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BIOL1306.PRE.2158
Basic Information:
INSTRUCTOR: Irene Perry, M.S.
TIME AND PLACE: Blackboard
OFFICE: ST 2242
OFFICE HOURS: M-F 9am-11am
OFFICE PHONE:432-552-2267
E-MAIL: [email protected]
Location: This course is a full Web course and is conducted in Blackboard
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Course Description:
BIOL 1306 is an introduction to the biological sciences, with emphasis on the
biology of cells, cell structure and function, energy metabolism and genetics.
It is the first of the two semester freshman biology sequence for Biology
majors and minors, and all disciplines that require the majors Biology
sequence.
Course
No
remedial
English
or
Math
Prerequisites
courses.
Overview
of
the
Course
Purpose:
Biology is the study of life. This course is a basic study of the diversity across
all living things. You will be able to recognize structure and function within the
natural world. You will be better able to understand yourself and the natural
world. We will examine many of the differences among organisms that guide
current issues in medicine, health, heredity and the environment.
Outcomes/Objectives:
By
the
end
of
the
course
you
will:
1. Apply the scientific method to predict outcomes in life situations. (Module
1)
2. Describe and identify the biological structure and function of the cell.
(Modules
1
and
2)
3. Describe the genetic basis of life and have an understanding of human
genetic
diseases.
(Modules
3
and
4)
4. Describe Darwin’s theory of evolution and natural selection.(Module 5)
5. Develop critical thinking skills by being able to apply scientific method in
experimental design, interpretation of data, problem solving. (All modules)
Time
expectation:
In a college course for every hour in class 2-3 hours outside of class are
expected to learn material and complete homework assignments, read and
answer article questions. This class is designed for 9-12 hours dedicated to
understanding the mastering the material inside and outside of class.
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Materials:
Required Materials
Reece, Campbell Biology, 10ed. Pearson – Benjamin Cummings, ISBN 9780-321-77565-8
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Computer Skills and Software
Requirements:
To complete this course successfully, the student will be required to:
• Download and complete all readings in a timely manner
• Complete chapter reading quizzes.
• Upload homework and article question responses.
• Some homework and exam diagrams will be administered by the lab
adjunct Ms. Crucido.
Students, Faculty and Staff at UTPB can obtain software licensing and media
for selected Microsoft titles at very low cost through a software agreement:
http://www.utpb.edu/services/ird/information-for-students/softwaredistribution/microsoft-select
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Important Dates:
UTPB Academic Calendar
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Communication Plan:
I will respond within 24 hours during the work day Monday @ 8am through
Friday @ 5pm. Please allow more time over the weekend. Please use email
(unique and personal) and the discussion board (general course and content
related) to communicate with me. [email protected]
Assignments will be graded within 1 week of the due date.
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Course Activities:
Every Module with have assigned sections of the lecture text. From the
content covered in the reading you will have the following: reading
quizzes,
homework,
article
questions
and
an
exam.
The course is designed for each module to be completed within 3 weeks.
The exams in each module are the bulk of the grade. The reading
quizzes, homeworks and article questions are designed to guide you to
understand the material. All quizzes, homeworks and article questions
will close before the exam. I want you to have time to study exclusively
for
the
exam.
Individual - Reading quizzes – these are quick and simple quizzes to assess
your understanding of the basic chapter material. They are to be done
individually. They are timed (15 minutes) and 2 attempts are given. Read the
material and take notes. Take the quiz. Look at your score. Review the
material again from the book. Retake the quiz and ace it. I expect this to be
done
outside
of
your
classtime
at
school.
Group - Homework – these are assignments intended to show that you
understand the content from the reading in a different way. Some of the
questions are basic answers, descriptions, definitions and explanations.
Other questions do not have a single answer. You are to use your information
and understanding to answer and justify your answer. If there is
disagreement in the group as to a correct answer which is not resolved.
Include all answers and justifications in the response. You will be assigned to
a group (max 4 students). Please use your time in class at school to discuss
and work on these homeworks together. When the homework is completed,
all team members names should be on the first line of the responses, the
homework is to be submitted once by the group. There are three homeworks
per module. Some of the homeworks may be done completely online. When
this is not true, the homework has been split in two with a drawing page in
addition. Please print the drawing page. When it is completed, it needs to be
photographed, scanned submit to the submit box in the blackboard or given to
Ms.
Crucido
by
the
due
date.
Group – Article questions – these are assignments to read a current article
from research being done in some area covered in the content of the module.
There are some basic understanding questions. The others are questions
which do not have a single answer. You are to use your information and
understanding to answer and justify your answer. If there is disagreement in
the group as to a correct answer which is not resolved, include all answers
and justifications in the response. You will be assigned to a group (max 4
students). Please use your time in class at school to discuss and work on the
article together. When the article questions are completed, all team members
names should be on the first line of the responses, the article question is to be
submitted once by the group. There is one article per module.
Individual - Exam – the exam covers the module content. All reading
quizzes, homeworks and article questions will close before the exam. This
will give you time to review and study the information. There are some basic
content questions and some synthesis/application questions. There will also
be some charts and diagrams to be done in class administered by Ms.
