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This course fulfils a general education math foundation requirement by introducing financial mathematics, linear equations, matrix algebra, linear programming, and probability. The applications are primarily from business, economics, and the life sciences. Throughout the course you'll be asked to develop, analyze, and interpret mathematical models, communicating your work in writing and in oral presentations in front of your peers.
The final exam is combined with an optional ePortfolio to make a single category in the grading scheme (the other categories being homework, quizzes, and unit tests). The ePortfolio will help you take ownership of the course material and document your mastery of course outcomes for a general audience. The final exam will address all course outcomes from the beginning of the semester. If you put enough work into constructing your ePortfolio, you can earn all 250 points in this category and forego the final exam.
Having trouble deciding between a comprehensive final exam, versus an online portfolio showcasing everything you've learned? More details on the requirements might help you make the right choice for your circumstances.
The key aspect of this collection is your reflection on the artifacts chosen (one artifact for each unit, using self-created story problems or current affairs to illustrate your evolving mathematical proficiency). Your reflections should describe why you selected these artifacts and how they demonstrate your mastery of five standards (Connections to Experience, Connections to Discipline, Transfer, Written Communication, and Self-Reflection).
This closed-book exam will take place according to the college's final exam schedule. It will be worth exactly as many points as are remaining after your ePortfolio is taken into account. You will want to bring your graphing calculator and a fresh supply of writing implements.
Suppose you write up four artifacts, which receive the following scores on the General Education standards (CE, CD, T, WC, SR).
With these scores your ePortfolio is contributing 56*(25/8) = 175 points to the "final exam" category. Your score on the final exam will then be scaled to lie within the range [0,75], representing the remaining 75 points in this category. To make the final exam worth even less, you can keep revising your artifacts up until the start of finals week, using the tentative General Education scores as a guide to what can be improved. This method of assessment is an instance of *Mastery Learning*, pithily summarized as "fixed achievement in a variable amount of time." (In contrast, the usual practice of holding all students to the same calendar of assessments and seeing great variability among the scores might be summarized "variable achievement in a fixed amount of time.")