Everybody’s
Guide to
Colorado State
University’s PACe Program
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Learning Resources Our motto in the PACe
Program is: Helping
students help themselves A student's job, in the PACe Program, is to learn the material in their minicourses and demonstrate their competence on Unit and Final Exams. Our job is to help the student do their job. No one expects students to learn the content of a minicourse all by themselves! We provide many resources to help students learn. The most successful students know what these resources are and use them effectively. Every PACe minicourse is organized around a set of learning objectives. Objectives describe the skills and facts students are expected to learn and tells them what they'll be asked to do on the Unit Exams. The Learning Resources described in this section are keyed to those objectives. As students
read about the Learning Resources in the PACe Program, they should ask
themselves how they like to learn. Do they like to work alone
or do they like to interact with others? Do they prefer to
read a text, watch as someone works a problem, or work the problem
themselves and ask a lot of questions? Students should keep
the answers to these questions in mind as they read and try to identify
the learning resources that best fit the way they learn. Then
use these resources regularly.
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Online
Course Materials and e-text
The online e-text contains the course objectives for each unit and provides printable PDF files of content. There are many additional learning resources contained within the online materials, including video clips of instruction, practice problems, Required Assignments and Review Exams. The "My Status" link gives students access to the course grading scale and their current point total.
The
e-text
must be purchased online before students will have access to the
online course
materials. Students will be redirected by the
PACe website to Kendall-Hunt
Publishing to purchase the e-text
when they start their minicourses. Students will retain access to their e-text for use as a reference in later semesters.
Please note: Due to lack of demand, Spring 2009 was the last semester the Instructor Paced Classes were offered.
Each course begins with a review of basic mathematical skills necessary for successful completion of the course. There are many videos to help students to brush up on their mathematical skills. Students will need to pass a Review Exam before gaining access to the course content.
Videos
The PACe Tutoring Center in the Weber Building is staffed with graduate and undergraduate course assistants who provide walk-in tutoring for students taking the PACe minicourses. The tutors have been specially trained to help students learn pre-calculus mathematics.
Students should not hesitate to ask questions of the tutors. Students can raise their hand or walk up to a tutor and initiate a conversation. Remember, though, a tutor's job is to help students help themselves. Tutors will expect students to have done their part by studying the online materials, watching the videos or attending Instructor Paced Classes, working through examples and sample problems, and making a serious effort to understand and solve problems. Expect the tutor to engage students in a discussion that builds on the studying they have done. Do not expect a tutor to give private lectures or explain the entire course. Expect a tutor to be a coach.
To make the best use of
the PACe Tutoring Center, students should spend an hour or more there
studying math several times each
week. They'll benefit more from the
tutors' help by getting to know them. Students should make an
effort to get acquainted.
If a student prefers to work with a certain tutor, the student should
ask when he or she is
scheduled in the Tutoring Center or check the Tutors' Schedule posted
in the Tutoring Center and arrange study hours at
those times.
Learning math is like learning to play a musical
instrument; it takes practice. The best
way to develop problem solving skills is to try them out on
numerous
problems. Required Assignments for the
units of every minicourse are located within the course
materials. There is one Required Assignment for
every
objective. Students may complete these
Required Assignments in the PACe Center or at another
computer that is compatible with the program. Students are required to
successfully complete each assignment by
answering three problems correctly.
The personal computers in the Tutoring Center have links to various websites for MATH 117 – MATH 126. These sites provide more opportunities to practice solving problems.
Students may access each attempted Review, Unit and Final Exam via the "My Status" link. They can review the questions, what answers were entered, and the correct answers by clicking on the applicable exam. An explanation of the solution is provided for a majority of the problems.
Students should keep organized scratch work when taking an exam. It is helpful to have scratch work when students have a need to discuss a problem with a tutor. Then, if they have questions or are especially proud of a solution, they can discuss their work with one of the tutors in the Tutoring Center. Explaining written solutions to someone else will reinforce understanding.
Supplemental Texts and
Calculators
The PACe Resource Desk is stocked with supplemental textbooks, calculators, and calculator manuals. Check out these texts to read another presentation of a topic and to find additional practice problems.
Texas Instruments TI-83® or TI-84® Graphing Calculators are needed for all minicourses. If students are not familiar with these calculators, they may want to check one out and practice with it in the PACe Center.