Course: Math 128: Mathematical Design, Fall 2020.
Synchronous Meeting Times: Mondays and Wednesdays from 8:35–9:50 AM
Instructor: Christopher Hanusa — Email: chanusa@qc.cuny.edu — Phone: 718-997-5964 — Office: Kiely Tower 606
Email Responsiveness: You can expect a response to your email or DM correspondence within 24 hours from Monday to Friday.

Course Web Site: http://qcpages.qc.cuny.edu/~chanusa/courses/128/20/
Online Meeting Platform: On Zoom - See link in email. You will need a Zoom account before connecting. Create one here.
Online Community: Campuswire (Sign up with this code: 8874)

Textbook: None required. Some related resources are posted on our home page.

Software: We will be using the online graphing calculator Desmos.com and the programming language p5js.

Course Prerequisites: None.

Learning Objectives:

In the process of taking this course, students will:

1. Develop familiarity with cartesian and polar coordinates.
2. Develop familiarity with a variety of cartesian, trigonometric, polar, and parametric functions.
3. Understand geometric objects and the behavior of a variety of transformations on them.
4. Develop an appreciation for mathematical constructs and their aesthetics.
5. Successfully implement algorithmic techniques including iteration and randomization.
6. Gain an ability to analyze a problem, and identify and define the mathematical foundations and computing requirements appropriate to its solution.
7. Use mathematics and programming for experimentation and as creative tools.
8. Apply the design process and communicate the decisions made therein, including ideation, artistic principles, prototyping, and revisions.
9. Advance teamwork skills by collaborating with classmates, discussing and solving problems in a group setting, and practicing giving and receiving constructive feedback.
10. Develop techniques for succeeding in college classes, including instilling a growth mindset.

Furthermore, because this is a course with the Pathways MQR designation (Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning), students will also:

1. Interpret and draw appropriate inferences from quantitative representations, such as formulas, graphs, or tables.
2. Use algebraic, numerical, graphical, or statistical methods to draw accurate conclusions and solve mathematical problems.
3. Represent quantitative problems expressed in natural language in a suitable mathematical format.
4. Effectively communicate quantitative analysis or solutions to mathematical problems in written or oral form.
5. Evaluate solutions to problems for reasonableness using a variety of means, including informed estimation.
6. Apply mathematical methods to problems in other fields of study. Understand and use the concepts and methods of a discipline or interdisciplinary field.

Classwork:

You are expected to keep up with the pace of the class materials. Follow along on the Course Content page to know what is due when. You will be expected to follow along with the video tutorials and comprehension questions. Many hours of work will go into understanding small details. As in any class, you will need to put in the time to fully understand the concepts.

Since this course is a 3 credit course, you can expect three hours of synchronous participation each week, and in addition, six-to-nine hours of out-of-class work.

Study Groups:

Our class's Campuswire community is there for you to ask questions — you should ask even the most basic questions because other people will also have those questions and it can lead to an enriching class discussion. Think of it as a virtual study group. Study groups allow you to learn the intricacies of the material; discussion of problems often lead to better understanding and new and more efficient ways to solve the problems. One of the best ways to learn something is to explain it to someone else; misunderstandings that you never knew you had will appear under someone else's questioning! In addition, seeing that others also struggle with the material helps to put your own level of understanding in a better perspective and will hopefully reduce some of your anxiety.

Class Participation:

Part of your grade will be based on your class participation, which includes coming to class regularly, asking questions in class, asking or answering questions in our Campuswire community, and participating in in-class activities in the breakout rooms.

Assessments:

The key mathematical concepts from the class have been distilled into a list of standards. Throughout the semester you will be assessed on your mastery of these concepts by way of three-question assessments. Your score for each standard will be out of three points as described below. The distribution of your scores will determine your assessments grade, which will be factored into your final course grade, also described below.

What is different from the high-stakes "tests" that you might associate with a math class is that there is an opportunity for you to re-assess standards when you want to improve your scores. This allows you to focus your studying on the concepts that you have not fully understood. You will be able to reassess up to two standards per week, so be sure to take advantage of this opportunity throughout the semester.

Each assessment will be made up of three questions. Each question will be graded on a 1=Yes / 0=No scale of whether you have conveyed mastery of the material. The key will be making sure you have written enough to show me that you understand the material, not just give "the right answer". Then your standard score will be the sum of those grades, which is a score from 0 to 3.

