Syllabus


Course Description

Course Overview

Math 108 explores contemporary topics such as logic, problem solving, finance math, linear and exponential modeling, and probability and statistical reasoning. It will satisfy the BYU-Idaho Foundations quantitative reasoning requirement but will not serve as a prerequisite for college algebra, trigonometry, or any calculus-based courses. Math 108 is structured around four key units listed below.

Unit 1-Quantitative Literacy/Budgeting

Unit 2-Critical Thinking/Investments

Unit 3-Probability/Debt Management

Unit 4-Statistics/Income Taxes

Course Outcomes

The overarching goal for Mathematical Tools for the Real World is to inspire students to act wisely when faced with quantitative challenges in collegiate coursework, employment, and daily living.

Students will be able to . . .

  1. Make sound financial decisions through careful budgeting, provident living, taking advantage of the power of compound interest, and prudently managing debt and tax obligations.
  2. Develop critical thinking and problem solving skills to make informed decisions with confidence.
  3. Apply properties of arithmetic and algebra in the use of percentages, unit conversions, and linear and exponential models, to solve practical problems.
  4. Use fundamental principles of probability, along with descriptive and inferential statistics, to better scrutinize statistical studies discussed in the media.
  5. Appreciate the aesthetic value of mathematics by reading and writing about enrichment topics such as the golden ratio, mathematics & music, the pigeonhole principle, or the concept of infinity.

Learning Model Architecture

The course follows a weekly cycle of Prepare, Teach One Another, and Ponder and Prove activities. Students prepare by reading the assigned sections of the text, taking the 6-question Prep Quiz on their reading, and then practicing problem sets in the Homework Manager (a digital tutor and homework management system within I-Learn that follows the textbook rather closely). Guided Practice group discussion boards provide the foundation for Teach One Another activities, but individuals are still held accountable each week with the Guided Practice Assessments. Excel spreadsheet projects offer students very practical applications to ponder and prove their learning. The Excel templates will enable students to build mathematical tools of great significance that they can use in future coursework, career settings, and family life.

The course is not an independent study course. The group teaching and learning activities require students to cover material at the same time and at the same pace.

This course will cover the same material with approximately the same time commitment as the on-campus course.

Prerequisites

Successful completion of MATH 100B or one successful year of high school algebra.

Required Materials

Textbook

There are two options for obtaining the necessary textbook and access to the online homework system:

Option 01

If you live within the United States, you may rent the hardcopy of the textbook Using & Understanding Mathematics from the BYU-Idaho University Store for $45 used or $55 new. Also, the purchasing of a new or used textbook is another option as well ($138.75 used and $184.75 new). For more detailed information click on the www.byuistore.com website.

Option 02

If you live outside the United States, or if you feel that an e-textbook may be a better fit for you, the e-text (which is the full digital version of the textbook) may be purchased through the University Store at www.byuistore.com for $45. 

Technology

Grading Policies

Exams  (50%)

Four unit exams will be given during the semester (100 points each) and an optional comprehensive final exam (100 points) that could be used to replace a low exam score if needed. There are extremely helpful exam preparation materials for each unit exam including an important set of practice problems (in multiple-choice format). It is your responsibility to be aware of the testing deadlines. Please note that there are no make-up exams and missing a testing deadline will result in a zero score. All exams will be taken within the I-Learn system under specific security restrictions framed within your personal integrity and the BYU-Idaho Honor Code.

About the optional final exam:  Students who take this cumulative test will have five test scores, so the lowest of the five will be dropped.  If the final exam is the lowest score, it will be dropped.  So the final exam cannot hurt any student's grade; it can only help.

Projects  (20%)

Several projects (using Microsoft Excel) explore essential aspects of quantitative literacy. Project deadlines will be announced by your instructor and if you happen to be close to the BYU-Idaho campus, individualized help is available at the Student Technology Center in the McKay library (1st floor). Missing a project deadline results in a 50% reduction in the score (within one week of the deadline). After that, no points will be awarded. 

Homework  (15%)

There is an online tutoring and homework system that is designed within your I-Learn course. You are encouraged to use your textbook throughout the homework process. On each assignment, you are allowed "unlimited attempts" on the problem sets (up until the closing deadline your instructor has set). You are encouraged, but not required, to keep a personal homework journal or log so that you have a paper trail and can reference your work as you prepare for each unit exam.

Also, don't forget the importance of hitting the "Submit" button on each sub-problem in order to receive a score for each assignment. Please note that it will be your responsibility to verify that your score is showing up in your FDMAT 108 grade book prior to the deadline. If it does not appear in your grade book or you notice a small paper icon (as opposed to an actual score in the grade box), this indicates that you have not properly clicked on "Submit" for each sub-problem. At some later point (after the Saturday midnight deadline), if you have not properly completed the assignment, I-Learn will then show a 0% for your score. I-Learn cannot award partial credit in the Homework Managers unless you have clicked on "Submit" for all possible sub-problems in the assignment.

At the end of the semester, the lowest two homework scores will be dropped. Click here to learn more information about how you can optimize your homework experience using the Homework Managers.

