Math 260-02,04 Ordinary Differential Equations Spring 2021: Syllabus

Textbook:

Elementary Differential Equations by Trench (available free on the web).

Description:

Solution methods for first order equations and for second and higher order linear equations. Includes series methods and solution of linear systems of differential equations. Prerequisite: Math 259 minimum grade D.

Outcomes:

Students will learn to identify differential equations, choose appropriate solution techniques, solve the equations, and interpret their solutions.

What about COVID-19?

Class will be held in person (in Jepson 124) and over Zoom at the same time (synchronous hybrid model). Classroom capacity is strictly limited this semester, so some students who are on campus may occasionally need to attend over Zoom. I will record the Zoom sessions and post them for later review, both by students who miss class and those who just want an extra helping. Last semester recordings were saved for 4 weeks and then deleted; I expect something similar will happen this semester.

If you're attending in person, please follow all the guidelines for minimizing transmission of COVID-19. In particular, when in class, you should wear a mask and maintain a minimum social distance of 6 feet (be especially aware of this when entering and leaving the classroom). This class will be paper-free in the sense that I won't give you any paper and I don't want you to give me any paper. However, you should probably still bring paper and a pencil to class for note-taking and for completing worksheets. You'll also need a scanner of some kind to turn in some of your work for the class. If, like me, you don't have a scanner, then you should use an app for your phone (one is already built in to iOS and there are many free options for Android). An improvised document camera might also be useful for sharing your work with me in office hours (and maybe class). Technology support is available from me or ITS (support.gonzaga.edu or email).

Grades:

Grades will be based on exams (48%), WeBWorK (26%), and worksheets/projects/other (26%). There will be 3 exams during the semester, each worth 11% of the total grade, and a cumulative final exam worth 15% of the total grade. No extra credit will be given. Final grades will be assigned using the following rough scale (with + or - at the top and bottom of appropriate ranges):
Score Grade
90-100 A
80-90 B
70-80 C
60-70 D
0-60 F

Exams:

Exams encourage you to review, practice, and refine your skills. My goal is to make exams long enough to cover the relevant material, but short enough that everyone has time to finish (and that it doesn't take me forever to grade and return them). Examples of past exams can be found on the old editions of the course web page. All exams will be take-home this semester. You will be allowed to use your book and other course materials, but calculators, web sites, other people/resources will not be allowed (except as specified). I will be paying particularly close attention to the work supporting your solutions. Exam solutions without correct supporting work will not earn much credit (even if the solution is correct). Exams will run through Gradescope.

Homework:

You will have about one WeBWorK assignment each week (the usual deadline will be 11:59 PM Wednesday). Each problem is worth one point for the total WeBWorK score. Solutions are automatically and instantaneously checked for accuracy. You are allowed (and encouraged) to retry each problem until you get it right. You are also encouraged to bring questions to class. I generally expect students to get (nearly) 100% of the WeBWorK points.

A list of additional suggested exercises in the textbook is posted on the course web page. These problems will not be collected or graded, however, math is a skill (like playing a musical instrument or shooting a basketball) and practice is the only way to build that skill. You are strongly encouraged to do as many of the practice problems as you can (or enough to make solving them seem easy; if you can sink layups without thinking, then you can focus on more complicated shots). You are also encouraged to bring questions about these problems to office hours and class.

In general, I try to make the WeBWorK assignments short (in terms of number of problems) but challenging. This means I don't include many of the routine problems that are important for building skills when you first learn a technique. Instead, those problems are in the suggested exercises. I expect you to do enough of those problems (in the suggested practice exercises) to feel comfortable solving the more difficult problems on the WeBWorK. It is up to you to determine how much practice is enough (I think more is always better, but you're the expert on how you learn, so I'm leaving it up to you to decide).

Worksheets/projects/other:

I will try to provide a worksheet/project/other for each topic. These worksheets generally have two goals:

Questions in the first category will be graded for completion while others will be scored for accuracy. I'll provide some class time for worksheets, but you'll also have to work at home. You're encouraged to collaborate on the worksheets, but anything you turn in should reflect your own understanding of the solution (otherwise my feedback isn't helpful to you). All worksheets and deadlines will be posted on the course web page. Worksheets should be returned using Gradescope.

Math Lab:

Help on the homework or any other class material may be available via the Math Lab, which will be fully remote this semester.

Other resources

Students occasionally find Kahn Academy or other on-line instructional material helpful. I'm happy as long as you're learning, but you should be aware that our textbook takes a slightly unconventional approach to solving some problems, so you may not find lessons that reinforce what I teach in class. I would be happy to help you find material at the right level.

Harassment, non-discrimination, and sexual misconduct:

Consistent with its mission, Gonzaga seeks to assure that all community members learn and work in a welcoming and inclusive environment. Title VII, Title IX and Gonzaga's policy prohibit gender-based harassment, discrimination and sexual misconduct. Gonzaga encourages anyone experiencing gender-based harassment, discrimination or sexual misconduct to talk to someone from the Campus and Local Resources list found in the Harassment and Non-Discrimination Policy.

