will be recorded and if it is less than 2 hours = 120 minutes (119 is smaller than 120), you cannot get credit for that week. (Exception: Weeks 1 and 2 may be combined for a total of 4 hours.) We also do not give partial credit for earning less than required 2 hours.
• The hours you spend in the lab cannot be “rolled over” to the next period; this means that if you spend 5 hours one week, you are still required to spend a minimum of 2 hours in the next week. We encourage you to spend as much time as you need to master the material for your course.
• While we record your hours, you should also keep track of them on your own so that you can be aware of how much time you have spent. There is a monitor in the lab that will tell you how many minutes you have accrued each week.
• You will need to sign out whenever you leave the lab. This includes leaving to take a phone call or to visit the restroom.
• Lab hours are Monday through Friday, 8 am - 8 pm.
• The lab will be open on Sundays from 1pm - 6pm for additional help, but it will not count toward your lab hours for the week.
• A few important rules while in the lab:
• Food and drinks allowed not allowed in the lab.
• Cell phones must be on vibrate and put away (not on lap or in chair). If you need to answer a phone call, please sign out and leave the lab for the duration of the call.
• Your time in the lab is meant to be time on task.  This means that while in the lab you are expected to work on your lab course and should not do work for your other classes.