MATPC 100L — Syllabus

Note: This course code has changed from MATH 100L to MATPC 100L. You may occasionally see references to the old course code.

With the completion of GS 120L, you are prepared to take part in MATPC 100L. The two courses are similar, but MATPC 100L moves in a more academic style. Familiarize yourself with the course and its requirements to avoid being frustrated later if you were expecting the class to mirror GS 120L.

Course Description

MATPC 100L in the PathwayConnect program is designed to help you recap, learn, and retain the fundamentals of basic mathematics and algebra. In addition, principles of provident living and personal finance will teach applications of math to daily life situations. English language development is also emphasized as math and everyday vocabulary, as well as mechanics and grammar, are applied in speaking, listening, reading, and writing.

Course Outcomes

  1. Gain confidence in math.
  2. Compute basic arithmetic operations.
  3. Solve algebraic problems with exponents, variables, formulas, and linear equations.
  4. Demonstrate the use of graphing lines, finding slope, and writing equations of lines.
  5. Apply arithmetic and algebraic concepts to financial matters.
  6. Demonstrate proficiency in using spreadsheets.
  7. Demonstrate study skills and behavior consistent with a BYU-Idaho disciple-leader.
  8. Analyze personal performance related to course requirements and discipleship.
  9. Apply established conventions of mechanics and grammar to support English speaking and writing proficiency.
  10. Use vocabulary related to assigned topics to improve English listening and reading comprehension skills.

Course Materials

Technology requirements:

  1. Reliable, consistent access to a computer (preferably your own computer)
  2. Reliable, consistent access to the Internet
  3. Microphone (may be included in your computer’s hardware, or you can have a separate microphone)
  4. Webcam (may be included in your computer’s hardware, or you can have a separate webcam)
  5. Spreadsheet software (Microsoft Excel or OpenOffice Spreadsheet)

The course textbook is provided for free online. However, for some weeks, it may be necessary to print worksheets for assignment completion.

Provident Living materials and literature are required for certain assignments and are also provided for free as part of the online course materials.

A basic scientific calculator is needed to use in class and for assignments; throughout this course, you will be performing equations that require exponents and other functions not found on a regular 4-function calculator. A scientific calculator will have “sin,” “cos,” and “tan” buttons. Note: You do not need an expensive graphing calculator. Online calculators like www.calculator.com can be a useful resource. The calculator may NOT be used in Chapter 1—the first four weeks of the semester—but it will be used throughout the remainder of the class (Chapters 2, 3, and 4).

Learning Model Architecture

“The Spirit of Ricks,” the traditional hallmark of BYU-Idaho, is maintained as we learn and grow together. As with all PathwayConnect courses, the students' knowledge and skills are very diverse. This is a great asset to the program, particularly as you help, support, and learn from each other to enhance everyone’s success. Learning together and supporting one another is a gospel-based learning method that will deepen your learning and help you grow spiritually.

You will apply the principles of the learning model in this course. Your personal prayers and scripture study are essential to learning by faith and will help you follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit. You will be asked to use both intellectual and spiritual learning tools in this course.

Each week, you will need to read the material provided and any supplemental materials. You will be asked to ponder and to prove your knowledge through various activities. You will also teach and learn from each other by participating in group activities. It is important that you help each other and participate fully in the group activities, as they are an essential part of this course.

Specific PathwayConnect & Online Information

The Lead Student Tools folder contains specific information related to PathwayConnect:

Each week is divided into the following folders:

PathwayConnect Gatherings will be held at the local institute or church building every week for about one hour. In addition to learning together, these meetings provide unique and important opportunities to develop leadership skills. Each student will be asked to periodically facilitate the class activities as the “Lead Student.” Students will also be expected to actively and positively participate in the lesson each week. The format of the meeting will be as follows:

Devotional: The class will meet as a group and the missionaries will assign the opening prayer and hymn and make announcements.

Large Group: Led by the Lead Students (who should be in Sunday attire), the entire class will address questions about homework from Folder A.

Small Group Work: Students will break into their small groups to work on assignments in Folder B, led by individual Lead Students.

Every student will need to review his or her responsibilities before the first group meeting.

Grading Policies

This class is structured around gospel principles of learning (citizenship) that are just as important as your academic learning in mathematics and language. The work, participation, and grading in this course are divided into both academic and citizenship areas. Grades will be determined in the following way:

Academic (Math/Finance content focus)

Academic (English language content focus)

Citizenship (Learning Model focus)

In order to succeed in this course, you need to demonstrate proficiency in both the math and language requirements; therefore, your academic grade will be calculated as the average of the math and language grades, but may not exceed 4% above the minimum of the two.

On the other hand, as this grading breakdown demonstrates, although grades will be heavily based on academic performance, students must take the citizenship portion of their grades seriously. The citizenship grade, which will be heavily influenced by weekly gathering attendance and participation level, can actually negate some or all of the hard academic work at the end of the semester if students do not fully participate.

Attendance

As part of the BYU-Idaho learning model, students are responsible for teaching and learning from others. It’s not only a good learning technique, it’s also an integral part of the PathwayConnect program, as explained above. Regular attendance at your weekly PathwayConnect Gatherings is vital to each student’s learning. Additionally, when students are absent they cannot receive credit for gathering assignments and participation. As such, the MATPC 100L course has adopted the PathwayConnect program’s attendance policy, which will be fairly applied to each student regardless of his or her academic standing:

3 absences

No final grade penalty beyond points lost for gathering assignments and participation

4 absences

Final grade will be reduced by 10%, in addition to points lost for gathering assignments and participation

5 absences or more

Final grade will be reduced by 10%, in addition to points lost for gathering assignments and participation

Note: If you have questions or concerns regarding the attendance policy, please contact the Pathway Support Center at (855) 994-6721, 208-496-9898, or pathwaysupport@byui.edu.

