Course Requirements
- Class Attendance. If you want to make an A or a B in the course, you’ll have to attend nearly every class and do most of the assigned homework. If you miss a lot of classes and don’t do much of the homework, you will not pass the course.
- Readings and Homework Exercises. Class meetings are based on readings and exercises assigned for that day’s class discussion. These assignments explain concepts, describe logical techniques, and give you practice in skills that you must master in the course. Trying all the homework exercises, at the times specified, will be the key factor in your doing well on the quizzes and exams.
- Quizzes. There will be 10 quizzes, each one based on the preceding two or three homework assignments. (See the Schedule of Topics and Assignments for specific dates.)
- Examinations. There will be three in-class 75-minute examinations. (See the Schedule of Topics and Assignments for specific dates.)
Grading
- Examinations. Each exam will count equally, and your exam average will establish your base grade for the course. Your final course grade cannot be lower than this base grade established by your exam average.
- Quizzes. The points you earn on quizzes will give you extra-credit points: your performance on the quizzes cannot reduce your base grade, but points you earn on the quizzes will add to your base grade.
- Course Grade. Your course grade will be your base grade (your exam average) plus your quiz points (the average of your 9 best quiz scores).
- Grading System. I use the plus/minus grading system.
Each quiz that you take will receive a grade of 0-4. At the end of the semester, your extra-credit “quiz points” will be the average of your 9 best quiz grades. I will add these quiz points to your base grade, and the result will be your final course grade. Thus, a total of 36 on 9 of the quizzes will earn 4 quiz points to be added to your base grade; a total of just 9 will earn 1 quiz point.