Throughout the semester I anticipate around 20–25 standards. Your assessment grade will be calculated as follows:

A	(95+)	Earn a score of 2 or higher on all standards and a score of 3 on 75% of the standards.
B	(85)	Earn a score of 2 or higher on all standards and a score of 3 on 25% of the standards.
C	(75)	Earn a score of 1 or higher on all standards and a score of 2 or 3 on 75% of the standards.
D	(65)	Earn a score of 1 or higher on 75% of the standards and a score of 2 or higher on 50% of the standards.
F	(50–)	Earn a 2 or 3 on fewer than 50% of the standards OR earn a 0 on more than 25% of the standards.

Grading Scheme:

Your grade will be based on class participation, assessments that determine your mastery of the course standards, and projects created during the semester culminating in a portfolio. Each component of your grade is calculated independently; then all pieces are combined using the following weighted average.

Class Participation: 10%
Assessments: 30%
Project 1: 10%
Project 2: 15%
Project 3: 15%
Final Portfolio: 20%

It is the policy of the Queens College Mathematics Department that if you stop coming to class and do not withdraw from the class before the withdrawal deadline, you will be assigned a grade of WU, which can be worse than a grade of F in multiple ways. Before it gets to that point, come and discuss your situation with me so that we can come to arrangements and determine the best way forward.

Because of the unprecedented nature of the pandemic, all assignments can be made up after the due date. However, this is a slippery slope because it may become impossible to catch up on all your assignments at the end of the semester. Please stick to the schedule as well as you can.

Office Hours:

Office hours is the time that instructors set aside outside of class time for students to come and ask questions. I am happy to help you with your homework, project, and other class-related questions or concerns. In this online format, office hours will be made by scheduling a meeting through Calendly, on Tuesday afternoons and Friday mornings. The exact hours are also posted on my schedule. If those times don't work for you, send me an email or DM and we'll set up a time that works for you.

Cheating/Plagiarism:

DON'T DO IT! It makes me very mad and very frustrated when students cheat. Cheating is the quickest way to lose the respect that I have for each student at the beginning of the semester.

Working together with classmates on homework and projects is encouraged and is certainly not considered cheating. (DO ask and answer each other's questions on Campuswire!) Furthermore, it is encouraged to download/explore/use other people's source code to learn about what is and is not possible to do using p5js.

On the other hand, copying content from online or offline sources and passing it off as your own work IS cheating. The work you turn in for your projects must be your own, substantially different from work found elsewhere, and include citations of any code that you use or that inspired your project.

Furthermore, do not help each other to answer the assessment questions. You can work together to study for the assessments, but as with the projects, the work you turn in for your assessments must be your own.

Since this is time for joint exploration and learning, please do not ask students who previously took this class for help on your projects. The struggle in the class is part of the learning process.

I take cheating very seriously. If you cheat, you will receive a zero for the assignment and I will report you to the academic integrity committee in the Office of Student Affairs to be placed on your permanent file. If you cheat twice, you will receive a zero for the class.

Academic Dishonesty is prohibited in The City University of New York and is punishable by penalties, including failing grades, suspension, and expulsion as provided at this link.

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities:

Students with disabilities needing academic accommodation should register with and provide documentation to the Office of Special Services, Frese Hall, room 111 or by emailing QC.SPSV@qc.cuny.edu. The Office of Special Services will provide a letter for you to share with your instructor indicating the need for accommodation and the nature of it. This should be done during the first or second week of class. For more information about services available to Queens College students, contact the Office of Special Services (718-997-5870) or visit their website.

Recording of Synchronous Sections

I will be recording parts of our class for you and your classmates to refer back to later. Students who participate in this class with their camera on or use a profile image are agreeing to have their video or image recorded solely for the purpose of creating a record for students enrolled in the class to refer to, including those enrolled students who are unable to attend live. If you are unwilling to consent to have your profile or video image recorded, be sure to keep your camera off and do not use a profile image. Likewise, students who un-mute during class and participate orally are agreeing to have their voices recorded. If you are not willing to consent to have your voice recorded during class, you will need to keep your mute button activated and communicate exclusively using the "chat" feature, which allows students to type questions and comments live.

Course Evaluations

During the final four weeks of the semester, you will be asked to complete an evaluation for this course by filling out an online questionnaire. Please remember to participate in these course evaluations. Your comments are highly valued, and these evaluations are an important service to fellow students and to the institution, since your responses will be pooled with those of other students and made available online at http://ctl.qc.cuny.edu/evaluations/data). Please also note that all responses are completely anonymous; no identifying information is retained once the evaluation has been submitted.

Technical Support

The Queens College Helpdesk provides technical support for students who need help with Queens College email, CUNY portal, Blackboard, and CUNYfirst. You can also contact the helpdesk throug (718) 997-4444, helpdesk@qc.cuny.edu), or in person in Room 151 of the I-Building.