BEFORE YOU BEGIN

If you have not yet read the Welcome message, please do so now, then return to this page after you have finished.

All enrolled students are REQUIRED to read the information below and follow any instructions given on this page. Enrolled students who have not completed this orientation assignment by Noon Friday, September 5, 2008 will be dropped from the course!

In order to complete this online orientation, you will need to have two things ready:

• A current and active e-mail account. If you do not yet have an e-mail account, the Cuesta Distance Education web site has a nice list of companies that offer free e-mail accounts.
  
  
• Either an activated online subscription (Semester Plan) or a CD-ROM (version 1.5 or greater) of the Precalculus Algebra TI-83/TI-84 Tutorial. See the FAQ Page for help in deciding which option is best for you. The CD-ROM can be purchased in the Cuesta Bookstore. You will need a credit card to purchase an online subscription. To purchase an online subscription, go to the Precalculus Algebra TI-83/TI-84 Tutorial web site and choose either the Frames or Non-Frames version. Once you are at the home page for the tutorial, it is recommended that you add the home page to your favorites folder or bookmark the page. Then click on the REGISTER button. Follow the instructions until you reach the Registration form page (this is a secure page). Fill in all required information and then submit the form. You should receive an e-mail message within 24 hours confirming the activation of your account.
  
  NOTE: The tutorial will work with all versions of the TI-83 and TI-84 Graphing Calculator models.

Please be sure that you are prepared with these requirements before proceeding with the online orientation that follows.

Course Home Page / Course Requirements / Welcome Page

ORIENTATION

Please read and follow each instruction in the order in which they are listed. This will ensure that you receive all of the information you need to successfully complete this course and will be able to fulfill the obligations that you have as an enrolled student. It may be helpful if you print this page before proceeding.

Course Web Site

1. Go to the course Home Page and familiarize yourself with the options available. It is strongly recommended that you add the Home Page to your Favorites folder or bookmark the page.
   
   
2. Go to the Course Requirements page and carefully read the information given. If you do not yet have a sufficient browser installed on your computer, use the links provided to download and install Internet Explorer or Netscape Communicator (check the system requirements before doing this to make sure your computer is compatible).
   
   
3. Go to the Course Syllabus page and carefully read the information given. It is a good idea to print the syllabus page and keep a copy in your binder for reference. Make sure you are able to answer these questions:
   • How can you contact the instructor?
   • What are your responsibilities as a student in this class?
   • When should you take an online quiz, and how is this done?
   • What is an e-mail update, and what information should it contain?
   • What elements of the course are awarded points that will be used to determine your grade?
     
     
4. Go to the Course Schedule page and print the page for reference. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and read the notes that follow. Remember, the sections of the text are listed in a suggested order; you should follow the pace and order of your Math 242 class.
   
   
5. Go to the course Quizzes page and observe the sections of the text required for each quiz. Click on the link for Quiz 1 to see what an online quiz looks like (do not submit the quiz at this time).
   
   

myCuesta Homepage

6. Log in to myCuesta. Click on the Student tab. Now clink on the link in the My Courses channel. Under the channel for Courses I'm Attending, click on the link for Math 142G. You are now at the class homepage.
   
   
7. In the left column under Course Tools, click on the link for Message Board. First read the Welcome message. Next, go the the Introductions thread. Read the instructions carefully. Then read through all of the messages in the message list (click on my message first, then click on Next Message in the top right corner to see any others). When you have read through all of the messages, click on Message List in the top left corner. Below the instructions, click on the link for "Post a message". Put your name in the subject line, and then write a few words about yourself (see the instructions for what to include). When you are done, click on the Post button.
   
   

TI-83/TI-84 Tutorial

At this point you have seen all of the course-related information and resources that you will need to fulfill your obligations as a student in this course and should have the necessary requirements in place to successfully participate. The steps that follow will introduce you to the TI-83/TI-84 tutorial that will be used to provide the course instruction.

