Syllabus for BIO-101-OL

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Introductory Biology (BIO-101) is intended as a general biology course for nonmajors. With an emphasis on molecular biology, the course covers chemical foundations, cell structure and function, metabolism, DNA, genetics, evolution, and ecology. The fourteen video programs used in the course reveal current trends in molecular biology, illustrate scientists at work, and convey the challenges and opportunities in this growing field.

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COURSE OBJECTIVES

Studying this course should provide you with

• A foundation in many areas of biology.



• The knowledge you need to understand developments in molecular biology, allowing you to think critically about related ethical issues.



• Insight into where humankind fits into the global ecosystem.



• Curiosity about questions such as:
• What is the foundation of life?
• How do we develop?
• What is cancer and how do we get it?
• How far can genetic therapy go?
• How does the future of our species affect the interrelationship of all species?


• An appreciation of the DNA molecule and what it can tell us about the relationship to the rest of the living world.

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COURSE MATERIALS

You will need the following materials to do the work of the course. All course materials are available from the textbook supplier, MBS Direct.

Student Guide

Telecourse Student Guide for "Cycles of Life: Exploring Biology," 5th ed., by Gerald L. Kellogg (Coast Learning Systems, Coast Community College District; Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning, 2008; ISBN-10: 0-495-11987-3).

Textbook

Biology: Concepts and Applications, 7th ed., by Cecie Starr, Christine A. Evers, and Lisa Starr (Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning, 2008; ISBN-10: 0-495-11981-4).

Video Programs

Cycles of Life: Exploring Biology, Coast Telecourses (26 half-hour video programs).

Note: The video programs are being offered via streaming video technology through this course site. Links for streaming video are available in the Media area of the course Web site.

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COURSE STRUCTURE

Introductory Biology is a three-credit online course, based on the telecourse Cycles of Life: Exploring Biology. The course comprises seven assignment modules and covers fourteen telecourse student guide lessons and their associated video programs and textbook reading. You are required to complete seven (7) written assignments, participate in four (4) online discussions, and take two examinations—a proctored midterm and an uproctored, online final examination.

For the course's assignments, go to the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site. See also the course Calendar for an overview of the assignment schedule and for all due dates.

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ONLINE DISCUSSIONS

Introductory Biology requires you to participate in four (4) graded online discussion activities, in addition to an ungraded, but required, "Introductions" forum in module 1. Each discussion takes place in a separate forum on the class Discussion Board.

Communication with the mentor and among fellow students is a critical component of online learning. Participation in online discussions involves two distinct activities: an initial response to a posted activity and subsequent comments on classmates' responses. Meaningful participation is relevant to the content, adds value, and advances the discussion. Comments such as "I agree" and "ditto" are not considered value-adding participation. Therefore, when you agree or disagree with a classmate, the reading, or your mentor, state and support your agreement or disagreement. You will be evaluated on the quality and quantity of your participation. Responses and comments should be properly proofread and edited, professional, and respectful.

Deadlines for posting discussion threads on the class Discussion Board are given in the course Calendar.

For additional information on online discussions, see Online Discussions in the Online Student Handbook.

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WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS

Each of the seven assignment modules in the course requires you to complete a written assignment and to submit it to your mentor for grading. Consult the course Calendar for assignment due dates.

The seven (7) written assignments comprise the questions you consider as you watch each lesson's video program (found at the end of Viewing Notes). For each assignment, answer all questions.

Prepare your written assignments using whatever word processing program you have on your computer. Include your name at the top of the paper, as well as the course name and code and the semester and year in which you are enrolled.

Before submitting your first assignment, check with your mentor to determine whether your word processing software is compatible with your mentor's software. If so, you can submit your work as you prepared it. If not, save your assignment as a rich-text (.rtf) file, using the Save As command of your software program. Rich text retains basic formatting and can be read by any other word processing program.

When satisfied that your assignment represents your best work, submit it to your mentor by means of the appropriate assignment link provided in the Submit Assignments area of the course Web site. Use the Browse button within this link to locate and attach your assignment file.

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EXAMINATIONS

You are required to take two examinations: a proctored midterm examination and an unproctored, online final examination. Consult the course Calendar for the scheduling of these exams.

Midterm Examination
The midterm is a closed-book, proctored exam. It is two hours long and covers material through module 4 of the course (telecourse lessons 1–7 and the associated video programs and textbook reading). The exam consists of multiple-choice questions based on the Self-Quiz sections at the end of each chapter in the textbook and short essay questions from the assignments.

