MT106:
Students become problem solvers of practical real-life problems. Topics covered include statistical methods in science and business, probability theory; coding techniques which provide for efficient handling of inventory data and data compression; techniques for detecting and correcting errors which occur when electronically transmitting identification numbers; alternative voting systems, and fair division procedures applied to mergers, divorce settlements, inheritance, and other potential adversarial situations.
Meeting Times, Location, & Course Delivery Details
This class will be a traditional face-to-face class. In the event class cannot meet in-person (professor illness, severe weather, building/campus closure, etc.) we may meet synchronously over Zoom or you may be assigned videos to watch. Details will be given that morning by email as well as an announcement on Blackboard.
Contact Information
Textbook:
Contemporary Mathematics from OpenStax. The digital version is available for free: https://openstax.org/details/books/contemporary-mathematics
Course Materials:
- Calculator or Calculator App
- We will have problems where the standard calculator on a cell phone will not be good enough. But there are plenty of free graphing calculator apps that one can use. I currently use Calculate84.
- Scanner or Scanner App
- Adobe Scan is free and I've used it on both Android and Apple devices. Sometimes it is a bit glitchy and I need to email the document to myself before it truly creates a sharable PDF.
The course provides students an introduction to various branches of mathematics students may never have seen before. Emphasis will be placed on students developing an understanding of the material, as opposed to simply memorization of formulas. Useful applications of mathematical concepts to real life situations will be presented.
See Blackboard for a tentative course calendar.
| Category | Percent of Final Grade |
| Short Assignments | 40% |
| Projects | 40% |
| Final Paper | 20% |
The grading scale will be as follows:
| Min. % | Grade |
| 93% | A |
| 90% | A- |
| 87% | B+ |
| 83% | B |
| 80% | B- |
| 77% | C+ |
| 73% | C |
| 70% | C- |
| 65% | D |
Instructor Course Policies
It is courteous to email your professor ahead of class to let them know you will be absent, or to email after class apologizing for your absence. (When emailing your professors, please note which class you are enrolled in.) In this class, you will never need to explain the reason for your absence.
Any instance of cheating will result in a zero for the assignment, may result in an “F” grade for the course, and could result in referral for committee review. See the current Student Handbook for the college’s Academic Integrity policies as they pertain to examinations, plagiarism, classroom behavior, and the process for handling academic misconduct charges.
Short Assignments
There will be a variety of small assignments assigned throughout the semester, due Tuesdays and Thursdays. These should be scanned and submitted on BlackBoard by the due date. There is some leeway after the due date—if you submit a short assignment after the due date but before I finish grading that assignment, I will still grade it the same as though you had turned it in before the due date.
Each assignment is graded out of at least 5 points. The first 5 points are just for completion and the rest of the points are for accuracy of certain problems. 5/X means the homework looks like it was done completely and is scanned (with the pages presented in order) as one PDF document (if more than 1 piece of paper). 1/X means the student turned in a blank piece of paper with their name on it. At the end of the semester, students who have scored a 4 or higher on all short assignments will receive a bonus and can think of it as one Major Project grade increasing by 10% if you earn this bonus.
At the top right corner of your homework, you should write your name, due date, and MT106 M1. On the top line of your homework, you should write your textbook chapter, and the homework problems assigned. You should write out each problem, and then show all your work (work down, not across) to get the solution to the problem. See the image at the bottom of this section for an example of how to label the top of your homework. the assignment at the top of the page. Write each problem (you may paraphrase the question as long as you include all necessary information), draw the graphs (if included), and then show all work necessary to answer the problem. You should make it obvious where you switch between the Skills Check and Exercises, but there is no need to start a fresh page for the Exercises. If your work is more than one page, make sure it is scanned as one PDF document. Submit your scanned documents on BlackBoard.
For your homework, the work must be your own work. You are allowed to receive help, but you must have attempted the problem and you must credit anyone who helps you as well as any website, app, or AI you refer to for help (including the answer section in the textbook). By acknowledging their contribution, you do not make your work any less valuable (hence, it will not lower your grade) and you express gratitude for the help you received. You are not allowed to copy from other people or from any other source.
Major Projects
There will be 4 projects due throughout the semester. More details will be provided for each project after the material needed for the project has been taught. Projects will be submitted on BlackBoard. Late projects will be accepted (late projects are projects turned in after the due date) but 10% will be deducted for each school day a project is late. There are no tests or quizzes in this class. Major projects take the place of regular exams.
Final Paper
This is a creative writing assignment that will incorporate vocabulary learned throughout the semester. Your paper will be graded on correct usage and definitions of the vocabulary terms. More information will be given near the end of the semester.
Class Behavior
Please refrain from wearing scents (cologne/perfume/body odor/etc.) that could disturb the learning environment of the classroom. I will not tolerate disruptive behavior, be it use of cell phones, talking out of turn, passing notes, yawning loudly, and/or falling asleep. There is no tobacco use in the classroom. All music should be turned off before entering the classroom. There is no texting/gaming/watching videos on your phones during class. There is no packing up to leave this class before class is over. If there is a genuine reason you need to receive a call (e.g., awaiting an important call from a family member) let me know before class begins.
You are required to use your Wilmington e-mail account for this course. I will use it to relay messages about the course. If you send me an email and I haven’t responded by the next school day, please email me again to make sure I’ve seen your email. Please include your class/section in your email.
Institutional and Program-Level Policies
All exams will follow the Final Exam Schedule. Students scheduled to take three or more final examinations on one day may request to arrange their examination schedule, so no more than two exams occur on one day.
Requests for early or late exams are considered only under extreme circumstances. Prior to the exam period, the student must file a written request on the Early/Late Exam Form available in the Student One Stop Center, Academic Records, and on the WC portal. The form must be signed by the Instructor and the Academic Dean, approving the alternate exam time. This process must be completed prior to the scheduled exam period.
Undergraduate: SP25 Final Exam Schedule Graduate:
Out-of-class Work Expectation A minimum of 2 hours of out-of-class student work is expected for each hour of in-class time for traditional face-to-face courses. For online and hybrid courses, the combination of face-to-face time and out-of-class work should be equal to 3 hours per credit hour per week. |
Instructional Course Delivery |
Academic Integrity Policy The use of generative AI is prohibited except where expressly allowed in assignment instructions. |
Class Attendance Policy |
Accessibility and Disability Services
Accessibility and Disability Services
Wilmington College provides accommodations and services for student with a variety of disabilities, including chronic illnesses, psychological, physical, medical, learning, and sensory disability amongst others. If you anticipate or experience barriers based on disability and feel you may need a reasonable accommodation to fulfill the essential functions of this course, you are encouraged to contact:
Spencer Izor, Associate Vice President of Compliance - Title IX/ADA Coordinator at spencer.izor@wilmington.edu or 937-481-2365 or Nathan Flack, Academic Resource Manager at 937-481-2208 to learn more about the process and procedures for requesting accommodations, or by visiting College Hall Room 306a or the Robinson Communication Center, Room 103.
Religious Accommodations
Wilmington College strives for an inclusive climate and welcomes students from all backgrounds, faiths, and experiences. If religious observance impedes your ability to participate fully in classroom activities or a principal holiday from your religious tradition occurs during the semester and conflicts with class meetings or activities, please make the professor aware of this immediately to determine if a reasonable accommodation is possible.