Precalculus was intentionally designed to prepare students for subsequent college level Calculus courses. This course will review a variety of the prerequisite mathematical concepts necessary for Calculus. Topics include rational functions, trigonometric functions, polar coordinates, sequences and series, probability, and a brief introduction to continuity. Each of these topics will be applied to real-world situations that can be modeled mathematically. In this course, students will practice communicating the realistic applications of each of these topics.
It is recommended that students have completed College Algebra, Algebra 2, or Intermediate Algebra within the last five years before enrolling in this course.
Before getting started with any material in the course, students will need to participate in the greetings discussion board. This is an opportunity for students to introduce themselves to their peers and instructor. Students are encouraged to read other students’ posts to get to know their classmates. Participation in this discussion board is worth 2% of the final grade.
Each week, students will complete an interactive activity in the Desmos Classroom. These activities are designed to deepen students’ understanding of the concepts covered in the assigned readings and videos. Each activity consists of 10-20 questions. Grades for these activities are based on participation. Each activity is worth 10-20 points (1-2% of the final grade). Students must complete the entire activity to receive all points.
Each week, students will submit completed homework assignments. The problems in these activities will reference the material covered in the week of the submission deadline. The problems on these activities will focus on real-world applications of algebra, trigonometry, counting and introductory calculus concepts. Each activity is graded out of 20 points and partial credit is possible. Each activity is worth 2% of the final grade.
In weeks 2 and 6, students will have the opportunity to showcase their knowledge of material they’ve learned up to that point as well as reflect on their understanding of the material. One of the reflective discussion boards will require students to write an explanation of how to complete a problem they initially found challenging (called Reflective Discussion Board with a Written Teaching Component). The remaining discussion board assignment will require students to create a short video in which they will teach an important problem covered in the course (called Reflective Discussion Board with a Video Teaching Component). Each discussion board is worth 5% of the final grade.
There will be two small projects in the course. The projects will give students the opportunity to showcase their understanding of the material covered in this course. The projects will wrap up the midterm and final weeks of the course. The midterm project is worth 10% of the final grade and the final project is worth 13% of the final grade.
In the middle of the course, students will complete a cumulative assessment. This assessment will be made up of multiple choice, true or false, and numerical answer questions. The assessment will be administered through ProctorU. Students should see UNE’s ProctorU page for information on proctoring logistics and scheduling. This assessment is worth 10% of the final grade.
The course will conclude with a cumulative assessment in the last week. Students will answer multiple-choice, true or false, and numerical answer questions. The assessment will be administered through ProctorU. Students should see UNE’s ProctorU page for information on proctoring logistics and scheduling. This assessment is worth 13% of the final grade.
At the end of each week, students will fill in the review guide page that corresponds to that week. This outline will help students reflect on and summarize the most important material covered throughout the week. Students are also encouraged to include examples of problems they find challenging. Students will need to submit their review guide pages to Blackboard; however, the content of the submissions will not be graded. The submission of each week’s review guide page is required to unlock the following week in Blackboard. Feedback on review guide page submissions will be provided by the instructor when appropriate.
Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:
Assignment | Total Points | Percent of Final Grade |
---|---|---|
Greetings Discussion Board | 20 | 2% |
Interactive Desmos Activities (8 total) | 140 points (6x20 points, 2 x10 points) | 14% (1-2% each) |
Homework Assignments (14 total) | 280 (20 points each) | 28% (2% each) |
Reflective Discussion Boards (2 total) | 100 (50 points each) | 10% (5% each) |
Midterm Assessment | 100 | 10% |
Midterm Project | 100 | 10% |
Final Assessment | 130 | 13% |
Final Project | 130 | 13% |
Total | 1,000 | 100% |
Grade | Points Grade | Point Average (GPA) |
A | 94 – 100% | 4.00 |
A- | 90 – 93% | 3.75 |
B+ | 87 – 89% | 3.50 |
B | 84 – 86% | 3.00 |
B- | 80 – 83% | 2.75 |
C+ | 77 – 79% | 2.50 |
C | 74 – 76% | 2.00 |
C- | 70 – 73% | 1.75 |
D | 64 – 69% | 1.00 |
F | 00 – 63% | 0.00 |
All weekly assignments are due by 11:59 PM ET at the end of the appropriate week. Check your course for additional due dates within the week.
