Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

This class is a terminal course, thus it does not directly support other courses in mathematics and other disciplines. As such, students wishing to take MTH 112 must still take MTH 111. The course serves the purpose of exploring mathematical ideas/concepts that can support a variety of disciplines. This course should be rigorous in that it challenges student to contemplate, understand, and synthesize mathematical concepts. The students should be able to communicate their understanding in a variety of ways. Instructors are encouraged to use technology to enhance the learning experience.
 

Upon completion of the course students should be able to:

1. Use formulas and perform relevant calculations pertaining to personal finance in order to make informed financial decisions
2. Make and interpret calculations and graphical displays of numerical data in order to perceive and infer patterns within data sets
3. Calculate and interpret theoretical and empirical probabilities in support of making predictions and decisions in the presence of uncertainty
4. Use logical reasoning to describe and critique arguments and recognize common logical fallacies
5. Support conclusions using logical thought, reflection, explanation and justification
6. Use appropriate representations to effectively communicate, orally and in writing, quantitative results and mathematical processes

All activities will follow the premise that formal definitions and procedures evolve from the investigation of practical problems. It is the goal of this class that the investigation of practical problems will drive a desire to learn the mathematics necessary to understand and explain the practical application.   In-class time is primarily activity/discussion emphasizing problem solving techniques. Activities will include group work.

1. At least one individual or group project culminating in a written report and/or an oral presentation. 
2. In-class exam: proctored, closed book examination
3. At least two of the following additional measures:
   1. Take-home examinations
   2. In-class exams
   3. Graded homework
   4. Quizzes
   5. In-class activities
   6. Portfolios
4. Optional Additional Assessment Strategies
   1. Individual student conference
   2. Attendance

COURSE CONTENT:

The following is the general outline of new course content for MTH 105 that was approved at the State Math Meeting on MTH 105 held in October 2014.  Attending the meeting were math department representatives from all of the community colleges in the state of Oregon as well as from Oregon State University, Eastern Oregon State University, and the University of Oregon.  The PCC Math SAC rewrote and approved the new description and outcomes for MTH 105 based on this state approved content.  In the next two months the Math SAC will add detail to this general outline and word-smith it.  The more detailed course content will be approved by the SAC at the either the April or May 2015 Math SAC meeting. 

1. Logical Reasoning and Problem Solving
   1. Describing and Critiquing Arguments
   2. Understanding the Language and Rules of Logic
   3. Recognizing Common Logical Fallacies
   4. Non-Algebraic Problem Solving Strategies
2. Probability and Statistics
   1. Counting Rules
   2. Calculating and Interpreting Basic Probabilities
   3. Expected Value (e.g., Lotteries, Raffles)
   4. Measures of Central Tendencies and Spread
   5. Interpreting Graphical Displays of Data
   6. Understanding Margin of Error and Polls
   7. Interpreting Distributions
   8. Recognizing the Misuse of Data
3. Financial Literacy
   1. Percent Sales and Income Tax
   2. Simple and Compound Interest
   3. Annuities
   4. Loans and Credit Cards
4. Additional Math Topics (At least one of the following topics should be covered in some depth)
   1. Apportionment
   2. Fair Division
   3. Voting Theory
   4. Exponential Growth/Decay Models
   5. Logistic Growth Models
   6. Game Theory
   7. Queuing Theory
   8. Coding/ Code Checking (Error coding)/ Code Breaking/Cryptography
   9. Set Theory
   10. Counting techniques – Combinations, Permutations
   11. Boolean Algebra
   12. Graph Theory
   13. Fractal Geometry
   14. Non-Euclidian Geometry
   15. Tilings
   16. Symmetry and Shapes in Nature
   17. Math in Art
   18. Math in Music
   19. Cryptography
   20. Sequences and Series
   21. Fermi Approximations
   22. Historical Numbers
   23. Proportional Reasoning
   24. Scheduling