Getting Started Questions:
- Considering Enrolling?:
- Waitlist Info:
- Getting Started:
- Email Address Information:
- Courseware, Software, and Course Materials:
What can I expect in a Keely math online
class? How does it work?
Considering taking an online math class with Prof.
Keely? Wondering what to expect? Wondering how it works? See What to Expect in Prof. Keely's Math Online Class.
Is taking an online class right for me?
Online classes don't work well for everyone. Some people learn
best through face-to-face interaction with instructors and fellow students. In
an online class all of the interaction takes place on a discussion board and
much of the learning is independent. While online classes provide you the
freedom to complete educational goals while working and taking care of family
responsibilities, they do require that you discipline yourself to meet course
requirements and participate regularly. See Clark eLearning Dept.'s
Is eLearning
Right For Me?
to help you decide if online classes will work well for you.
Which math class is right for me? When is it offered
online?
Want to make sure that you are signing up for the right math
class? See Which Math Course is
Right for Me?.
Planning out your year of classes and need to know which math classes are offered online during which terms? See the
Annual Schedule of Online Math Offerings.
If I decide to take the class: Will I ever need to
come to campus? Will I need a textbook? How are the assignments submitted? How
are the tests conducted? Do I have to participate on the class discussion board?
Here is the nitty-gritty.
- You never need to come to campus. There
are NO required on-campus meetings. The entire class is conducted online.
- MyMathLab access is required. (See What is MyMathLab?). Buying a hard copy text is completely optional.
- All quizzes, tests, and the final exam are
conducted online in MyMathLab. These assessments make up about 60% of your grade.
- There are no homework assignments in the traditional sense, but you are expected to practice problems online in MyMathLab regularly.
- Participation on the
class discussion board is required. This is a collaborative
learning class, not a self-paced independent study class. Plan to
participate in the discussions at least three times each week, preferably
daily. Participation on the discussion board makes up about 40% of your grade.
On the waitlist?
WAITLISTED STUDENTS: See
MathOL Syllabus -
Waitlisted Students for vital information!
Where should I start? What is the mandatory
first-day class orientation?
The orientation is conducted online on the first day of class. It will walk you through
the course organization and introduce you to the important class documents
such as the syllabus. Essentially is it a guide that orients you to your
online math class. It takes about an hour or two to complete the orientation. To
access the orientation materials, logon to your online course management system, enter your math class, and follow
the "start here" directions posted there. If you the class hasn't started yet and you want a few more details see
Prof.
Keely's Online Math Web.
What can I do to get a head start on the class before it
starts?
(Under re-construction.) Checking-in to class early and want to get a head start? See How to Get a Head Start in Your Math Online Classs
How should I proceed through the course? Do you have any tips for success?
The class calendar is your guide to the course. It
lists the daily schedule, readings, assignments, assessments, and deadlines. Also
check your BB class several times a week for new announcements and discussion
board posts. It is
imperative that you participate on the boards regularly. How to Succeed in an Online Course provides some general tips for success.
A typical day consists of reading a section in the online text,
working interactive practice problems online, discussing math problems on the
class discussion boards, and taking a weekly (or biweekly) open-book open-note quiz online.
What are the first-week attendance requirements?
See MathOL Syllabus -
Clark's First-Week Attendance Policy.
How do I activate my Clark Student Gmail account? Must I use my Clark Gmail account for class? Can I forward it to another email address? Can I email the Prof. from a different account?
Clark students have free college-provided
web-based student email
accounts through Gmail (Google Mail). See Setting-up and Activating Your
Clark Gmail Account. Your email address will (most likely) have the form s.keely@students.clark.edu (first initial, period, last name).
This is the only email address you should use for class communications with the instructor. This is the only email address to which I will respond or send email messages. The College also sends important announcements and information to this address.
You are expected to check your Clark Gmail (at www.clark.edu/myemail) at least every 48 hours throughout the term or you can set it to forward to your usual email address -- see Forwarding G-mail to Another Email Address (scroll to PAGE 7).
In an emergency you may email me from a different account but I will still only reply to your Clark Student Gmail.
Note:
(1) If you email me from a non-Clark account then I may not be able to respond promptly (e.g. from my Blackberry) or the message may end up in my spam box.
(2) Any question about your scores, progress in class, or other private information MUST be sent from your Clark Gmail or I cannot legally respond (per FERPA).
See How do I contact the professor? What email subject line should I use?
