I'm in an online trig/pre-calc course, and I'm not doing as well as I know I can. I say this because in every single math course I've ever been in, I've passed with a 95+% until now. Right now I'm teetering an 80-79%, and I feel safe in saying this is the fault of the way the course is set up.
Just to get it out of the way, last semester I took a math class that may as well have been online at another university (I chose to go there because of the horror stories of the one I'm attending now but financial reasons forced my hand), and I passed with a 98%. What we did was read an online textbook and fill in about 20 pages of example problems that went with the textbook (Which gave us easy access to formulas, theorems, etc.), then do all the homework, assessments, and tests online and attended the actual class once a week for a quiz that took 10 minutes before we could leave if we didn't have questions. This teacher (professor?) had a 95% passing rate, most with an A.
This course I'm currently taking feels as if it is set up horribly since it seems as if the tests given have little in common with what we actually learn during the lessons. On top if that, tests are given on paper when homework is given on the computer, and we are given less than 24 hours notice of what will be on the test. Recently the study guides given to use for the tests actually didn't correspond with the tests themselves, and the class average for it was a 58% (in fact the class average for most of the tests is a D, I'm actually one of the top students with a C+). This includes her in-class students as well, I might add.
I know an online course like this isn't supposed to be this difficult, I like math and see it as a game, especially with MathXL's setup. It's too late for me to transfer to an in-person class and whenever I ask a question about the tests, format, or even about the assignments in general I get no responses.
Anybody have any suggestions? I can't drop the class, just so that's out there.
Just to get it out of the way, last semester I took a math class that may as well have been online at another university (I chose to go there because of the horror stories of the one I'm attending now but financial reasons forced my hand), and I passed with a 98%. What we did was read an online textbook and fill in about 20 pages of example problems that went with the textbook (Which gave us easy access to formulas, theorems, etc.), then do all the homework, assessments, and tests online and attended the actual class once a week for a quiz that took 10 minutes before we could leave if we didn't have questions. This teacher (professor?) had a 95% passing rate, most with an A.
This course I'm currently taking feels as if it is set up horribly since it seems as if the tests given have little in common with what we actually learn during the lessons. On top if that, tests are given on paper when homework is given on the computer, and we are given less than 24 hours notice of what will be on the test. Recently the study guides given to use for the tests actually didn't correspond with the tests themselves, and the class average for it was a 58% (in fact the class average for most of the tests is a D, I'm actually one of the top students with a C+). This includes her in-class students as well, I might add.
I know an online course like this isn't supposed to be this difficult, I like math and see it as a game, especially with MathXL's setup. It's too late for me to transfer to an in-person class and whenever I ask a question about the tests, format, or even about the assignments in general I get no responses.
Anybody have any suggestions? I can't drop the class, just so that's out there.