Crucido. The exams will cover 2 days in class. The first day will be the online
computer multiple choice exam. There are between 30 and 40 questions
depending on the module. The second day will be the diagram/figure and
writing portion of the exam. This will be administered in class by Ms. Crucido.
She will scan and send me the responses for my grading.
Individual - Online Discussions - Discussion Board participation helps the
course sink in deeper and do well in other activities. Please participate with
the Discussion Board in a meaningful way.
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Course Assessment:
5 exams
Reading chapter quizzes
Group Homework
Group Article Questions
Online Discussions (None Grade)
60 %
10%
20 %
10 %
Grading Scale:
90 and above
A
80 to 89
B
70 to 79
C
60 to 69
D
Less than 59
F
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Policies and Procedure:
1. Course Content Structure:
The course is divided into 5 modules.
Each Module includes:
a. 3 to 5 textbook chapters;
b. Online articles,
c. Online reading quizzes,
d. Online homework with in class diagrams,
e. Online Test with in class diagrams.
2. Grading and Feedback:
All the course activities will be graded one week after the set due date.
Questions that are missed by 75% or more of the class will be dropped
and all students will receive those points. Homework assignments and
article questions that need to be revisited will be done as needed
through the semester. There is no extra credit. Scoring is absolute and
there is no curving. Please check your grades by going to GradeBook.
If there is any discrepancy in the grade, you must contact me
immediately. I will provide individual feedback or a general feedback in
the performance of the course activity.
3. Cheating/Plagiarism/Academic Dishonesty:
"Plagiarism" includes, but is not limited to the appropriation of, buying,
receiving as a gift, or obtaining by any means material that is
attributable in whole or in part to another source, including words, ideas,
illustrations, structure, computer code, other expression and media, and
presenting that material as one's own academic work being offered for
credit.
NOTE: Students found plagiarizing or cheating will receive a zero on the
course activity which could cause failure in the class and/or suspension
or dismissal from the college.
4. Discussion Board Participation:
Discussion Board will primarily be used for discussing course content
related topics and issues.
In addition to the course content related topics in discussion tool there
will be few general topics: Getting to Know Each Other, General
Questions related to the course content, etc. The posts under these
topics will not be graded.
You are expected to read all messages. You are responsible for reading
all of the messages that are posted in the online discussion. Not reading
messages is the equivalent of sleeping in class.
Use a person's name in the body of your message when you reply to
their message. It helps to keep all of us oriented. It helps us maintain a
clearer sense of who is speaking and who is being spoken to. As we
begin to associate names with tone and ideas, we come to know each
other better.
Change the subject line when you introduce a new topic. The value of
this tip will become apparent as the number of messages grows.
5. Submission of Course Assessment Activities:
All the course assessment activities will be submitted via Assignment
Tool. Keep in mind the following standards/practices for submission of
assignments:
a. All course assessment activity files that will be submitted to the
instructor should be in MS Word or RTF
b. Be sure to put your name at the top of each page header
c. Always keep a copy of all the work you submit so that you won't
need to re-do it if it should get lost in cyberspace.
6. Make-Up/Late Submission Policy:
All course activities must be submitted before or on set due dates and
times. If the student is unable to abide by the due dates and times, it is
her/his responsibility to contact the instructor immediately. There will be
a 30% deduction for late submission of the assignment.
NOTE: The due dates and times for the activities will adhere to the
Central Time Zone.
7. Accommodation for Students with Disabilities:
Americans with Disabilities Act: Students with disabilities that are
admitted to The University of Texas of the Permian Basin may request
reasonable accommodations and classroom modifications as addressed
under Section 504/ADA regulations.
Students who have provided all documentation and are eligible for
services will be advised of their rights regarding academic
accommodations and responsibilities. The University is not obligated to
pay for diagnosis or evaluations nor is it obligated to pay for personal
services or auxiliary aids. Students needing assistance because of a
disability must contact Programs Assisting Student Study (PASS)
Office, 432-552-2630, Leticia Madrid, [email protected].
The definition of a disability for purposes of ADA is that she or he (1)
has a physical or mental impairment that substantively limits a major life
activity, (2) has a record of such an impairment or, (3) is regarded as
having such an impairment.
If you need accommodations because of a disability, if you have
emergency medical information to share with the instructor, or if you
need special arrangements in the case the building must be evacuated,
please inform the instructor immediately. You may contact the instructor
after class or during his/her office hours.
8. Course Incomplete/Withdrawal/Grade Appeal:
All students are required to complete the course within the semester
they are signed up. Incomplete grades for the course are rarely given
and will only be granted if the student has complete at least 75% of the
course with a grade of 'C' or better and provides a valid, documented
excuse for not being able to complete the course on time and has
contacted prior to the scheduled last class to request an extension. The
student will sign a contract that includes the incomplete course activities
and the new due dates.
For grade appeal process go to http://ss.utpb.edu/dean-ofstudents/student-grievances/.