8. Start the tutorial and locate the Larson, Hostetler; Precalculus textbook guide. (You must have the CD-ROM or an active online subscription account to continue with this step).
   • CD-ROM users: Place the tutorial CD into your CD-ROM drive. From your computer, open the CD-ROM drive (for Windows users, double-click My Computer, then double-click your CD drive icon). One of the files listed in the CD folder should be Index.htm. Double-click on this file to start the tutorial at the home page. Then click the button that says Textbook Guides, and then click the choice for Larson, Hostetler; Precalculus.
   • Online users: Go to the tutorial Home Page on the internet. Click the Enter The Tutorial button. Enter your user name and password, then click on the link for Textbook Guide. Click the choice for Larson, Hostetler; Precalculus.
   It is highly recommended that you print the Textbook Guide page for easy reference throughout the remainder of the semester.
   
   
9. From the Larson, Hostetler; Precalculus textbook guide page, click on the link under Recommended Preparation for Instructions: How To Use The Tutorial, pages 1-4. Use the right arrow button at the bottom of each page to advance to the next page (left arrow to return to the previous page). Read all four pages of this topic carefully. At the bottom of page four, click the CONTENTS button and review the tutorial table of contents. Then click on the QUIZ button at the top or bottom of the page. The Quiz Central page contains links to all of the quizzes in the tutorial so that you can access them directly (great for study purposes). Now click on the INDEX button. The index allows you to link directly to pages in the tutorial according to a keyword or a calculator key or command.
   
   
10. Under Absolute Value on the index page, click on the first link (1) for command. Notice that the screen image for this page is hyperlinked. Click on the screen image and you will see a larger, animated screen image that shows the sequence of steps for the example on this page. To run the animation again, click the Refresh button on your browser. When you are done viewing the animation, close the animation window. Then click the right arrow to advance through the next three pages. Notice that there is a practice quiz page following each topic. These are problems that you should try on your own once you have completed the preceding topic. To check your answer, click on ANSWER (go ahead and click on it). If you had solved the problem correctly, you would click on Return to the Quiz (don't click on it right now). If you were not able to work the problem correctly, you should click on review this skill to return to the page in the topic that provides the instruction relevant to that kind of problem (go ahead and click on it). To jump directly to the quiz following a current topic, click on the QUIZ button at the bottom of the page (click on it now). If you are on a quiz page, the QUIZ button will take you to the Quiz Central page. Now click on EXIT at the bottom of the page.

You are now ready for the final step. In order to complete step 11, you will probably have to retrace the previous ten steps somewhat to find the requested information. However, this will give you an opportunity to make sure you are able to access the important web pages from the course web site and tutorial that you will be using regularly in this class.

11. Now you need to send me an e-mail message. This orientation e-mail must be submitted by Noon Friday, September 5, 2008 in order to remain enrolled in this course! Students who have not submitted their message by this deadline will be dropped from the course! The subject line of your e-mail should say: Math 142G Orientation. In the body of your message, the first line should be your name and the last six digits of your Cuesta student ID. Leave the second line blank, then provide the following information (all five items are required):
    • If you are enrolled in Math 242, who is your instructor? (Note: Math 242, not Math 142G)
    • From the Course Schedule page, what is the date of the first E-mail Update deadline (not the orientation e-mail deadline)?
    • From the Course Syllabus page, what is the second item listed under Student Responsibilities?
    • Go to the myCuesta class homepage. In the Orientation Assignment article in the Course News channel, what is the code word?
    • Go to the Larson, Hostetler; Precalculus textbook guide page, then under Recommended Preparation click on the link for Instructions: Default Settings. On the third page in this topic, what are the first two words in bold print?

    Following these answers you may include any message or questions that you would like to ask now that you have had a chance to review all of the material for this course. Send your e-mail message to mturner@cuesta.edu. This orientation e-mail is worth 100 points.

Congratulations! You have survived your orientation to this distance learning course and are now ready to continue on your own. First complete the remaining pages listed under Recommended Preparation on the Textbook Guide page, then proceed to any of the sections of the text until you have caught up with your Math 242 class. Remember to have your calculator in hand as you work through each example, and to click on the screen image to see a step-by-step animation of the sequence for that example.