Course: Math 128: Mathematical Design, Fall 2021.
Meeting Times and Location: Mondays and Wednesdays from 10:45 AM–Noon in Rosenthal Library 227
Instructor: Christopher Hanusa — Email: chanusa@qc.cuny.edu — 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/128/21/
Online Meeting Platform: On Zoom — See link on Campuswire. You will need a CUNY 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 (if time permits) 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.

First Year Experience:

This class is a First Year Experience course, which means most of you are students in your first year at Queens College. For more information about how FYE can help you with the transition to QC, check out fye.qc.cuny.edu or @qcfye on Instagram. FYE’s peer mentors are trained to support you as you begin planning your path to graduation.

Class Participation:

Succeeding in this class will require your participation. You are expected to come to class when you are healthy and contribute to our group class discussions when we are learning and applying class concepts. You are expected to contribute to Campuswire by asking questions about content that you don't understand, answering questions your fellow classmates asked, and responding to prompts given by your instructor. Additionally, you are expected to be a resource for your fellow classmates when working on projects, which entails sharing your gained knowledge, giving constructive feedback during peer review, and being generous during presentations.

If you miss a class, YOU are responsible for the material you missed—get the notes from your classmates and study group and make sure that you understand the material that you missed.

Staying Engaged:

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. 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, this means 3 hours of in-class time, and in addition, six-to-nine hours of out-of-class work each week.

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.

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 10–12 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%
Content Standards: 15%
Project 1: 15%
Project 2: 20%
Project 3: 20%
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.

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. We will jointly determine the best times for office hours during the first week of class. 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.

Covid-19 Eventualities:

We're now multiple years into this pandemic. I am vaccinated. Students are also required to be vaccinated. Transmission of the virus from one vaccinated person to another is extremely unlikely. Some people who have been vaccinated have gotten the virus, but the likelihood of being very sick is greatly diminished. Nevertheless, our goal is to keep everyone in our classroom and our extended community safe, including older relatives and children who haven't been able to be vaccinated yet. I expect that everyone who tests positive for the coronavirus stays at home until the virus runs its course. No one will be penalized for missing class. If I as the instructor test positive for the virus, I will let everyone know and class will either continue in person without me or transition to an online format. We're all adults and we'll try our best to keep everyone healthy. I chose to hold this class in person because I feel that connections between classmates and connections between students and instructors are much easier to build when we are in person, which leads to a much richer learning experience for everyone.

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 Desmos.

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.

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.