Effective mathematics teaching and learning relies on a human connection. Anyone can read a textbook, but when you are confused or need an explanation, you need to interact with another human being.
Peer cooperation is one good way of doing this. It is important to establish a network of students within your various courses so that you can refer to them in times of need.
Interacting with your instructor is also very important. bob will try to explain how new mathematical concepts work in theory and in practice for each new section we cover in the textbook, sometimes with specific handout notes other than the Zoom Lecture Notes with which he will deliver this online course. All homework, Zoom Lecture Notes, handout notes, and technology files will be recorded in the daily updated homework and daily class log.
During an online Zoom Lecture, you are encouraged to unmute yourself and ask a question as if you were in a regular classroom in person. Don't worry about interrupting bob, he appreciates students who ask questions in class, really. If the answer requires a lengthy calculation that is difficult to write on a Zoom white board with a smart pen, bob will write an explanation and email it to the class later that day.
At the beginning of class bob will ask if there are any homework exercises that you did not have a chance to interact with me using the Ask the Instructor tool in our homework portal. To some extent bob can go over problems, but if a detailed calculation is required that is difficult to answer with the Zoom white board, bob will write an explanation and email it to the class later that day. The official deadline for homework is midnight of the day they are do (the next class day after they are assigned) to give you a chance to ask questions after you have made your good faith effort to do them. You are permitted to submit and resubmit after the deadline has passed without penalty, but it is not a good idea to get too far behind. If you email me in advance about a problem so that I have enough time to examine it in detail before class, this is a big help.
Office Hour Anytime. Since Zoom office "hours" are virtual, setting a particular time in our schedule for them is not necessarily effective, based on the Spring 2020 online experience. We will see how things work out Fall 2020. We can be more flexible in the timing extending into early evening if I am available. How we initiate an individual session we will have to work out in practice (email, my cell phone). With cell phone communication, you are not identified automatically so you will have to include your name in a text, or identify yourself in a voice call.
The Math Learning and Resource Center is setting up Zoom access to its tutoring program.