It may be helpful to talk about what happened in order to get the support needed and for Gonzaga to respond appropriately. There are options for support and resolution, namely confidential support resources, and campus reporting and support options available. Gonzaga will respond to all reports of sexual misconduct in order to stop the harassment, discrimination, or misconduct, prevent its recurrence and address its effects. Responses may vary from support service referrals to formal investigations.

As a faculty member, I want get you connected to the resources here on campus specially trained in and experienced in assisting in such complaints, and therefore I will report all incidents of gender-based harassment, discrimination and sexual misconduct to Title IX (in fact, I am required to report such incidents). A representative from that office will reach out to you via phone and/or email to explore options for support, safety measures and reporting. I will provide our Title IX Director with all relevant details, including names and identifying information, of the information reported. For more information about policies and resources or reporting options, please visit the following websites: Equity and Inclusion and Title IX. If you would like to directly make a report of harassment, discrimination or sexual misconduct directly, you may fill out an online Sexual Misconduct Report Form or contact the Title IX Director by phone, email, or in person:
Stephanie N. Thomas
Title IX Director
509-313-6910
whaleys@gonzaga.edu
Business Services Building 018

Notice to students with disabilities and/or medical conditions:

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability/medical condition requiring an accommodation, please call or visit the Disability Access Office (second floor of Foley Center Library, Room 208.)

Attendance:

Gonzaga University presumes that students have sufficient maturity to recognize their responsibility for regular class engagement, and attendance is a general expectation no matter the teaching modality. However, in order to prioritize the health and safety of all community members, Gonzaga's regular in-person attendance policy has been modified for the Fall 2020 semester (Amended Class Attendance Policy). In accordance with the CDC-Higher Education guidelines, I will record attendance for each class session and this information will be reported to Gonzaga University for contact tracing and tracking COVID community spread. When we do meet in person, you must follow COVID-related protocols as described in the Student Arrival & Return to Gonzaga Guides, and you will in no way be penalized for following these protocols; see Amended Class Attendance Policy. If you become sick or need to miss class for COVID-related reasons, I will work with you to help you catch up. I ask that you communicate directly with me regarding any absences, if possible before they occur.

A note on recorded meetings:

Our class sessions will be recorded for the benefit of students who are unable to attend in-person. Only the instructor may cause a class meeting to be recorded for those students. You shall not make audio or video recordings of class meetings without the prior written authorization of the instructor. By remaining registered in this course, you agree to your voice and image being recorded, and you agree to use any recordings of our class meetings ONLY for the educational purposes of this class (or other sections of this class taught by the same instructor). You agree to delete recordings of our class meetings no later than the end of this semester. You do not have permission to use or share recordings (video or audio) of our class meetings beyond the reach of our class for any purpose, including, but not limited to, posting to any digital application or platform, such as social media. You may not duplicate or distribute recordings of class sessions. In short, your instructor and your classmates intend to appear in these videos only for the purposes of carrying out our teaching and learning in this class. Your compliance with the terms of this syllabus regarding use of class session recordings is subject to the Student Code of Conduct; violations will be reviewed according to the provisions in the Administration of Student Code of Conduct.

FERPA and Privacy:

Under FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act), your student records are confidential and protected. Under most circumstances your records will not be released without your written and signed consent; exception includes some directory information. Instructors are not allowed to publicly post grades by student name, social security number, GU student identification number, or any other identifiable means, without written consent from students involved. The FERPA policy does not apply to third party online applications that may be used in courses (i.e. WeBWorK and Gradescope) such that it is the student's responsibility to read the privacy documentation at each website.

Academic integrity:

All members of the Gonzaga community are expected to adhere to principles of honesty and integrity in their academic endeavors, and I will abide strictly by procedures and guidelines of the University's Academic Integrity Policy. Students and faculty are governed by this policy, and I encourage you to familiarize yourself with its scope and procedures. Ignorance of the policy will not serve as a defense against any violations.

Religious Accommodations for Students

In compliance with Washington State law (RCW 28.10.039), it is the policy of Gonzaga University to reasonably accommodate students who, due to the observance of religious holidays, expect to be absent or endure a significant hardship during certain days of their academic course or program. The Policy on Religious Accommodations for Students describes procedures for students requesting a Religious Accommodation and for faculty responding to such a request.

Course evaluation:

At Gonzaga, we take teaching seriously, and we ask our students to evaluate their courses and instructors so that we can provide the best possible learning experience. In that spirit, we ask students to give us feedback on their classroom experience near the end of the semester. I will ask you to take a few minutes then to carry out course/instructor evaluation in class. Please know that I appreciate your participation in this process. This is a vital part of our efforts at Gonzaga to improve continually our teaching, our academic programs, and our entire educational effort.

Resources

Office hours

Damped Oscillation2

Logan Axon
Department of Mathematics
MSC 2615
Gonzaga University
Spokane, WA 99258
Office: Herak 307A
Phone: 509.313.3897
Email: axon@gonzaga.edu

Last updated 1/22/2020