Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Welcome!  Thanks for considering MTH 105 (Math in Society). This class explores ways that math is used in our everyday world that you may have not considered before.  We will examine how math is used in voting, home budgets, statistics, logic, and probability. I really enjoy teaching MTH 105 and look forward to working with you.

Course Structure: This class will meet face-to-face on the Cascade Campus twice per week at the times and locations listed in the schedule.  The class will be taught in what is often called a "flipped" model.  You will watch videos that I have made on the current topic and do a few introductory problems on that topic before coming to each class.  During the first half of the class session, you will participate in activities (often worked on in a group) that allow you to further explore and gain confidence on the topics covered in the videos you watched prior to class.  During the second half of class, you will have time to work on the homework problems related to these topics and, if needed, ask for help from myself or other classmates.  The goal is for you to complete most (if not all) of your homework before the end of class so that after class you are ready to proceed to the videos for the next session.

Grading:  The grade for the class will be based mostly on homework, exams, and a project.  There will also be credit given for watching the lesson videos and completing the introductory questions related to those videos outside of class.

• There will be two types of homework (written and online) to complete each week.  A short, one-page written worksheet (3-6 questions) will be assigned each day we have a lesson.  It will be due at the start of the next class session.  Online homework will be assigned for each section covered in a week and be due at the start of the next week.  The online homework will be accessed through our D2L shell.  So you'll need to have access to a computer either at home or at a computer lab on campus. 
• There will be two required exams during the term.  The first exam covers the topics in the first two chapters we cover.  The second exam covers the topics in the third and fourth chapters we cover.  Both exams will be closed book, no notes and take place during class. There is an optional final that can be taken during finals week to replace a previous exam score. 
• A project will be assigned for the last chapter we cover during the term on financial math. 

• A scientific calculator
• Ability to scan written documents to PDF format using a scanner or scanner phone app
• Access to a printer is extremely helpful.  PCC has computer labs where you can print documents if you don't have one at home.
• Access to a computer with which you can use a spreadsheet and access our D2L shell which contains our online homework.  PCC has computer labs if you don't have a computer at home.