Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

I'm looking forward to working on math with you! Our online course is asynchronous, which means we will not have regular meeting times. I hope you get a lot out of this course, and please know I am here to support you however I can. If you ever have questions or concerns, feel free to send me an email (kelsey.adams1@pcc.edu).

Every remote and online math course will use instructor-hosted virtual proctoring as the default means through which they proctor exams.

Proctored Exams: Proctored exams are one of the many assessment tools used in MTH/STAT courses to assess student learning. For in-person sections, exams are proctored in-person on campus during class time. For remote sections, exams are primarily proctored virtually by the instructor in Zoom during remote class time. For online sections, exams are primarily proctored virtually by the instructor in Zoom on dates/times scheduled by the instructor. 

The exams for this class will be proctored virtually by me (your instructor) on the following dates and times; please make every concerted effort to attend my virtually proctored exams listed below. 

• Midterm Exam on Monday, May 6th from 2:00pm to 4:20pm on Zoom (check-in will begin at 1:00pm)
• Final Exam on Monday, June 10th from 2:00pm to 4:20pm on Zoom (check-in will begin at 1:00pm)

To have your exam proctored virtually, you must fully read and understand the Student Guide to Virtually Proctored Exams in Zoom and meet the technology/environment requirements; technology support will not be provided on exam day. Virtual proctoring was designed and piloted in collaboration between Math, Online Learning, and the Testing Center. 

If you do not meet the requirements for virtually proctored exams, prefer to take your exams in-person, and/or have an unavoidable scheduling conflict, please contact me as soon as possible. Alternative testing arrangements can be made for virtual or in-person proctoring at a testing center given adequate notice and depending on testing center capacity and availability. Scheduling appointments with a testing center and communicating with the instructor is the responsibility of the student, as well as paying any associated fees with using a non-PCC testing center. 

If you have accommodations through Accessible Ed & Disability Resources at PCC, please contact me so we can discuss your specific accommodations and how I can best support you. 

If you have any questions or concerns about proctored exams, please feel free to contact me.

Here are the answers to some Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: When does the class start?
A: Our course will be open latest on the 1st day of the term in D2L Brightspace.

Q: How do I access the course?
A: Log into MyPCC.  On the main webpage, in the Quick Links window on the left, you will see the link to access D2L Brightspace.  Our course will be listed there.  Once it is open, you can click on our course and it will take you to the course homepage with announcements that explain the next steps.  You will find most information in the Content tab.

Q: When should I start the course?
A: Immediately when term starts! I am expecting you to access and start the course latest on the 1st day of classes or the day after. We have our first introductory assignments due Tuesday 11:59 pm the first week of the term. When you access the D2L course and participate in the initial activities, it is the equivalent of attending a face-to-face course. 

Q: Is an online/remote course self-paced?
A: The online course is not self paced. The pace is set by the instructor who releases modules containing lecture notes and quizzes on a weekly basis. In about a week period you get to decide when you will study, but it cannot be done all in 1 day or even all in 2 days. 

Q: What type of student should take an online course?
A: An online student should possess the following traits.

Should be a strong math student.
Can study independently.
Can learn mathematics by reading.
Understands that learning a concept takes time and can persevere when concepts don't make sense.
Has the available time to go over the material, do homework and study.
Does not have prior commitments that will make logging in and participating not possible.
Can communicate effectively in writing, and is willing to communicate in writing.
Is willing to communicate with the instructor and other students in writing via discussion boards.
Will not depend solely on tutors, that is, some students are under the notion that having a tutor is all it will take to attain understanding and pass a course.
Can work through computer issues such as a video is not working, need to update Java, is willing to call the help desk to work through computer issues.
Not a procrastinator.

Q: How is the material presented?
A: I will provide the student with written material, videos (created mostly by a colleague), and MyOpenMath assignments. You also have the free online textbook as a resource. 

Q: Is there homework?
A: Yes! Math is a skill, and like any skill you need to practice it to get better at it. Homework is done in MyOpenMath, which is the free online math homework software we will be using.

Since this course is online, you will need regular and reliable access to a computer and internet. These are necessary to access our course D2L page, lecture videos, and to complete online homework.

We will use MyOpenMath, a free online homework system, for homework. You do not need to purchase anything. 

You will need to have the ability to scan written documents to PDF format using a scanner or a scanner phone app.

A physical calculator is not required. We will use free online graphing calculators when needed.