Guided Practice  (10%)

Each of the sections in our textbook will have a brief "guided practice" discussion board with several problems that you can work on both individually and collaboratively with your online group. The objective of having these problems outside of the Homework Managers is to provide the course with some important topics that are either just covered too lightly in digital homework managers, or perhaps are not covered at all. In order for you to maximize your experience preparing for each unit exam, you should take advantage of the Teach One Another aspect of the Learning Model by actively participating in the weekly discussion boards and live group meetings. The solutions to these problems will be released after the Guided Practice Assessment closes each Saturday at midnight.

Prep Quizzes  (3%)

The quizzes are your incentive to push yourself to read more carefully, to read for understanding. There are five basic content questions (plus a "Did you read the material?" question) each time and you are given only one attempt per quiz. The lowest two prep quiz scores will be dropped by the end of the semester. You are allowed to use your textbook and are encouraged to look over the "Quick Quiz" at the end of each section in the text to get a better idea of what to expect on the actual Prep Quiz within I-Learn. If your scores are below 60% consistently, you may want to try to read a little more carefully to get better understanding. Please note that, while all the quizzes technically close at midnight on Saturday each week, you should try to follow the Weekly Overview grid recommendations to stay on pace.

Enrichment Topics  (2%)

You will be asked to write a one-page reflection paper based on one of the four enrichment topics from which you may choose. These topics explore some of the artistic and aesthetic aspects of mathematics. Your reflection paper needs to be submitted on I-Learn (see the Weekly Overview grids or your I-Learn Dashboard for the due date). Click here for more information about these projects. An opportunity to write a second enrichment paper will also be offered later in the semester for extra credit if you are interested.


Click here for a brief overview and video on "How to Succeed in Math 108" (Disclaimer: Until an updated video can be made, any reference to MyMathLab homework will now imply the I-Learn digital homework titled "Homework Manager.")


Grading Scale

A    (score ≥ 93%)

A-   (90 ≤ score < 93%)

B+  (87 ≤ score < 90%)

B    (83 ≤ score < 87%)

B-   (80 ≤ score < 83%)

C+  (77 ≤ score < 80%)

C    (73 ≤ score < 77%)

C-   (70 ≤ score < 73%)

D+  (67 ≤ score < 70%)

D    (63 ≤ score < 67%)

D-   (60 ≤ score < 63%)

F     (score < 60%)

Note

The deadlines for all assignment submissions are due according to Local Time.

United States Centrism in the Course

Some information in this course is specific to the culture, language, and financial practices that are common in the United States. Although students from many nations and cultures take this course, it would be very confusing and complex to present information that is tailored to every culture represented by the online student body. For simplicity, the course information, examples, and problems will be based on practices that are common in the U.S. For example, one portion of the course focuses on tax laws. Since it would be terribly complicated to teach tax laws for multiple nations, the course will only provide information about U.S. tax policies. If you are from a nation other than the U.S., this experience will still be valuable to you, since learning to understand one tax system will provide you with background knowledge that allows you to quickly understand another tax system.

Please be aware that special care has been taken to provide explanations and resources for non-native English speakers and individuals who are not from the United States. Many homework and quiz problems have definitions provided with the question. Viewing the information and resources found in the following course page may be useful to you throughout the course: Course > Student Resources > Definitions & Helpful Resources. This page will be helpful to native English speakers from the U.S., too.

Online Support Center

The Online Support Center (OSC) is designed to help any students taking online courses at BYU-Idaho. If you have questions about any online course or any feedback concerning online courses, instructors, or your online learning experience please contact the OSC.

OSC Contact Information

Phone: 208-496-1800

Toll Free Phone: 866-672-2984

Text Messaging: 208-557-4142

Email: onlinelearning@byui.edu

Live Chat: Click Here

Website: https://www.byui.edu/online/online-support-center

Hours: Monday-Friday, 7 AM - 7 PM, MT

University Policies

Student Honor

Student Honor is following the path of discipleship and learning to be more like Christ-learning to think, to feel, and to act more as He does. Living a life of honor:

Honor Code | Academic Honesty | Dress and Grooming Standards

Students with Disabilities

BYU-Idaho is committed to providing a working and learning atmosphere which reasonably accommodates qualified persons with disabilities. If you have any disability which may impair your ability to complete this course successfully, please contact the Disabilities Services office at 208.496.9210. Reasonable academic accommodations are reviewed for all students who have qualified documented disabilities. Services are coordinated with the student and instructor by this office. If you need assistance or feel you have been unlawfully discriminated on the basis of disability, you may seek resolution through established policy and procedures. Contact Human Resources at 208.496.1130.

Sexual Harassment 

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits sexual discrimination against any participant in an educational program which receives federal funds, including federal loans and grants. Title IX also covers student-to-student sexual harassment. If you encounter unlawful sexual harassment or gender-based discrimination, please contact the Human Resources at 208.496.1130.

Disclaimers  

Instructor reserves the right to adjust the course as needed.