Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville COURSE SYLLABUS

QR 101 Spring 2021

GENERAL INFORMATION
Instructor: Mollie Easley E-mail: measley@siue.edu
Class Location: online Semester hours: 3
Office Hours: online, by appointment

COMMUNICATION Your SIUE e-mail account is the official method for communication. Course
communication will not be sent to your personal e-mail (yahoo, gmail, etc.). Announcements sent within
Blackboard are sent to your SIUE email address, and it is crucial that you regularly check your email for
these announcements.
The best method for reaching me is via email. Although I will do my best to respond quickly to all
communications, please allow up to 24 hours for a response (especially on weekends). Use your SIUE
email account and include “QR 101” and your name in the subject of your email. Do not “reply” to
Blackboard Announcement emails. Proofread your emails, and remember that communications with your
instructor are professional, and “text-talk” or slang is not appropriate. For guidelines on emailing
instructors, click here.

COURSE DESCRIPTION This course focuses on mathematical reasoning and real-life problems including
management science, coding, social choice and decision making, size and shape, and modeling.

TEXTBOOK Math in Our World - A Quantitative Reasoning Approach (Sobecki & Mercer) with ALEKS – no
physical textbook is necessary (an electronic copy is available within ALEKS)

COURSE OBJECTIVES After completion of the course, students will be able to:
 Interpret mathematical models such as formulas, graphs, tables and schematics, and draw
inferences from them
 Represent mathematical information symbolically, visually, numerically, and verbally
 Use arithmetical, algebraic, geometric, and statistical methods to solve problems including, but not
limited to, personal budgeting, finances, savings, investments, taxes, voting systems, and various
social issues
 Estimate and check answers to mathematical problems in order to determine reasonableness,
identify alternatives, and select optimal results
 Recognize errors and abuses of numbers
 Recognize the limitations of mathematics and statistics

GRADING SCALE A: 89.5 – 100% GRADE BREAKDOWN Unit Exams (3): 50%
B: 79.5 – 89.4% ALEKS Homework: 10%
C: 69.5 – 79.4% Excel Projects (2): 10%
D: 59.5 – 69.4% Final Exam: 30%
F: Below 59.5%

Homework and exams will be assigned and completed through ALEKS; the Excel projects will be assigned
via Blackboard. Grades will be periodically updated in Blackboard (the grades showing in ALEKS may not
be accurate).
USING ALEKS To access the ALEKS system, use the link under Coursework. This will take you to the login
page where you can create a new account. Make sure you use your SIUE email address to create an
account so that it will be linked to Blackboard. Once you’ve logged in, watch the following to get started:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAZsiZIEeLA.

Learning Path: In the Learning Path, you practice and eventually master objectives in each unit. If you
successfully solve a series of problems of the same type, ALEKS will add this problem type, or "topic," to
your "ALEKS Pie." While in the Learning Path, ALEKS will provide explanation pages that include worked
examples, definitions, access to a comprehensive mathematics dictionary, and immediate feedback on
your answers. If you are not able to master a topic after repeated attempts, ALEKS will direct you back to
your Learning Path, where you can choose a different topic to work on. If you wish to change topics, you
can click on the pull-down arrow at the top-left of your ALEKS screen and choose another topic. *NOTE:
your weekly homework grade will be determined by completion of the assigned objectives in each
section. If you complete the topics for a section before the deadline, the next section’s topics will
automatically open for you.

Scheduled Knowledge Checks: The purpose of an ALEKS Knowledge Check is to determine your current
Knowledge State in a particular subject, meaning what you know, what you don’t know, and what you are
ready to learn next. When you take a Knowledge Check, ALEKS will ask you approximately 15 to 35
questions. During the Knowledge Check, you will not be told whether your answers are correct or
incorrect. If you don't know how to answer a question, do not guess. Instead, click on the "I Don't Know"
button, which appears below each question. You will always be given an Initial Knowledge Check when
you first register with ALEKS. You will also be given Progress Knowledge Checks automatically at regular
intervals while using ALEKS, or when a Knowledge Check is scheduled by your instructor.

Make-Up Work: The due dates are firm and will not be extended for any reason, including technical
difficulties (computer issues, internet outages, etc.). Do not wait until the last minute to complete the
assignments! Any missed assignment or test will result in a zero.

Extra Credit: There is no extra credit in this course. Do not expect it and do not ask for it.

Participation: Your success in this course will depend on your communication, consistent engagement,
and active participation in all course activities. Success in this course requires that adhere to the
deadlines given as you complete assignments and other course activities.

STRATEGIES FOR BEING A SUCCESSFUL STUDENT IN THIS COURSE

 Schedule time each week to devote to this course; it is not unreasonable to spend at least 5-10
hours studying each week.
 Stay on top of the weekly schedule – it is easy to get behind and hard to catch up.
 Use the resources available in ALEKS, including the video explanations and the linked textbook.
 Make certain you have access to a reliable computer with an updating operating system and
internet browser. Having internet access is essential to completing this course.
 Remember, technical difficulties are not cause for due date extensions. In the event of internet or
computer problems during the course, you must have a back-up plan for accessing the internet
and completing course assignments.
 Seek assistance when you need it. Do not wait until you feel hopelessly lost to contact me with
your questions and/or concerns. I am happy to help!
 Keep your e-ID password up-to-date to assure continued access to Blackboard. If you have trouble
accessing Blackboard, please contact the ITS Help Desk at 618-650-5500 or by email at
help@siue.edu.
  Tutoring services: Help is available in the math tutor lab and in the tutoring resource center
(Student Success Center Room 1252). No appointments are required, and these services are
provided free of charge.

