COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course introduces students to the true nature mathematics, what mathematicians really do, how they think, and what they try to accomplish. The focus is on using quantitative reasoning and intuitive logical thought techniques to solve problems rather than formal rigid processes. Selected topics may include, but are not limited to, number estimation, number theory, probability, mathematical modeling, regression, infinity, strange geometries, chaos and fractals, and famous math problems. This course meets the general education mathematics requirement.

COURSE OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of this course the student will:

• Be able to recognize and produce a precise and formal statement of a problem.
• Explore various parts of a problem, including any necessary background information, basic examples, what sort of solution is required, and what techniques might help to solve it.
• Demonstrate a logical reasoning process in solving problems.
• Be able to precisely present their ideas to others.
• Demonstrate an ability to understand and critique non-technical scientific writing.

ATTENDANCE
This course is based almost entirely on group projects and your group is counting on you. Your ability to work effectively in your group is critical to your success in this course.  Because of the cooperative nature of this class, “legitimate” or “excused” absences are not treated any differently in regards to missed work.  If you are not present, then you cannot contribute to the cooperative problem-solving process.  You will not be allowed to make-up any work missed due to absences.  Each missed day will decrease your individual score for that particular project.  For example, if your group works on a project for 3 days and you miss one of those days, then your score will be reduced by 33%.

HOMEWORK
There will be no formal homework assignments since this course is project-based. However, you will have regular responsibilities outside of class and you may need to do some work outside of the class meetings in the form of research, group meetings, and project preparation. Your grade will directly reflect your level of preparation.

QUIZZES AND EXAMS
There will be no quizzes, tests or final exam in this course.  There will be a final project that you will present to the class on the day of our scheduled Final Exam

COURSEWORK
Your grade will be determined by your Group Projects, your Reading Reflection Papers, and your Final Project.

One purpose of this course is to help you formulate and evaluate arguments. You will be formulating arguments in your group projects, and evaluating and critiquing the arguments of other groups. You will also develop your critical thinking skills by reading and evaluating non-technical scientific writing.

            Group Projects (65%): Each group will hand in a detailed typed report for each project. This report should include a clear description of the problem, a solution (if one was found), all of the ideas generated in the search for a solution, detailed explanations of your ideas and thought processes, any necessary diagrams (hand-drawn), etc. Some of these projects will be presented to the class. This will be a random selection, so you should always be prepared to present your project.

Your project grade will be based on the organization and write-up of your report, the problem-solving strategies you used, your argument and reasoning abilities, appropriate use and citation of sources, possible new ideas generated for future research. Your project score will not be based on the length of the report, whether or not your solved the problem.

            Reading Reflection Papers (25%): There will be bi-weekly readings of non-technical science writing. Non-technical science writing is intended for a general audience and requires only a basic background in science. These will be articles that you would be able to find in many popular magazines and periodicals.  They will deal with issues in science, society and the environment.

Your Reflection Paper should be approximately 4 typed pages, double-spaced, and should address the following.  Note that these points are merely a guide for you when writing your paper.  Your paper will not be a list of answers to these questions.

• Summarize the main argument(s)  in the article.
• Is the argument well-organized, well-written, and effective?
• Is sufficient evidence presented? Were you convinced?  If not, explain why not.
• What did you learn from the article that you did not know before? What new concepts did it contain? Did it cause you to think about anything differently? What did you find most interesting about the article?
• Ask and discuss 3 interesting questions about the ideas presented in the article. You need not be able to answer these questions, instead they should indicate some aspect of the article about which you would like to know more.
• Discuss in the article’s relationship to information or issues found in other courses you are currently taking. Discuss how the article helped you more fully understand certain areas of study.

            Final Project (10%):  Your final semester project will be an individual research project that will be due on the day of our scheduled final exam (see above).  More information later.

GRADING
Course grades will be assigned using a 10-point scale. That is,

QUALITY OF WORK
You should always submit work that is neat, easy to read, and that you are proud of. This will make it easier to grade and therefore not adversely affect your grade. Anything turned in to me should either me typed or written very neatly. Your arguments and explanations should be clear and thorough.  As a rule of thumb, do not write things with me as your target audience.  Instead, write everything so that someone who is not in this class could easily understand it.

IMPORTANT DATES
Important dates for this semester can be found in the academic calendar.

SPECIAL NEEDS
Lynchburg College is committed to providing all students equal access to learning opportunities.  The Support Services office, located in Academic & Career Services on the second floor of Hall Campus Center, is the campus office that works with students who have disabilities to provide and/or arrange reasonable accommodations.  Students registered with Support Services, who have a letter requesting accommodations, are encouraged to contact the instructor as early as possible in the semester -- accommodations are not retroactive.  Students who have, or think they may have, a disability (e.g. attentional, learning, vision, hearing, physical, or psychiatric), are invited to contact the Support Services Coordinator for a confidential discussion.  Call 434-544-8687 or e-mail the Coordinator at Arnold.sm@lynchburg.edu.  Additional information is available at the Lynchburg College Disability Support Services website:  http://www.lynchburg.edu/disabilityservices.xml.