Mission College Math Department
Here you will find various things to help you succeed in this course:
You'll find homework assignments, handouts and other useful course information, and links to some math sites that you may enjoy.
!!! Remember to contact Ian and report your progress every week -- by e-mail (or phone or US mail) !!!
If you were delayed in your preparation for the final by our online server problems you may take an incomplete grade and complete your work in January. Let Ian know this week and then contact him when classes start in Spring semester
Ian's Office: N2-403 North Wing, Second Floor, beside the Physics Lab.
Ian's Mailbox: S2-403 South Wing, Second Floor.
Ian's Voicemail: (408) 855-5323.
Ian's email: ian_walton@wvmccd.cc.ca.us
Ian's Web Page: www.wvmccd.cc.ca.us/mc/depts/math/ftbios/ianwalton.html
Class Web Page: www.wvmccd.cc.ca.us/mc/depts/math/classes/ianf00mathc.htm
Green Sheet and Class Schedule
Extra Credit Information Sheet
12/20/00 Final Exam on campus.
12/20/00 Last chance to take online evaluate/tests - before your final exam.
12/13/00 Review meeting on campus. Last chance to turn in any material for your grade.
Last chance to turn in extra credit.
Due 12/6/00 Send Ian an e-mail describing your activities for the week 11/27 - 12/4.
Coming 11/27/00 e-mail attachments with extra topics.
Due 11/29/00 Send Ian an e-mail describing your activities for the week 11/22 - 11/27.
11/27/00 Chapter test and Topic 12 homework due by mail.
Due 11/22/00 Send Ian an e-mail describing your activities for the week 11/15 - 11/22.
11/20/00 Chapter test on Topics 11 and 12 will be sent out by e-mail
Due 11/15/00 Send Ian an e-mail describing your activities for the week 11/8 - 11/15.
Due 11/11/00 Homework Problems Handout on Topic 11.
If you've taken the midterm, continue work on Topic 11. Your paper and score is in the mail.
Check out the handout on extra credit, above.
Due 11/8/00 Send Ian an e-mail describing your activities for the week 11/1 - 11/8.
Due 11/1/00 Send Ian an e-mail describing your activities for the week 10/25 - 11/1.
Due 10/25/00 Send Ian an e-mail describing your activities for the week 10/18 - 10/25.
Due 10/18/00 Send Ian an e-mail describing your activities for the week 10/11 - 10/18.
Due 10/11/00 Homework Problems Handout on Topic 10.
Due 10/11/00 Homework Problems Handout on Topic 9.
Remember On Campus Midterm on October 11 covering lessons EII A throgh F, 9 and 10. Room W3-301 at 8:30pm. You may use two sides of notes and a calculator.
Due 10/4/00 Send Ian an e-mail describing your activities for the week 9/27 - 10/4.
Due 10/2/00 - or at Midterm - Test #1 on all six essentials lessons - sent by e-mail as T1.rtf. Return by US mail and show all steps and explanations.
Due 9/27/00 Send Ian an e-mail describing your activities for the week 9/20 - 9/27.
Due 9/29/00 - or at Midterm - Homework set EII D,E,F sent by e-mail as file "HW2.rtf". Return by US mail and show all steps and explanations.
Due 9/20/00 Homework set EII A,B,C sent by e-mail as file "HW1.rtf". Return by US mail and show all steps and explanations.
Due 9/20/00 Send Ian an e-mail describing your activities for the week 9/13 - 9/20.
Due 9/13/00 Send Ian an e-mail describing your activities for the week 9/6 - 9/13.
Due 9/6/00 Send Ian an e-mail and describe your activities for the week 8/30 - 9/6.
Due 8/30/00 Pay materials fee/obtain software/install/test/report to Ian.
Due 8/30/00 Send Ian an e-mail with your name/phone/e-mail and address and describe your activities for the week 8/23 - 8/30.
Due 8/30/00 Information sheet - download above or get a copy in class.
11/30/00 Q: When is the last chance to take online evaluate/tests?
A: They must be completed before you take your final exam on December 20.
11/29/00
Q: What if I need help with the additional topics?
A: Come to the review session on December 13.
11/28/00
Q: When is the last chance to turn in extra credit assignments?
A: Bring it to the review session on December 13.
11/28/00
Q: When is the last chance to turn in late homework?
A: Bring it to the review session on December 13.
11/27/00
Q: Can I use notes on the final?
A: You can use three sides of regular size paper to write your own notes.
11/20/00
Q: What should I study for the final exam.
A: Everything you've studied all semester - Topics EII A - F, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 plus the additional topics sent to you by e-mail.
11/13/00
Q: What are the additional topics ? A: There are three topics that are included in the on campus- Intermediate Algebra. I will send you handouts so that you have studied this material. It will appear on your final exam.
Download description of Additional Topics, above.
11/6/00
Q: I got a new error about loading external libraries. What do I do?
A: Download and run the patch described below.
Dear Ian, Thank you for contacting Academic Systems Support. I understand that you are receiving an error stating that the external library could not be loaded when trying to run the lessons in the lab. Please click on this link and download it to your desktop. Once it is downloaded, double click on the icon to run the patch. Now try to access your lessons again. "ftp://ftp.academic.com/outgoing/qtcomp.exe
If this does not resolve your issue, please contact me again so that I may continue to troubleshoot this for you. Something else to try is to uninstall/reinstall the software on the affected workstations and then try the patch.