Note: When setting-up your Clark Student Gmail if you include a signature keep it academically appropriate. For example, do not include anything that may be inflammatory such as some religious quotes, gang-related symbols, etc.
What is the difference between the various class
websites?
There are two main websites associated with the course,
your Class Management System (CMS) and MyMathLab. Your CMS (MoodleRooms) is where class actually takes place
(see What is a CMS?). MyMathLab houses the
online text and is where you work practice problems and take tests (see What is
MyMathLab?). These sites are password protected each with a different password system.
Prof. Keely stores some course materials on Clark College's
website and some on her own personal domain, InteGreat.ca, but you will never need to access these sites directly. Any materials stored there that you may need to access are linked from your CMS classroom and/or class calendar for easy retrieval.
What is a CMS = Course Management System?
A course management system (CMS, a.k.a. LMS = learning management system) is an online application in which online classes are run. The CMS is where you "go to
class". Typically it includes discussion boards, folders for class materials, and more. The CMS for all Clark online classes is MoodleRooms (MR) Joule.
What is MyMathLab / CourseCompass?
MyMathLab (www.coursecompass.com) is an
online course delivery system provided by the textbook publisher. In MyMathLab you can read the
complete textbook online, watch video lectures, work interactive tutorial exercises, and take tests.
What computer/technology skills am I expected to have before entering this online class?
REQUIRED: Basic computer and word processing skills (cut & paste, copy & paste, working with documents and folders). Basic text formatting skills (bold, underline, fonts, highlight text). Basic internet skills (using email, attaching a file, using a browser, allowing cookies, clearing a browser's cache). Installing/updating software or plug-ins.
RECOMMENDED: Reading and posting messages on a threaded discussion board. Using screenshot software to produce a .gif or .jpg file.
DESIRED: Using an equation editor software to write mathematical notation. Using an online grapher to produce the graph of a function. Experience with MoodleRooms and MyMathLab.
What software and plug-ins do I need to access the course
materials?
REQUIRED:
- Blackboard requires that you have the latest version of Java installed --
click here to test.
If you need to update download it at java.com/en/download
(free).
- The latest version of
Adobe Acrobat Reader (free) is required to print some of the course materials (.pdf format).
RECOMMENDED:
- The online textbook includes video lectures that
may require
QuickTime,
Windows Media Player, or
Real Player (all free).
Which one you need depends on your textbook -- see MyMathLab's
installation wizard / browser check for details.
- Clark's eLearning Dept. recommends that you run Blackboard
in the Firefox browser (free) not MSIE.
OPTIONAL:
- Some supplemental resources include flash movies that require
Adobe Macromedia's
Shockwave Player or Flash Player (free). You likely already have these plugins
installed in your browser --
click here to test.
- The lecture notes may contain mathematical expressions written in MathML, a language for displaying mathematics in a webpage.
To determine if your browser
will correctly display the mathematics, try the
test page.
If you use Mozilla Firefox or Netscape Browser, then the mathematics should
display fine. If you use MSIE, then you may need to download and install the
(free) MathPlayer plug-in from
Design Science.
- Office programs such as MS Word, MS Excel, and MS PowerPoint might be useful
in some courses, but are definitely not mandatory. The
Clark College
Bookstore offers student versions of MS Office at a reasonable cost.
Do I need to buy hard copy textbook in
addition to MyMathLab?
No. The entire textbook
is available online in printable electronic form through MyMathLab so buying a
hard copy textbook is optional and unnecessary unless you really want
one.
Can you tell me more about Prof. Keely's GOLDen Mathematics
e-book? Should I buy it?
If you are looking for readings to supplement the e-text in MyMathLab, there are lots materials available for free on the internet (math help sites, tutorial videos, etc.) and I encourage you to take advantage of them.
I wrote a series of e-books called GOLDen
Mathematics but they are not free and totally optional. The audience is adult learners and home-educating parents. They are essentially my class lectures including detailed examples with graphics and some quick self-checks, but do not include exercise sets. They are not as fancy as a regular textbook, but students report they are easy reads and explain problems clearly.
The GOLDen Mathematics e-books are available as complete books and also as single topic "modules". So if you are having difficulty with just one topic/chapter of material (e.g. rational expressions), you can download (for a small fee) just that module/topic/chapter at www.lulu.com/skeely.
Complete e-books downloadable at Lulu (for a fee):
Modules by topic downloadable at Lulu (for a small fee):
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