Week 1: Mar 15 – Mar 21
Week 2: Mar 22 – Mar 28
Week 3: Mar 29 – Apr 4
Week 4: Apr 5 – Apr 11
Week 5: Apr 12 – Apr 18
Week 6: Apr 19 – Apr 25
Week 7: Apr 26 – May 2
Week 8: May 3 – May 9
Week | Topic | Readings | Assignments |
1 | Polynomials, Rational Expressions, and Equations |
Algebra and Trigonometry
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2 | Overview of Functions |
Algebra and Trigonometry
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3 | Trigonometric and Periodic Functions |
Precalculus
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4 | Trigonometric Identities and Equations and Midterm Assessment |
Precalculus
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5 | Solving Trigonometric Equations, Non-right triangles, and Polar Coordinates |
Precalculus
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6 | Parametric Equations, Vectors, and Sequences and Series |
Precalculus
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7 | Exponential and Logarithmic Functions and Limits |
Precalculus
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8 | Continuity and Derivatives and Final Exam |
Precalculus
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Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you. Please don't hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies. Questions? Email: prehealth@une.edu.
Togetherall is a 24/7 communication and emotional support platform monitored by trained clinicians. It’s a safe place online to get things off your chest, have conversations, express yourself creatively, and learn how to manage your mental health. If sharing isn’t your thing, Togetherall has other tools and courses to help you look after yourself with plenty of resources to explore. Whether you’re struggling to cope, feeling low, or just need a place to talk, Togetherall can help you explore your feelings in a safe supportive environment. You can join Togetherall using your UNE email address.
Check Brightspace for specific instructor and support specialist contact information.
Your student service advisor monitors course progression and provides assistance or guidance when needed. They can assist questions regarding ordering course materials, University policies, billing, navigating the course in Brightspace, and more.
Online students are required to submit a graded assignment/discussion prior to Sunday evening at 11:59 pm ET of the first week of the term. If a student does not submit a posting to the graded assignment/discussion prior to Sunday evening at 11:59 pm ET, the student will be automatically dropped from the course for non-participation. Review the full attendance policy.
Late assignments will be accepted up to 3 days late; however, there is a 10% grade reduction (from the total points) for the late submission. After three days the assignment will not be accepted. Discussion posts: If the initial post is submitted late, but still within the discussion board week, there will be a 10% grade reduction from the total discussion grade (e.g., a 3 point discussion will be reduced by 0.3 points). Any posts submitted after the end of the Discussion Board week will not be graded. Please make every effort ahead of time to contact your instructor if you are not able to meet an assignment deadline. Arrangements for extenuating circumstances may be considered by faculty.
The University of New England has contracted with ProctorU to provide students with the most convenient online exam proctoring system. This system provides a simple, no cost to the student, secure, online proctor for exams and allows the student to take all the exams at home and on their own schedule.
Upon enrollment into the course, each student will register with ProctorU and establish a login name and password. This will give the student access to all of ProctorU's services. When ready, students will schedule each of their proctored exams with ProctorU. Exams must be scheduled at least 72 hours in advance to avoid fees. Prior to taking their exams, students must be sure that they have downloaded the ProctorU Chrome or Firefox extension and are using the most current version of Chrome or Firefox. They must also be sure their testing site's connection meets the minimum requirements by using ProctorU's "Test It Out" utility.
Upon the exam day and hour, students will log in to ProctorU and click on "exams". After following the procedures outlined at ProctorU's website, the student will log in to Brightspace and locate their correct exam. The proctor will then allow student access to that exam.
Students must use ProctorU and must follow all proctoring requirements for their exams to be credited.
Information about exam attempts can be found in your course.
Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Programs: Technical Requirements
A schedule of lectures and assignments is included in this syllabus.
Courses in the program are equivalent to one-semester courses designed to be completed in 6 or 8 weeks
Please review the policies in your confirmation email. Contact PreHealth@une.edu with any questions.
Students are expected to attempt and complete all graded assignments and proctored exams by the end date of the course. Contact support with any questions.
Due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, only the student may request official transcripts. This may be done online by going to the University of New England Registrar website and following the directions on the page.
The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:
Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.