Academic Integrity and Essential Course Integrity
You should explore the course material and write out your thinking in a way that can be shared with others. Academic integrity is a fundamental part of the course, which includes meeting deadlines, regular communication, and giving proper reference where it is due. These are essential to course integrity. Be sure to give acknowledgment where it is due. Submitting someone else's work as your own (PLAGIARISM) is a serious violation of the University's Academic Integrity Code, which defines: ``Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, borrowing, downloading, cutting and pasting, and paraphrasing without acknowledgement, including from online sources, or allowing an individual's academic work to be submitted as another's work."
The purpose of engagement is to learn and practice computational strategies, concepts, and develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. In this course, you will be challenged with problems that you have never seen before. I do not expect you to be able to solve all the issues immediately. Instead, I want to see what you can do on your own. Out in the real world, this is important, since no matter what job you have, you will be expected to seek out information and answers to new topics you have not seen before. Many concepts require the critical and creative analysis of a variety of interpretations in order to fully consider the implications.
I understand that this can feel frustrating and uncomfortable and I am here to help you through the process. It helps to remember that there are no mathematical dead-ends! Each time we get stuck, it teaches us something about the problem we are working on and leads us to a deeper understanding of the mathematics.
In the real world though, you are not expected to face your work alone. You will be allowed to talk to other people and you may even be expected to work with other people. In this class, you are also not expected to face your work alone. I am always eager to help you and will try to give you hints and direction to help you understand the material.
At times though, to encourage the exploration process, I may direct you to rethink a problem and to discuss it with me again after you have had time to explore new directions. You can take this time in our Zoom hours and consult with me after you re-think your approach or you can come back and re-connect. This occurs when I believe that the struggle to understand is imperative for your deep understanding of the material.
CBMS published a statement titled ``Active Learning in Post-Secondary Mathematics Education" about the importance of ``classroom practices that engage students in activities, such as reading, writing, discussion, or problem solving, that promote higher-order thinking."
Appalachian's General Education Program prepares students to employ various modes of communication that can help communities reach consensus or respectful disagreement: successful communicators interact effectively with people of both similar and different experiences and values and in this class you will practice oral and written communication during class by interacting with your peers and me. Regardless of gender, political party, race, religion, sexuality, or more this class is to be a welcoming environment, and so I want you to be sensitive and respectful to each other in upcoming discussions. Part of the welcoming environment is to keep an open mind as you engage in our class activities and explore current mathematical/scientific consensus. Performing activities that detract from this welcoming environment will result in a lowered grade.
Sharing our course materials, ASULearn items, photos, video or audio recordings may not occur without prior permission.