You may take the examination only during the designated exam week, at an approved location, and with an approved proctor. In this regard, you need to schedule your exam and submit your "Proctor Request Form" with the necessary documentation no later than the end of the first week of the semester (see Administrative Forms in the General Information area of the course Web site).

If you are on a course extension and have not yet taken the midterm exam, you must let your examination proctor know when you plan to take the exam and contact the Office of Test Administration (609-984-1181) two weeks in advance to request that your exam be sent to the proctor.

For more information on scheduling a proctored examination, see the section Examinations and Proctors in the Online Student Handbook.

Final Examination
The final is a closed-book, unproctored online exam. It is two hours long and covers material from module 5 through the end of the course (telecourse lessons 8–11 and 24–26 and the associated video programs and textbook reading). The exam consists of multiple-choice questions based on the Self-Quiz sections at the end of each chapter in the textbook and short essay questions from the assignments.

The final exam is taken online in Blackboard. An exam link will be activated and made available to you at the start of final exam week. You may take the exam at any time during that week, but no later than midnight Saturday (eastern time). If you are on a course extension, you will need to arrange with your mentor a time to reschedule the final exam.

Statement about Cheating
The final examination in this course is an unproctored exam. That means you will not be supervised while taking the test. You are on your honor not to cheat during the exam. Cheating means:

• Looking up any answer or part of an answer in an unauthorized textbook or on the Internet, or using any other source to find the answer.
• Copying and pasting or in any way copying responses or parts of responses from any other source into your online test. This includes but is not limited to copying and pasting from other documents or spreadsheets, whether written by yourself or anyone else.
• Plagiarizing answers.
• Asking anyone else to assist you by whatever means available while you take the exam.
• Copying any part of the exam to share with other students.
• Telling your mentor that you need another attempt at the exam because your connection to the Internet was interrupted when that is not true.

If there is evidence that you have cheated or plagiarized in your exam, the exam will be declared invalid, and you will fail the course.

Please also note that the exam is time-limited. That means you only have the allotted time in which to complete the exam. If you exceed the time limit on the exam, you will be penalized by having two points deducted for every minute that you exceed the time limit. This may also result in your failing the course.

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GRADING AND EVALUATION

Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:

To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of D or higher on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, discussion postings, etc.). You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted.

Letter grades for online discussions, written assignments, and examinations are based on the following numerical grades:

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STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

First Steps to Success
To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:

1. Read carefully the entire Syllabus, making sure that all aspects of the course are clear to you and that you have all the materials required for the course.



2. Take the time to read the entire Online Student Handbook. The Handbook answers many questions about how to proceed through the course, how to schedule exams and arrange for proctors, and how to get the most from your educational experience at Thomas Edison State College.



3. Arrange to take your midterm examination by following the instructions in the Online Student Handbook. Then complete the "Proctor Request Form" and submit it to the Office of Test Administration (OTA). You must make arrangements to take your examination and send in your "Proctor Request Form" to OTA before the end of the first week of the current semester. (See Administrative Forms in the General Information area of the course Web site.)



4. Familiarize yourself with the Blackboard environment—how to navigate it and what the various course areas contain. If you know what to expect as you navigate the course, you can better pace yourself and complete the work on time.



5. If you are not familiar with Web-based learning, or specifically with the Blackboard platform, be sure to review the processes for posting responses online and submitting assignments before class begins.

Study Tips
Consider the following study tips for success:

1. To stay on track throughout the course, begin each week by consulting the course Calendar. The calendar provides an overview of the course and indicates due dates for submitting assignments, posting discussions, and scheduling and taking examinations. For details on each assignment module and a complete listing of learning activities, go to the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site.



2. Familiarize yourself with the telecourse student guide, beginning table of contents on page [iii] right on through the preface on pages v–viii.



3. Follow the sequence of learning activities outlined in the telecourse student guide when studying each lesson.
   
   Before viewing the video program:
   • Read the Overview and Learning Objectives for the lesson. Together with the Viewing Notes, these sections provide a general focus for the whole lesson.
   • Read the assigned chapters in the Starr, Evers, and Starr textbook as specified in each study assignment.
   • Read the Viewing Notes from the lesson.
   • View the video program.
   
   After viewing the video program:
   • Check your learning by (1) reviewing the Summary at the end of each chapter in the textbook, (2) completing the Review Activities and Self-Test in the telecourse student guide, and (3) taking the Self-Quiz at the end of each textbook chapter (answers are in Appendix III).
   • Answer the assigned questions at the end of Viewing Notes.
   • Using the Starr, Evers, and Starr textbook, add any needed information to your answers.
   • Submit your written answers to your mentor.
   
   
4. Check the Announcements page and class Discussion Board regularly for new course information.

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