Office: Room B214/Ray Hartstein Campus/Skokie
E-mail: cshapero@oakton.edu
Course Links from WebCT Homepage
Webct and MyMathLab are best supported by Internet Explorer.
Course homepage
This page is set up as a table which links to online material by clicking on the name of the topic. If you click on a topic, it will get you to web pages related to that topic. There are online interactive problems with more online help available at Mymathlab.
The course homepage also links to online quizzes (see directions below) and has suggested dates for on-campus exams.
Online Quizzes:
There is
a multiple-choice quiz at the end of each chapter that is accessible from
the course homepage. These quizzes can be used as pre-tests for material
you believe you know or as a post-test after you are confident you have
mastered the material.You
will get 100 on each quiz before sending the grade to me. To
check your score on a quiz, scroll down to the bottom of the quiz and click
on the Correct Answer button. A box will pop up and it will give you the
score. If you got all the answers correct, copy
and paste just the words that say Congratulations you got 100% .
If some of the answers are not correct, the box will give you the score
and tell you the correct answers to the questions you got wrong. Go back
to the webpages or textbook covering the sections with questions you missed
before retaking the quiz. You can take a
quiz as many times as you want until you get 100%
Put
the course number (MAT 052)in the subject line and be sure to include your
name and quiz number in the email.
MyMathLab Links and Course Textbook:course ID shapero76204
The link to info on mymathlab access and online purchase will provide information on how to get into MyMathLab and how to purchase the online copy of the textbook, the course number, and how to use the site. Purchasing an online copy of the text is considerably less expensive than purchasing a hard copy of the textbook. If you buy the access online, you will automatically have access to the complete mymathlab site. If you purchas a hard copy of the textbook, be sure it comes with MyMathLab access or go online to purchase that access.
The text for the course is: Bittinger, Elementary Algebra, tenth edition with MyMathLab, Addison Wesley, ISBN #9780321395269. The hard copy of the text is available at the Bookstore on the Des Plaines campus, or online by selecting bookstore at www.oakton.edu/resource or at other online booksellers.
Practice Tests
This icon has links to practice tests for each on-campus test. It also has links to the solution to each test. The best way to use these is to print the test, take the test and then look at the solutions. The practice tests are designed for you to see if you know the material well enough to take the on-campus tests.
Learning the material using Mymathlab, Quizzes and Study Plan
You should study the material by either using the links from the course homepage, reading the textbook on or off line or by clicking on the course materials link in Mymathlab. There are videos for whole chapters as well as the online material in a variety of formats. When you feel you are ready to attempt some homework for a specific section, click on the Quizzes icon. These quizzes are not part of your grade. You will take the quiz for a specific section and it will then provide you with a Study Plan which will be specific to material you need to work on. You will also be able to review the quiz and see what answers you got wrong and the correct answers to that question. If you feel you know all the material in a section, since much of it is review, you can go directly to the quiz first to determine if you still need to work on certain items.
The study plan will give you problems to work that are specific to topics with which you need help. Each problem has links to help with solving the problem as well as many links to video or audio help. It is a very effective way to learn the course.
At the end of the chapter, you can take the full chapter quiz and see if there is still some work you need to do. Once you have completed the work in Mymathlab, you can go back to the course homepage and click on the online quiz for that chapter. Remember that these quizzes do count but you can retake them as much as you want and you wait to get 100 before sending the grade.
On-Campus Tests
There are four on-campus tests. The tests can be taken in a testing center at either of the campuses. If you are outside of Oakton’s district, arrangements can be made to take the test in your area. There are suggested dates on the homepage for each on-campus test. Tests can be taken on any date that the testing center is open. The dates are just target dates for those who want to maintain a pace to complete the course in the allotted time. If two or more tests are taken with an average of at least 70, students will get an incomplete and will be allowed extra time to complete the course.
Calculators are allowed on
tests and the tests are un-timed.
Once the test is graded, it will be mailed back to you with comments and suggestions. The grade can be found by clicking on the Check Grades icon on the WebCT homepage. The quiz grades will also be put there as well as the course grade once youy have completed the course. Tests taken on the Des Plaines campus may be delayed a little since the test will need to be sent to me at the Skokie campus for grading. I try to get tests graded quickly so if you do not get a posted grade within a couple of days of taking the test, it would be good to email me just so I can track down the test if necessary. Remember that the testing center is only open Monday through Thursday but there are evening hours so you should be able to find time for taking the test. Be sure to get to the testing center as early as possible if you take the test in the evening to allow lots of time to take the test before the center closes.
Staying in touch
Contact with me can be through webCT email or my regular e-mail me at cshapero@oakton.edu .
I am available online and by phone, as well as in person to help you.I can arrange times on-campus (mainly the Skokie campus) as well as online to work with you on specific problems.The best way to reach me is by e-mail using either my Oakton e-mail (cshapero@oakton.edu) or the internal WebCT e-mail and we can make other arrangements that way.There is a call-in tutoring service maintained by the text publisher.When you purchase your book, the information will be in an insert along with a code so you can use this service.