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MATH S122A Foundation in Applied Mathematics

Course Guide

Course team

Developers: Rocky Fan, OUHKMike Robertshaw, OUHK

Designer: Louise Aylward, OUHK

Coordinator: Anita Wong, OUHK

Members: May Chan, OUHKLouisa Kwok, OUHK

Production

ETPU Publishing Team

Copyright © The Open University of Hong Kong, 2000, 2006, 2011. Reprinted 2019.

All rights reserved. No part of this material may be reproduced in any form by any means without permission in writing from the President, The Open University of Hong Kong. Sale of this material is prohibited.

The Open University of Hong Kong Ho Man Tin, Kowloon Hong Kong

This course material is printed on environmentally friendly paper.

Contents

Introduction 1About MATH S122 1About this Course Guide 1

1 Course design 21.1 Course aims 21.2 Course objectives 21.3 Course features 2

2 What to do before the course begins 42.1 For your personal preparation 42.2 Equipment required for MATH S122 4

3 Course components 63.1 Study units 63.2 Set textbook 83.3 Scientific Notebook 83.4 Audio and video programmes 83.5 Other materials 9

4 Course assessment 114.1 Contiuous assessment 114.2 The examination 13

5 Optional activities 145.1 Course orientation 145.2 Computer training session 145.3 Tutorials 145.4 Surgeries 14

6 Where to obtain help 156.1 From your tutor 156.2 From your fellow students 156.3 From your course coordinator 156.4 Over the Internet 16

7 Why students fail MATH S122 17

Course Guide

briefly introduced in the corresponding unit. The unit will also tell

you exactly when you should start a programme.

You will need to have your unit, a pencil and some paper to hand

before you start a programme. You should stop the programme

whenever you are instructed to do so, and then work on the

suggested exercises or return to the unit. Of course, you may want

to stop it at other times to replay parts of it in order to gain a

better understanding.

As part of our language support, audio programmes are supplied in

both English and Chinese. The video programmes are in English

with Chinese subtitles provided.

3.5 Other materials

The course materials include a number of supporting documents

that provide academic support as well as administrative

information. Effective use of these documents will make an

important contribution to your success in MATH S122.

3.5.1 Checklist

Each package of course materials for MATH S122 will include a

Checklist that lists the items included in the package. As soon as

you receive a package you should go through the list and make sure

that all the items are there. Instructions on how to obtain the

missing items will be given in the Checklist.

3.5.2 Course Handbook

The Course Handbook is a summary of the standard results

introduced in MATH S122. You will not be allowed to bring the

Course Handbook to the exam. Another copy of the handbook will

be given to you together with the exam paper.

3.5.3 Chinese Language Summary

The summary aims to assist you in your transition to developing

English language study skills. The level of this support will be

decreased as the course progresses.

3.5.4 Problem Booklet

Each unit comes with a Problem Booklet that provides additional

practice to help reinforce your understanding of the material. The

Problem Booklet is divided up into sections corresponding to those

in the study unit so you can work through the corresponding

exercises after completing each section.

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Please note that all

the audio and video

recordings for this

course have been

uploaded to the OLE

for easy access and no

physical CDs will be

provided. In the

course materials, all

references to the

‘audio/video CD’ should be taken to

mean ‘audio/video

recordings on the

OLE’.

Course Guide

4 Course assessment

The final grade awarded to you at the end of the course depends on two components - continuous assessment and a final examination. The weightings of the two components are equal. To be assured of achieving a pass, you must score at least 40% in each of them.

4.1 Continuous assessment

There are two kinds of assignment for continuous assessment:

• Computer-marked assignments (CMAs), which containmultiple-choke questions.

• Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs), which contain questionsrequiring you to prepare and submit written answers to yourtutor for marking.

4.1.1 CMAs

Your solution to each CMA must be received by the University by the relevant cut-off date; e.g. if the cut-off date is April 15, then your solutions must be submitted before midnight of April 15.

There are four CMAs, each covering two or three study units, including the Preparatory Package. All CMA marks are used in determining your final grade. Each CMA is relatively short and assesses your understanding of the basic concepts/skills in the unit. Each question will include a list of possible answers and you must choose the option that you consider represents the correct answer.

Your choice of option for each question must be submitted to the University through the MATH S122 OLE Website (see Section 6.4). Select Assignments ----+ CMA Submission. Read the instructions for CMA submission and practice the sample CMA. The University does not permit any late submission of CMAs.

4.1.2 TMAs

There are four TMAs, each covering two or three study units. All TMA marks are used in determining your final grade. It is important that you understand that TMAs are not simply a form of 'test'. All assignments fulfil a number of objectives:

• The cut-off dates encourage you to stay on schedule.

• In preparing your answers you discover how much or little youunderstand of the unit. Hopefully, this will then encourageyou to revise a particular section and to contact your tutor forhelp.

• In marking your solutions your tutor will try to add commentsthat will identify where you have made an error and guide youon how this error can be corrected.

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The correct options are

released on the day

following the cut-off

date.

All references to

‘TMAs’ in this course

should be referred to

as ‘assignments’, and

all ‘CMAs’ referred to

as ‘assignments

(multiple choice). Assignment

(multiple choice) refers to assignment

questions in the form

of multiple choice and

which are marked

using computer

software.