Course Basics

Course: MATH 245: Mathematical Models, Spring 2021.
Course Prerequisites: MATH 132, 142, or 152.

Synchronous Meeting Times: Mondays and Wednesdays from 10:45 AM – Noon
Instructor: Professor Christopher Hanusa — Contact: chanusa@qc.cuny.edu or DM on Campuswire
Email Responsiveness: You can expect a response to your email or DM correspondence within 24 hours from Monday to Friday.

Course Web Site: http://qc.edu/~chanusa/courses/245/21/
Online Campus Community: Campuswire Sign up with this code: 7859.
Online Meeting Platform: Zoom. You must be logged into your CUNY Zoom account to access the class. Check your email or Campuswire for the direct link.

Required Textbook: Modeling and Simulation in Python, by Allen B. Downey (Version 3.4 as of January 2021.) The electronic version of the textbook is free; if you want a physical version you can order one from Lulu.
Textbook Chapters Covered: The first 14 or so chapters.

Software: We will be using the Python programming language in Jupyter notebooks. This will be done through Colab notebooks in the cloud or on your own computer by installing Anaconda. See more information on our Course Software page.

Learning Objectives

In the process of taking this course, students will:

1. Learn and apply the steps of the mathematical modeling process.
2. Create well-defined problem statements for real world scenarios.
3. Determine the assumptions that underlie a mathematical model.
4. Implement models in Python and use analytical tools when appropriate.
5. Use models to do useful work (e.g. make predictions, explain behavior, make decisions).
6. Validate predictions of models using different approaches.
7. Communicate the model and its analysis effectively through writing and through a presentation.
8. Learn the basics of the programming language Python, including variable assignment, for loops, if statements, random variables, data collection, and data analysis
9. Develop techniques for succeeding in college classes, including instilling a growth mindset.

Class Expectations

Class Structure:

The class will revolve around hands-on activities and group projects. In the early part of the semester there will be more classes spent learning the material, and as the semester goes on there will be more classes spent applying the material to real-world situations of your choosing.

Class Participation:

Succeeding in this class will require your participation. You will earn a class participation grade based on how you contribute to the class. Here are some great ways to participate:

• Prepare questions in advance to ask in class based on the video lectures or the homework assignments.
• Ask questions in class when something is unclear. An effective question to ask when you are lost is "I don't really understand how/why you did X; can you explain it in a different way?".
• Ask questions in class if you'd like additional explanations about topics.
• Ask a question in the Campuswire Class Feed.
• Answer a classmate's question in the Campuswire Class Feed.
• Contribute to Daily Questions posted on Campuswire.
• Attend Office Hours with homework questions or to discuss the class material.

Feel free to ask questions by unmuting yourself or by using the chat feature if you prefer.

Attendance:

I will notice if you stop attending classes and stop participating. This will adversely affect your participation grade.

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.

Given that we are living through a pandemic and extremely trying times, I fully understand if something comes up and you have to miss a class; you do not need to justify your absence. If you have to miss multiple classes, do send me a heads up and we can come up with some accommodations to get you back on track.

Conveying Your Understanding

In this class you will show me that you are understanding and mastering the course content by completing daily homework assignments and group projects.

Homework Assignments

You are expected to be working outside of class. The Course Content page lets you know what is expected of you outside of class. Homework will consist of practicing the content from class and the pre-recorded lectures, getting hands-on experience with coding in Python, and making progress toward your group projects. It will be normal that you spend many hours of work to understand small details, and that is why working in study groups is so rewarding. As in any class, you will need to put in the time to fully understand the concepts.

The homework that you complete should be done in one large Google Colab notebook. You will share a link to these notebooks on random days throughout the semester and this will count toward your homework grade. Each homework assignment should be a new Section of the notebook and each homework question should be a new Subsection of the notebook, as shown in this sample workbook.

Group Projects:

In this class, you will be creating three mathematical models based on the material that we learn throughout the semester. You are expected to be taking an active role in determining the topic your group investigates, in the coding of the simulations, in the writing of the lab report, and in the presentation of your project to the class. During class time, each group will be meeting with Prof. Hanusa and discussing the progress they have made since the last meeting. It is during this time when Prof. Hanusa will ask each group member about their contributions and make sure everyone understands the course material. Students will also be asked to provide feedback to the instructor about the group dynamics to ensure that everyone has contributed equally to the work. Complete project descriptions and grading rubrics are available on our Course Projects page.

Grading Scheme

Your grade will be based on participation, homework, and the three projects. Each component of your grade is calculated independently; then all pieces are combined using the following weighted average.

Participation and Homework Checks: 15%
Project 1: 20%
Project 2: 30%
Project 3: 35%

Getting Help

Study Groups:

An important component of your learning in this class is through study groups. 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. If you can not find a study group, e-mail me so that I can help you get involved.

Our Campuswire Community

We’ll be using Campuswire for all our class communications. Use Campuswire to ask questions about concepts and assignments and send messages to members of our class community, including fellow students and your instructor.

The part of the site that shows up first is the “Class Feed” where you can post questions to the entire class (including to me). These might be homework questions or syntax questions or questions that percolate up from chatroom discussions. I expect that everyone will participate by asking and answering questions here. The class feed is also where timely announcements are posted.

You can use the “Chatroom” feature to create topic-specific chatrooms for group messaging and collaboration, which will be helpful to communicate about studying and for student-centered discussions.

There is a DM section where you can send me a direct message if you have a private question or concern that needs to be raised. Feel free to use that instead of sending messages by email.

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 and other class-related questions or concerns. During the first week of class I will send out a survey to determine the best times for office hours and they will be posted by the end of the 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.

Course Policies

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 cheating. (Please DO ask and answer each other's questions on Campuswire!)

On the other hand, copying someone else's work IS cheating. I encourage you to download/explore/use other people's source code to learn about what is and is not possible to do using Python. However, the work you turn in for your projects must be your own and include citations of any code that you use or inspired your project.

For the record, copying content from online or offline sources and passing it off as your own work WILL ALWAYS be considered cheating in this and all other classes.

Since this is time for joint exploration and learning, please do not ask students who previously took this class for help. 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.