General Information • Home Page • Our Company • Your Instructor • How to Use DVD or VHS • Quick Sketches - Homeschool Students • Quick Sketches - College Students • Frequently Asked Q's • Customer Comments Product Information • Prices, Ordering & Evaluations • Assessment Test Request • Textbooks & Solutions Guides • Course Outlines, Reviews & Demos Existing Customers • Quick Start Guide • Read Me First • Technical Support • Replacement DVD/CD • Tests and Measurement • Exhibit Schedule • Education Links Chalk Dust Company PMB 375 3506 Hwy 6 South Sugar Land, TX 77478-4401 800.588.7564 (USA) 281.265.2495 281.265.3197 fax sales@chalkdust.com	College Algebra Reviews of College Algebra College Algebra Review by Cathy Duffy 2005 12 VHS, textbook, complete solutions guide, (and student technical support) The College Algebra textbook is by Larson and Hostetler. The text follows the same format as do Larson's other algebra books. As you might have guessed from the course title, College Algebra is really a college course rather than a high school course. However, you might use it after Algebra 2 or, in exceptional cases, instead of Algebra 2. The course reviews much of the material covered in Algebra 2 but takes it to a deeper level in most instances and at a more rapid pace. For example, in the section on graphing equations you encounter new types of equations and graphs. In the study of functions, you will encounter more complex functions than you did previously. It might be possible for outstanding Algebra 1 students to skip Algebra 2 and move directly into this text, but for most students it should follow an Algebra 2 course. Some students will be able to skip the first section of the course that reviews fundamental concepts of algebra. (A complete solutions guide is now available for College Algebra, sixth edition, 2004.) Although the course is titled College Algebra, it is only a little more challenging than Algebra 2. In comparison to Saxon's math series, the content of College Algebra is somewhat equivalent to algebra coverage in Saxon's Advanced Math. However, Saxon also covers geometry and trigonometry, which this course does not. Chalk Dust offers separate Geometry and Trigonometry courses and also covers trigonometry within its Precalculus course. On the other hand, this course covers statistics and probability, which receive little attention in Saxon, and it also has more coverage on conic sections. The use of a graphing calculator is highly recommended, but the course can be completed without one. College-bound students who do not need calculus and trigonomety will have a very solid math background if they continue algebra studies through this course. Students completing the Chalk Dust College Algebra course should be able to test out of college algebra at the college of their choice. College-bound students interested in an engineering or science degree are advised to take the Chalk Dust Precalculus course, which covers topics in both the Trigonometry and College Algebra courses plus other material. An additional benefit of taking Precalculus rather than Trigonometry and College Algebra separately is the cost: $514 for Precalculus versus $818.00 for the other two courses. Chalk Dust College Algebra starts with a 2.5-hour review of everything from real numbers and polynomials to fractional expressions and probability. Then you tackle algebraic equations and inequalities, the Cartesian plane and graphs, functions and graphs, zeros of polynomial functions, exponential and logarithmic functions, systems of equations and inequalities, matrices and determinants, sequences and probability, with an appendix on conic sections. As you can see, this is basically Algebra II plus a few extra goodies. If you have your heart set on AP credit you may well choose this course in preference to highschool Algebra II. Mary Pride Course Outline Product Page To Order or Evaluate Previous Course | Home Page | Next Course Other courses: SAT Math Review | Basic Math | Trigonometry | Prealgebra Algebra I | Geometry | Precalculus | Algebra 2 | Calculus I TOP OF THE PAGE Copyright © 1996-2008 Chalk Dust Company Website design and hosting by Mediawest Online.