QSF  131

                       QSF 131 COURSE OUTLINE: 2011

Welcome to the QSF 131 course!  This is one of four compulsory modules that all B.Com. (Gen.) (4-year programme) students will be doing during their first semester of 2011!

Congratulations on having successfully completed the 2010 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations. You are now part of the UWC Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. In order to have reasonable prospects of success in your studies, you have to master basic quantitative skills in numbers, fractions, algebra and graphs.

This document provides you with important information about this course.  Please familiarise yourself with its main learning outcomes (see section 5 below).

You are invited to consult with your lecturer and tutors as soon as you are faced with a challenge, and even more regularly in connection with your Gateway and other tests. 

1.                 COURSE STRUCTURE

The 2011 QSF 131 is a 15-credit FOUNDATION module for students enrolled for the B.Com. (Gen.) (4-year programme )  and B.Admin. courses, which consists of:

 1

1.2         TWO tutorials per week; the QSF 131 classes will be divided into …….. tutorial groups;

1.3             SIX tutorials tests;

1.4             FOUR Class tests (with the first three having re-tests) + 1 diagnostic test;

1.5             FOUR Gateway (GW) Tests;

1.6             2 Term Tests;

1.7             1 Semester + Re-evaluation Examination for those who qualify

2.                 COURSE READER

This book is compulsory. It contains:

2.1     Course and specific well-discussed content information.

2.2     Year mark weighting and information on tutorials, tutorial                                     

           tests, gateway tests, term tests

2.3     Dates: tests and examinations

2.4     Lecturer / tutor information

2.5     Tutorials

3.                 TIME-TABLE

    * This class will start at 14h30, unless ‘agreed’ to otherwise

  TUTORIAL VENUES :              TO BE ANNOUNCED LATER

5. LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of this module you should be able to:

-    Demonstrate an understanding of the basic mathematical thinking skills which relate to understanding, reading, analysis and solution of relevant business-related problems.

-          Apply basic operations (+, –, ×  and   ) to

       Real Numbers, i.e. Fractions, Decimal Fractions and

       Percentages

-          Solve problems in abstract and real-life situations based on Fractions, Decimal Fractions and Percentages.

-          Demonstrate an understanding of and use ratios to describe relationship between two or more quantities and solve business problems 

-          Construct Linear Graphs using the table, y-intercept, and other methods, and to show how these relate to the solution of linear equations.

-          Demonstrate an understanding of basic Algebra , including polynomials of the first degree and  basic operations applied to algebraic expressions.

-          Find Products and Factors of algebraic expressions, and solve problems in these related to Commercial Mathematics.

-          Have developed effective basic calculator skills and which they apply to solve business related problems more efficiently

6. MAIN AND CRITICAL CROSS-FIELD OUTCOMES

CRITICAL CROSS-FIELD OUTCOMES (CCFO’s)

1.      Identify and solve problems using critical and creative thinking;

2.      Work effectively with others as a member of a team;

3.      Organise and manage oneself and one's activities;

4.      Collect, analyse, organise and critically evaluate information;

5.     Communicate effectively using visual, mathematical and/or language skills in oral and/or written presentation;

6.      Use science and technology effectively and critically;

7.     Demonstrate an understanding of the world as a set of related systems by recognising that problem-solving contexts do not exist in isolation;

8.      Demonstrate knowledge of and understanding of the subject.

CCFO’s

LEARNING OUTCOMES

NOTIONAL HOURS

7. FURTHER COURSE INFORMATION FIRST SEMESTER 2011

NB: YOUR YEAR (COURSE OR SEMESTER) MARK CONSISTS OF A NUMBER OF COMPONENTS. 

1.     Please ensure that you are aware of their respective weightings.

2.  Do not miss out on any of the components, therefore write all  tests.

A. TUTORIALS

1.  You have to attend TWO tutorial classes EACH WEEK.

2.  There are a number of tutorials contained in the Course Reader.                      

      Solutions to most of these have been provided in the Course Reader.

     Questions marked with a * do not have answers.

3.     The tutorials have to be completed in your Tutorial Class which will be managed and checked by your tutors.

4.     The first few, together with the task, are important and designed to link up with the CCFO’s and your past    school education

5.     A tutorial test will be conducted EVERY TWO weeks during the third lecture for each group, which will be marked and for which you will receive credit towards the year mark. These will be based on work covered in the given tutorials.

6.     The duration of these compulsory tutorial tests is approximately 45 minutes, and count the total 25 marks. Note that students are generally not required to  hand tutorials for marking, because of reasons which include  the following: students copy work form others (i.e. plagiarism) and students do not hand in work on time (lateness), or at all and loose marks consequently (penalties) .

The following is a selection of tutorials which have to be completed:

C. CLASS TESTS:  VENUE and TIMES to be announced 

NOTE:     1.   4 Class Tests will be conducted during lunchtime (13h00-14h00) on the                            

                    above dates, which will always be on a THURSDAY.

             2.    Class Tests incorporate some aspects of tutorial tests.  Automatic                        

            CLASS Re-tests will take place, except for the last Class test.                                     

                      Likewise there is no re-test for both Term Tests. You will be                                           

                       allowed to do the Re-Test if

·                     you have failed ( with a mark less than 50%) the CLASS test ; or                           

            alternatively

·                     you have a valid reason for missing the Class Test. In the case of                          

            sickness, you must present a valid doctor’s certificate.