COMPUTER REQUIREMENTS All homework and assessments will be done on ALEKS. Thus, you must
have a computer (or regular access to one). A list of on-campus labs and their hours can be found at:
http://www.siue.edu/its/labsclassrooms/computer_labs_reg_hours_new.shtml.

At a minimum, you will need the following software/hardware to participate in this course:
 Computer with an updated operating system
 Updated internet browser (Apple Safari, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox). See Blackboard's
Browser Checker to see if your browser and operating system are compatible with Blackboard
 DSL or Cable Internet connection or a connection speed no less than 6 Mbps
 Media player such as, QuickTime or Windows Media Player
 Adobe Reader or alternative PDF reader (free) and Java plugin (free)

Blackboard Login: When logging into Blackboard, use your University e-ID and password. If you have
never used your University login name go to the following website to register: http://www.siue.edu/e-
ID/. Note that all e-ID passwords must be changed every 60 days. In order to change your password
online you must know your old password. If you do not remember your old password, you will need to go
to the ITS offices located in the basement of Lovejoy with a photo ID in order to change it.

TECHNICAL SUPPORT The instructor has NO CONTROL over technical problems with Blackboard or
ALEKS. For help with ALEKS, visit the ALEKS Support Website to view frequency asked questions or to
contact the ALEKS customer support team. For ITS support including Blackboard, Email, and Office 365,
contact the Help Desk at 618-650-5500 or help@siue.edu. You can also search the ITS Knowledge Base
for how-to articles and troubleshooting guides.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Faculty Expectations of Students – Students enrolled at SIUE have the responsibility to be good citizens
of the University and the community, to pursue their educational goals with honesty and integrity, to
contribute to an environment which encourages free inquiry and expression, to abide by all applicable
laws and SIUE policies and procedures, and to respect the rights and responsibilities of fellow students,
faculty and staff. In particular, it is expected that students will:
1. Regularly participate in the online course by logging onto Blackboard at least twice each week.
2. Know and follow instructions in the course syllabus.
3. Use rules of “netiquette” for online communication. Refer to the core rules of Netiquette here:
http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html.
4. Be aware of and follow the Student Conduct Code, Plagiarism Policy, Responsible Use Policy, and
other relevant University policies.
5. Respect the rights of others to hold various points of view.
6. Develop or create any paper, project, case study, or art form, or other print or non-print product
utilizing their own ideas. When using the ideas of others, use proper citations. Refer to the Lovejoy
Library Plagiarism web site for additional information about plagiarism and ways to avoid it.
7. Follow University procedures, including submission of information in a timely manner to meet
deadlines, and keep the University informed of all changes in name, address, telephone number,
and the University identification number.
8. Keep your e-ID password up-to-date by changing it online through the e-ID website every 60 days.
If your password expires, you will be unable to log into Blackboard until it is updated.
Services for Students Needing Accommodations – It is the policy and practice of Southern Illinois
University Edwardsville to create inclusive learning environments. If there are aspects of the instruction
or design of this course that result in barriers to your inclusion or to accurate assessment of achievement
—such as time-limited exams, inaccessible web content or the use of non-captioned videos—please
contact Accessible Campus Community and Equitable Student Support (ACCESS) as soon as possible. In
order to properly determine reasonable accommodations, students must register with ACCESS either
online at siue.edu/access or in person in the Student Success Center, Room 1203. You can also reach the
office by emailing us at myaccess@siue.edu or by calling 618-650-3726.
If you feel you would need additional help in the event of an emergency situation, please notify your
instructor to discuss specific needs for assistance.

Course Concerns – Concerns about the course (outside of course content) should be addressed to the
following individuals (listed in order of contact):
1. Course Instructor: measley@siue.edu
2. Course Coordinator: smorres@siue.edu
3. Department of Mathematics & Statistics Department Chair: gpeleka@siue.edu

COURSE SCHEDULE
  ALEKS Assignments Exams/Other Assignments
Open
Week Beginning Section(s) Deadline Name Deadline
Date
1 3/15/21 4.1,2 3/21      
2 3/22 4.3,4,5,8 3/28
3 3/29 2.1,2 4/4 Unit 4 Exam 4/1 4/4
4 4/5 2.3,4 4/11 Excel #1 4/5 4/11
5 4/12 2.5,6 4/18 Unit 2 Exam 4/15 4/18
6 4/19 8.1,2 4/25 Excel #2 4/19 4/25
7 4/26 8.3,4 5/2 Unit 8 Exam 4/29 5/2
8 5/3   Final Exam 5/3 5/7
All assigned work is due at 11:59pm CST on the day of the deadline.

Note: There will be Test Reviews in ALEKS for each of the three units. They are optional and will remain
open until the end of the semester so that you may revisit as often as you’d like and use them to study for
the final exam as well.

**I reserve the right to make changes to the syllabus; changes will be announced via Blackboard.**

After you have thoroughly read the syllabus, please complete the first assignment in Blackboard under
Coursework. The password is IREADIT.