GRADING AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR COURSE ACTIVITIES INSTRUCTIONS FOR DISCUSSIONS:

• Use the discussion board to post questions that might be of general interest to all students such as questions about assignments, tests, etc.
• The discussion is not mandatory therefore your participation in the discussion will not affect your grade.
• Be sure to post your question under the correct module.
• You are encouraged to respond to other students if you think you can help them.
• All discussion posts should be written in proper English.  Check your grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
• In all online communication, it is expected that all students will follow adhere to the netiquette rules. Individuals who violate the netiquette policy or engage in disruptive online behaviors may have their class access privileges revoked and/or they may be referred to the Student Dean. Students who continue to engage in unacceptable online behavior even after being warned may be permanently denied access to the class and/or may receive an F for the class.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR QUIZZES & TESTS:

• You will take quizzes in class and online during the week. Tests will be administered at the Central Campus Blended Testing Center.  Questions may be multiple choice, matching, fill in the blank, and short answer. Scores will be posted within 3 business days after the due date.

Instructions for Pre-class Assignments starting in D2L and ending in ALEKS:

• There are 15 special assignments in this course which will be released on an ongoing basis.
• Each of these assignments has a due date.
• These assignments are listed in D2L and may consist but are not limited to, watching videos, taking a quiz, posting to a discussion board, performing a task, working as a group, or perhaps a combination of these.
• The final task for each Special Assignment is a quiz in ALEKS.  The average of the best 14 out of 15 quizzes will count towards 7% of your final grade.
• There will be an in-class quiz on the same material which will count towards 15% of your final grade.

Instructions for in-class Quizzes:

• There are 15 quizzes given during the first 10 minutes of class throughout the semester.
• The average of these quizzes worth 10% of your grade which is equal to a test grade.
• The quiz questions are taken directly from the “Pre-class Assignment” Quizzes in ALEKS, therefore, there is no reason that everyone should not be able to get a 100% on every class quiz!

Instructions for Online Practice Reviews before each Test:

• There are online, non-proctored practice reviews for each test in this course.   These practice tests are mostly short answer questions just like your weekly ALEKS assignments.  They are open during the timeframes indicated in the course schedule below.
• These practice reviews are not timed.
• These practice reviews are located in the assignment section in ALEKS.
• You may take each one an unlimited number of times up until you start the actual test.
• You may view the questions and answers immediately following the close of each attempt.
• These practice reviews should be taken by you and only you.   See the Broward College Policies for information on Academic Dishonesty.
• Make sure that before you take the actual test, you are able to work out all of the practice review questions without the use of your books or notes.
• The test questions are taken directly from the practice reviews, so skipping them would be a mistake.
• The average of the practice reviews is worth 8% of your grade.  In other words, I am giving you credit for studying!

Instructions for Proctored Exams:

• All exams are taken on your campus at the e-testing center.  Ask your instructor for more specifics.
• If you are taking your class on Central Campus, then you will use the testing center in Building 17 on the second floor of the library at the BC Blended Testing Center on central campus.
• You must follow the schedule for the BC Blended Testing Center hours and rules.  Make sure to allow enough time to take your exam.  They usually start closing 15 – 30 minutes earlier than they say.
• Please make sure to bring a picture ID for all exams.
• You will have 90 minutes to take each exam.
• The 3 major exams are mostly short answer questions just like your weekly ALEKS assignments. The number of questions varies depending on the difficulty.
  • Bring your own TI-30XIIS or TI-30XIIB calculator to these exams (keep the cover in your car or in a locker).
  • Sometimes the testing center has extra calculators to loan you during a test.
• The final exam is a 27 multiple-choice cumulative exam covering the entire course.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR ASSIGNMENTS AND GROUP PROJECTS:

Instructions for ALEKS:

• You will be given a temporary access code to access ALEKS at the beginning of the semester.  This code will allow you access to ALEKS for up to 2 weeks until you purchase your own access code.  Once students purchase their own access code, they will not need to start over; they can extend their current account.
• Please make sure to purchase and update your account with your new access code before your 2-week temporary code expires.  Students will not be able to access ALEKS after the temporary code expires unless they purchase an access code.
• Your Pie in ALEKS is where new learning takes place.  You may want to view the videos in D2L before or during the learning process.
• You may check your answers as you go.  You may also click on the “EXPLAIN” button for detailed instruction.
• You will have access to the e-book and sample problems in ALEKS through the Pie.
• Once you are able to correctly answer a specified number of problems in a row without any help (i.e. without clicking on Explain), that topic will be filled in on your pie.

Instructions for Knowledge Checks in ALEKS:

• Initial Knowledge Checks
  • This initial knowledge check is taken just once when you first start the course.
  • It is crucial that you make an honest attempt on this assessment because this is how ALEKS finds out what you already know so you do not waste your time in learning material you already know.
  • Central Campus students’ MUST take this assessment at the BC Blended Testing Center on central campus (for everyone else, please take it at your specific campus)
  • No appointment is necessary.  Click here to see their hours of operation.
• Progress Knowledge Checks
  • You will be reassessed from time to time to ensure that you are retaining the material.
  • Having topics added to your pie is not permanent!  It is crucial that you make an honest attempt on all assessments. Otherwise, all of the topics you learned will go back into you Pie and it will be like starting over.  So please, take these seriously!
  • You will not be able to start the next Learning Objective until you complete the current assessment.
  • These assessments should be taken by you, and only you.  No books or notes should be used during the assessment.  See the Broward College Policies for information on Academic Dishonesty.

Instructions for Learning Modules in D2L

• The course schedule gives you a general sense of what will be covered in each module; however, you should follow the instructions within each module under “Course Work” in the “Content” tab in D2L.  These guidelines will break up the readings into smaller portions with homework assignments and activities in between.  To proceed through the course sequentially, use the arrow button at the upper right of each page.  Use the bookmark tool to keep track of where you left off.
• Assignments are due on the due date as listed in the course activities schedule part of this syllabus OR on the course calendar.
• Assignment scores are available in ALEKS usually immediately following the assignment.
• Groups may be assigned in class.

LATE WORK AND MAKE-UP ASSESSMENTS

• There are NO extensions in this class.
• It is at the discretion of the instructor to offer a make-up activity and is not guaranteed. Make-up tests will only be considered under extenuating circumstances, and with prior notification and documentation (original funeral notice for example). Scheduling appointments and vacations are not valid reasons for requesting a make-up test.

HOW YOUR GRADE WILL BE DETERMINED

Assessment	Graded Points	Total Points | Percent Total
10 Modules/Objectives in ALEKS	20 points each	200 | 20%
15 In-Class Quizzes	10 points each	150 | 15%
Best 14 of 15 Pre-Class Quiz Assignments	5 points each	70 | 7%
4 Practice Reviews	20 points each	80 | 8%
3 Tests	100 points each	300 | 30%
1 Cumulative Exam	200 points	200 | 20%
TOTALS		1000 | 100%

VIEW YOUR GRADES

• Current class averages can be found in the ALEKS D2L on an ongoing basis.

GRADING SCALE

Grade	Points Earned / Percentage
A	900 – 1000+ points | 90 – 100+%
B	800 – 899 points | 80 – 89.9%
C	700 – 799 points | 70 – 79.9%
D	600 – 699 points | 60- 69.9%
F	0 – 599 points | 0.0 – 59.9%