11/1/00
Q: Now how do I tell what my grade is?
A: If you took the midterm you should have received a complete printout of your grade in the mail.
10/25/00
Q: Tell me about extra credit in this class.
A: You should have received an attachment by e-mail that described this. You can also download it above.
Notice that it must be completed and turned in by 12/13/00.
10/3/00
Q: How do I tell what my grade is so far?
A: Part of your grade is the average of your online tests which you can review when you log on to the computer.
All the other parts (for example - homework/weekly contact etc - see your greensheet - are kept on a spreadsheet by Ian.
I will bring a copy of what I have so far to the midterm on the 11th.
9/26/00
Q: How do you know who's taking the midterm?
A: Please bring a photo ID for me to check during the midterm.
9/25/00
Q: What should I bring to the midterm?
A: You can use notes that you write yourself, limited to two sides of regular size paper. And you can bring a calculator.
9/22/00
Q: What material is covered on the Midterm on October 11?
A: Everything since the beginning of semester through the end of Topic 10 - so EII A, B, C, D, E, F, 9.0, 9.1, 9.2, 10.0, 10.1, 10.2, 10.3.
9/20/00
Q: Where do we meet for the midterm on October 11?
A: On campus at Mission College, Room W3-101 - west wing, third floor at 8:30pm.
9/18/00
Q: There seems to be a problem with one of the answers on Evaluate EII E.
A: Yes, one of the answers to an evaluate question on EII E is incorrect. Let me know if this happens to you. It has been reported to Academic SystemsTechnical Support.
9/14/00
Q: How does the test on September 20 work ?
A: I will e-mail you the test on the 20th. It covers all six lessons in Essentials II (EII A,B,C,D,E,F). You can US mail me back your answres complete with steps and explanations.
9/14/00
Q: The dates under "DEADLINES" on page two of the greensheet seem to be wrong??
A: Ooops - that whole section is wrong. Ignore it. The correct dates are in the approximate class and test schedule on page three.
9/10/00
Q: How do I uninstall the Academic Systems software?
A: Insert your Academic Online Installer CD. Use "Find" to locate an executable file called "MLNuker". Run this program to remove all Academic Systems software.
9/5/00
Q: How do I know what I got wrong on an "evaluate"?
A: Immediately after your test has been scored click on the "review" button. This will show you the correct answers and the recommended way to solve the problem - worth looking at even on problems you got correct.
8/30/00
Q: What do I do if my internet connection disconnects me after a few minutes?
A: Many internet connections have a "timeout" feature which disconnects when they think there is no activity. They do not detect any activity when you are doing a lesson. try this:
From your "Windows" key go to Settings/Control Panel/Internet
Go to the "Connections" tab. Click on settings. Near the bottom there is a box that lets you adjust the number of minutes before timeout. There may also be a similar feature in your internet provider software but try this one first.
8/30/00
Q: Do the lesson scores count for my grade?
A: NO. As you go through the lesson and answer questions the system keeps track of all your scores and I can look at them. But the only ones that I use for your grade are from the "Evaluate" section at the end of each lesson.
8/29/00
Q: Do I have to turn in the homework problems from the textbook that the computer assigns me when I quit the lesson?
A: NO. The questions from your textbook are just to help you learn the material.
Later Ian will send you other homework problems that you will turn in to count towards your grade.
8/28/00
Q: Do I have to do anything special to use AOL as my internet connection?
A: Perhaps. Read the following technical advisory from Academic Systems:8/28/00
8/28/00
Ian, I checked on your question and there are not issues with using AcademicOnline as long as the student does not time out with inactivity. I believe AOL only allows 20 minutes of inactivity before disconnecting a user. Remember, the only time there is "activity" is when a student logs in, logs out, launches a lesson, quits a lesson, or now clicks on any of the icons you have added on the right hand side (online syllabus, lesson notes, screen notes, etc.). Also, your students will want to use the 32bit version of the AOL browser and instructions to confirm that can be found from the technical support web site at http://support.academic.com/academicknowbase/root/public/3057.htm. If your students are having any difficulty feel free to point them to the support web site at http://support.academic.com or to call the 800-681-4357 technical support number (this is now available to students!).
Math History Archive at St. Andrews University. St. Andrews Math History.
A list of resources in Math History at Clark University. Clark History Resource.
Some mathematician's biographies from Trinity College, Dublin. Dublin Biographies.
Descriptions and graphics of some of Archimedes work from Drexel University. Archimedes
Web Site for the Mathematical Association of America. Mathematical Association
Web Site for the American Mathematical Society. Mathematical Society
This McGraw Hill site is developed with faculty from U.C. Irvine and features a sophisticated assessment and placement system called ALEKS, for algebra level classes. You can try out a free demonstration. ALEKS Demo
This Addison Wesley site is tied to their textbooks but has a free problem area that can be used with Windows 95. Algebra Problems
This Duxbury site has a creative Statistics demo. Statistics Demo
This Prentice Hall site has some material for users of their liberal arts text. Liberal Arts Texts
This site describes the Academic Systems technology mediated interactive multimedia material used in some of our algebra sections. Technology Mediated Algebra
If you use information from this page please
let me know by email