Preface
This collection is intended for use with a Co-requisite course, pairing a concurrent MAT College Algebra (TCCN MAT 1314) with an NCBO (Non-Course Based Option) support course. This book is designed to supplement the MAT materials and provide a free, opensource option for students to reference in the NCB support course.
The arrangement of materials within the modules is structured to support the Lessons covered in the MAT course. As a result the sequence may not appear as cohesive compared to a traditional developmental textbook.
This book utilizes topics from modules in OpenStax PreAlgebra, Intermediate Algebra, and College Algebra collections. This collection is intended for developmental students taking a Co-requisite course in math intended for a stem degree pathway.
Coverage and Scope
By design, the support course in our Co-requisite model emphasizes “Just-in-time” support of topics discussed in the related math course. It is not meant to be a complete review of all topics from earlier developmental math courses like Elementary or Intermediate Algebra. As a result, each chapter is arranged to review only those topics needed to understand concepts discussed in the specific math course chapter it supports. The material is presented as a sequence of modules tied to Lesson chapters of the MAT 1023 course. The order of topics was carefully planned to support progression throughout the course (by providing foundational concepts related to the Lesson Topics, and/or previewing material for Lessons), and to facilitate a thorough understanding of each concept.
- Chapter 1: Foundations Concepts
Chapter 1 reviews arithmetic operations with fractions, decimals and real numbers, and concepts of exponents, radicals, polynomials, and rational expressions to give the student a solid base that will support their study of algebra. - Chapter 2: Equations and Inequalities
In Chapter 2, students will review topics related to graphing & slope, linear equations, other types of equations, and systems of linear equations and inequalities.. - Chapter 3: Functions
Chapter 3 covers the basics of Functions, and transformations/composition of functions. - Chapter 4: Quadratic Equations & Functions
Chapter 4 covers the basics of radicals and complex numbers, as well as Quadratic equations and functions. - Chapter 5: Polynomial Functions
In Chapter 5, students learn about polynomials, factoring, and introduces polynomial division. - Chapter 6: Exponential and Logarithmic Functions
In Chapter 6, students learn about concepts related to working with logs and exponential functions.
All chapters incorporate multiple topics, the titles of which can be viewed in the Topics Covered box at the start of each module.
About the Authors
Contributing Authors
Elizabeth Pople, University of Texas San Antonio
Elizabeth Pople is the Program Coordinator for Non-Course Based Instruction at the University of Texas at San Antonio. At UTSA, she has worked with the NCB Program for over eight years.
Additional work editing and proofreading the current version of the textbook was completed by the following staff of the NCB department:
Enrique Navarro-Espino, Prince Buti, Sinmi Akindele, Aditya Kalapala, Erfan Kharazian, Tanner Lawlis, Sarah Harper.