Due Dates

There are two main due dates each week: Folder A activities are due on Wednesdays; Folder B, Folder C, the Speaking Partner Appointment, the Peer Discussion Appointment, and the Class Discussion activities are due on Saturdays. Occasionally, you will also see a Portfolio Assignment folder. Those activities will be due on Saturday. Please note that all due date time deadlines are 11:59 pm Mountain Standard Time. Despite the Saturday deadline for submission, Folder B activities will generally be completed during class. Exceptions to this pattern will be mentioned in the activity instructions, or the instructor will notify you of any change in the due dates for coursework. Additionally, assignments will be opened long before the deadline, and there is no penalty for having work submitted before its deadline; however, late assignments will generally be rejected. If students have an extenuating circumstance, they should discuss it with the instructor, who may or may not make an exception at his or her discretion.

Speaking Partner Appointment Due on Saturday
Peer Discussion Appointment Due on Saturday
Class Discussion Due on Saturday

Folder A Activities

Due on Wednesday

Folder B Activities

Due on Saturday

Folder C Activities

Due on Saturday
Portfolio Assignment Activities Due on Saturday

Math Quizzes/Exam

Quizzes are a part of every lesson except in the conclusion, where students take a final exam. In addition, there are four exams throughout the semester. These occur in Lessons 4, 7, 10, and 13. The Final exam occurs in the conclusion lesson of the course. Retakes for the weekly quizzes and the exams are allowed and encouraged o improve a student's score, since they comprise a major part of the academic grade. For students who earn less than 75% on their first attempt of a quiz or exam, a retake will be required. The quiz is available to retake up to two times, if necessary. However, if you still score less than 75% after two retakes, you must email the instructor for permission to complete an additional retake. For students who earn less than 75% on their first attempt of an exam, a grade of 0% will be recorded in the grade book for that exam until the student meets with the instructor to review the the exam and retake it. If a retake is never attempted, the score will remain a zero. Click here for an explanation of why your score will be recorded as a 0%.

Once the retake(s) is completed, the final score will be recorded in the grade book will be the highest grade earned, regardless of whether it is a passing grade or not. Please note that the final exam may only be taken once; retakes will not be allowed for that exam. Notes should not be used on any of the quizzes or exams, except where specifically stated otherwise.

Grade Distribution

The standard BYU-Idaho grading scale applies to this class and is as follows:

A

94 – 100%

A-

90 – 93%

B+

87 – 89%

B

84 – 86%

B-

80 – 83%

C+

77 – 79%

C

74 – 76%

C-

70 – 73%

D+

67 – 69%

D

64 – 66%

D-

60 – 63%

F

0 – 59%

Resources

The Math Study Center on campus offers a live chat to answer quick questions. Please keep in mind that, although it is a live chat, tutor responses may take a moment as they will be helping multiple students.

Monday

9:00 AM – 6:30 PM

Tuesday

9:00 AM – 11:00 PM

Wednesday

9:00 AM – 11:00 PM

Thursday

9:00 AM – 11:00 PM

Friday

9:00 AM – 8:30 PM

Saturday

11:00 AM – 8:30 PM

Khan Academy:

The Khan Academy is a not-for-profit organization with the goal of providing free education through online resources to anyone anywhere. All of the materials and resources are free of charge, and students can make use of the extensive video library, interactive challenges, and assessments from any computer with Internet access. Students can practice math at their own pace in an adaptive assessment environment that randomly generates problems, providing plenty of authentic practice opportunities. If students encounter difficulties, they can break down problems with a click, and they can also watch related videos for additional support. For this course, you may find videos that interest or help you from both the math category and the financial category.

Course Questions

Questions about the course may be posted to the “Course Questions” discussion board, and will be answered in a timely manner by the instructor or by the Course Improvement team. Please note that discussion boards take extra time to load in I-Learn (BrainHoney), and the load time increases as the number of posts goes up. In order to lessen the load time of the course questions board, you should notify the instructor to remove your post once it has been answered; taking down posts that are no longer relevant will help decrease the time it takes for this board to load. If the concern has not been addressed or the problem still exists, the post should be left on the discussion board. Questions or concerns of a personal nature should be emailed directly to the instructor.

Please Note: Sometimes students have trouble opening their homework reports, quizzes, or exams. This problem can often be corrected by using Firefox, which is the best browser for I-Learn (BrainHoney) to work the most effectively. If you are experiencing problems, try using FireFox before reporting it as a problem on the Course Questions board.

University Policies

BYU-Idaho students are responsible for abiding by all established university policies and standards—which include, but are not limited to, the Honor Code, Academic Honesty, Dress and Grooming Standards, and Sexual Harassment. Pathway students are strongly encouraged to read, become familiar with, and strive to live these policies, particularly as related to the Honor Code and Academic Honesty, which can be accessed through the University Policies page located within the Course folder.

The use of any language translation software, apps, or online programs, such as Google Translate, in order to translate sentences, paragraphs, or whole essays is not permitted in this course. However, the use of these translation programs to look up a single word or short phrase, is generally allowed.

Disability Law
In compliance with applicable disability law, qualified students with a disability may be entitled to “reasonable accommodation.” It is the student’s responsibility to disclose to the teacher any special need she/he may have as soon as possible as accommodations are not retroactive.