An MS Word
version of this document (Temporary – will be posting as PDF in a day or two)
may be found HERE.
·
Locate
and explore the Course Website – Start at http://www.aims.edu, log in as a
student, click on My Courses tab, select this course, and enjoy! Familarize yourself with the main menu bar:
o Beginnings – A quick checklist for the
first week of class. This document.
o Classlist – Shows who's in the class,
including me (Harry Mills). It's where I
go to send you e-mail, and you can send ME e-mail by clicking on the
"Mills, Harry" link in the classlist.
o Discussions – Where you and I and your
classmates will interact. In the first
few weeks of class, especially, I've found that students are very good at
helping each other get started.
o MyLab/Mastering – The entry page to where
the homework and lessons live.
o Practice Tests – Tests from last
semester. This is also where this
semester's tests and solutions will be posted.
Students report that this is an essential bridge between interacting
with a computer online and actually proving
to another human being that you can understand and write the mathematics.
o Schedule – Aligns the calendar with the
work we need to do this semester.
Deadlines for tests are listed, here.
o Survey – Near the end of the semester,
you need to fill out the survey.
o Syllabus – Detailed information on this
course, including grade scheme, rules of the game, and other material.
o Writing Projects – everything you need to
complete your 4 writing projects. This
course isn't all just
point-and-click.
·
From
the front page of the course website on MyAims, follow these links under Aims
Resources, which are listed in a column on the far left of your screen.
o Aims Online Course Tool
Tutorials. If you scroll to the
bottom of the page you will see links to online help with Discussions, Dropbox,
etc.
o Check
your System. Make sure your hardware
and software are up to snuff.
·
Acquire
a textbook and access to CourseCompass, and register. CourseCompass is where lessons and homework
assignments live. The Course ID is mills69334. There are different
strategies for getting it done:
o Buy the book new at the College
Bookstore. It will come with access to
CourseCompass included in the price.
o Buy a used book and purchase the access
code separately at the College Bookstore.
You might not find this saves you much money.
o Buy a used book and purchase access
online at http://pearsonmylabandmastering.com/
There are some 1st editions floating around. They're similar, but some of the topics have
been switched around ("Variation" was moved from Chapter 2 to Chapter
1, for instance).
o Purchase access without a textbook and just
use the e-book that is provided on
the website. (Cheapest option)
·
Get
started on homework on MyLab site, starting with the Orientation exercises, and
proceeding to Chapter 1. This should
familiarize you with the homework tools, including the mathematical palette. There's individual help on homework,
including "Help me with this problem," "Show me an
example," "Show me a video," and "Ask my instructor." You'll like it. I'm not spending a lot of time explaining
this part to you. I think you'll get
up-to-speed more easily by exploring and asking questions..