3.                 In the case of a re-test, the better of the previously obtained mark and the new re-test mark is taken, on condition that only a MAX of 50% can be obtained in a RE-TEST.

D. GATEWAY TESTS  VENUE: TO BE ANNOUNCED

ONLY ON TUESDAYS and WEDNESDAYS, during Lunch-time: 13h00 -14h00:

Registration Compulsory: Max. 40 persons per any ONE session

FOUR Gateway Tests will be given, which must be written consecutively. For example, to register for GW 2, you must have attempted (not passed necessarily) GW 1.

Gateway Tests are voluntary and start during the third  week. This arrangement allows for additional input into Gateways Test 1 in the lectures and by the tutors.

If the student fails any Gateway Test, he/she may redo it up to a  maximum of two re-tests (that is he may do the test a max of THREE times).

E. TERM TESTS & EXAMINATIONS

F. SEMESTER TEST

This is the FINAL examination and carries a weight of 50% of your final mark, A Re-evaluation will take place for those who qualify.

NOTE:          A PASS IN QSF 131 is a PREREQUISITE for

                   registering for QSC 132  or (INTRO TO) ACC 130

NOTE FURTHER THAT:

• It is of utmost importance that you build up a good year-mark, hence it is important that you plan your gateway test attempts very carefully.

G. PRESCRIBED TEXT BOOK

The COURSE READER below is compulsory. Please purchase the following DIRECTLY FROM PRINTWIZE:

Quantitative Skills Foundation Module (QSF 131) for B.Com. (Gen.) (4-year programme) & B.Admin., University of the Western Cape. Compiled and written by Desmond Desai, 2010.

Your lecturer (Room 2.35) will manage the sale of second-hand Course Readers. A large number of students offer ‘old’ QSF 131 Course Readers which contain all the tutorials and relevant material. You are encouraged to buy these at a much reduced price!

H. RECOMMENDED TEXT BOOKS

1.                 Mathematics for Work. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996  (Compulsory for Case Studies; Costs approximately R80).

2.       Croucher, J.D. Mathematics and Statistics for Business. 3^rd Edition. Sydney: McGraw-Hill, 1999. (Expensive and difficult to obtain, but useful elementary text covering most aspects of financial mathematics for undergraduate students in EMS Studies)

Highland,E.H., Rosenbaum,R.S. & Peselnick,C. Business Mathematics. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1997 (Same comments as above with Croucher.)

3                    Van Rensburg, M. Mathematics Orientation. Cape Town: Southern Book Publishers, 1997. (Good basic text, but written for Technical students.)

Additional reference sources need to be consulted in the library.       

I. CALCULATOR

You MUST have your OWN suitable scientific calculator, preferable with the functions binary numbers and fractions, such as the SHARP EL-531WH.  Note that some calculators require very special skills and knowledge in order to use effectively. For example, on the recommended SHARP calculator, 2 ½ meanse 2 + ½ , whilst one has to insert brackets on the CASIO fn 82ES calculator as follows; (2 + ½).

J. NOTE BOOKS

Use your own system for orderly note-taking. 

N.B.  Your working must be shown on the Tutorial, Class and Term Test sheets, whenever space is provided on them for that purpose. Otherwise, working must be shown on sheets of A4 paper to be stapled together properly, before handing in.

8. COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

Firstly, try to resolve any matter with the lecturer or tutor concerned. Incidents could also be reported to the secretary of the department or the class representative. Refer complaints of a serious nature to the EMS Student Support and Research Unit (021-959-3619). Please refer to the Harassment Policy in the Course Reader, p. 23.

9. PLAGIARISM DECLARATION

Please note the following declaration, which may be required:

“I know that plagiarism is wrong. Plagiarism is to use another’s work and pretend it is one’s own.

Each significant contribution to, and quotation in this work that I have taken from the works of other people, have been attributed and have been cited and referenced.

This submission is my own work.

I have not allowed, and will not allow, anyone to copy my work with the intention of passing it off as his/her own work.

Signed……………………        Date:…………………….”

Lecturer                                            Dr D Desai

ROOM : 2.35   EXT: 3892

*KINDLY ENSURE THAT YOU COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING

  CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION SHEET:

                       UNIVERSITY of the WESTERN CAPE: EMS FACULTY

                                                      QSF 131 : 2011

                                    CONFIDENTIAL STUDENT INFORMATION

SURNAME:……………………………………        FIRST NAMES:………………………………….

STUDENT NUMBER:…………………………     COURSE:………………………………………….

I.D. NUMBER :……………………………….NATIONALITY:……………………………………….

LAST SCHOOL / INSTITUTION (State Town/City):……………………………………………

YEAR MATRICULATED (State School)  ……………………………………………………………

SUBJECTS:…………………………….. ………………………………………………………………..

    ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

    QLC 142    COMPLETED   YES/NO               QLC 142  MARK ……………

ADDRESS FOR SEMESTER:…………………………………………………………...............

…………………………………………..  TEL……………………Cell:…………………………….

 SIGNATURE:  ………………………….                         Date: ………………………..

©  DESMOND DESAI, DMD EDU-HOME, 2011