9. Netiquette:
Anything you type in the discussion area is public - which means that
every student in this class (including your instructor) will see what you
write. Please pay attention to the language you use and adhere to the
following guidelines:
a. Do not post anything too personal;
b. Do not use language that is inappropriate for a classroom setting
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
or prejudicial in regard to gender, race, or ethnicity;
Do not use all caps in the message box unless you are
emphasizing (it is considered shouting)
Be courteous and respectful to other people on the list
Do not overuse acronyms like you would use in text messaging.
Some of the list participants may not be familiar with acronyms.
If the posting is going to be long, use line breaks and paragraphs
Fill in a meaningful Subject Line
Write your full name at the end of the posting
Be careful with sarcasm and subtle humor; one person's joke is
another person's insult.
NOTE: If you do not adhere to the guidelines for any posting, you
will lose the points that would have been granted, and the
instructor reserves the right to remove your posting and to deny
you any further posting privileges.
Refer to this link for additional help on netiquette:
http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html
10. Attendance and Class Participation:
Regular and active participation is an essential, unmistakably important
aspect of this online course. The expectation of the instructor is that
students will log on a minimum of three times every seven days. It is
critical that you read all of the lecture and assignment materials as well
as all of the public discussion materials. Your full participation ON A
WEEKLY BASIS is not only a requirement; it is also an essential aspect
of the online course process. All students are expected to do the work
assigned, notify the instructor when emergencies arise, and make up
assignments no later than the due dates.
NOTE: For summer classes students are expected to log in every day.
11. Tracking:
Blackboard course platforms have a tracking feature. This feature
quantifies how often and when students are active in the course and
also provides information if the student has accessed different pages of
the course.
12. Absenteeism:
All the course activities have set dates to be completed and submitted.
After the due dates the activities will not be available for the students.
Thus, if you are ill for a prolonged time and cannot complete the
activities, you must contact me and update the situation. You are
expected to log into the course at least once a week. For summer
courses you are required to log in everyday.
If I am going to be out because of ill health, attending a conference, etc
you will be notified through email.
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Technical Requirements:
Please visit the following page: http://www.utpb.edu/online/reach/technicalrequirements
You will find:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Requirements
Plug In Helper
Set up Information
Links to 24/7 Help Desk
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Preparation for Computer Emergencies:
Computer Crash
Not having a working computer or a crashed computer during the semester
will NOT be considered as an acceptable reason for not completing course
activities at a scheduled time. NOTE: Identify a second computer before the
semester begins, that you can use when/if your personal computer crashes.
Server problems
When the Blackboard server needs downtime for maintenance, the
Blackboard administrator will post an announcement in your course informing
the time and the date. If the server experiences unforeseen problems your
course instructor will send an email.
Complete Loss of Contact
If you lose contact with me completely (i.e. you cannot contact me via
Blackboard or email), you need to call me at my office, and explain the reason
you cannot contact me and leave me a way to contact you.
Lost/Corrupt/Disappeared files
You must keep/save a copy of every project/assignment on an external disk or
personal computer. In the event of any kind of failure (e.g., Blackboard server
crash or virus infection, students own computer crashes, loss of files in
cyberspace, etc) or any contradictions/problems, I may/will request you to
resubmit the files. In other words, if you submit a document to me, and I either
do not receive it (lost in cyberspace) or it is corrupted when I open it, it is
incumbent upon you to resend it to me, corrected, with little or no "downtime"
in regard to the timeline for submission.
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Student Support Services:
SERVICE
CONTACT
Programs Assisting Student Study
ADA
(PASS) 432-552-2630
Accommodation/Support
http://www.utpb.edu/academics/undergraduatesuccess/pass-office
Admissions &
Registration &
Transcripts
(432) 552-2605
http://www.utpb.edu/admissions
1-877-633-9152 (toll-free)
Blackboard Technical
Support
UTPB Online Support Center at
http://aa.utpb.edu/reach/requirements/
(432) 552-0220
Bookstore
Advising
Financial Aid and
Scholarship
http://www.bkstr.com/texaspermianbasinstore/home
UTPB E-Advisor at http://cas.utpb.edu/academicadvising-center/e-advisor/
(432) 552-2620
http://www.utpb.edu/campus-life/financial-aid
(432) 552-2370
UTPB Library
Student Services
Tutoring & Learning
Resources
The J. Conrad Dunagan Library Online at
http://library.utpb.edu/
http://www.utpb.edu/campuslife/studentactivities/studentsenate/committees/student-affairs
If you are taking courses through UTPB the
following links provide services: Smarthinking
Online Tutoring (provides tutoring services),
SmarterMeasure (measures learner readiness for
online course).
Student Success Center:
http://www.utpb.edu/academics/undergraduatesuccess/success-center
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End-of-Course Evaluation & Instructor
Evaluation:
Every student must complete an end-of-course evaluation/survey provided by
UTPB. During the last few weeks of class, you will receive an announcement
through email notifying you that the Course/Instructor Survey is available.
There are three options to access the survey
1. You may follow the link in the email to complete the survey using the
same credentials to access your courses here.
2. When entering Blackboard you will see a list of surveys for you to
complete
3. A button on the left hand menu bar will lead you to the survey from
inside your course.
The survey is anonymous and you responses are confidential. Your feedback
is critical to us and to your instructor as we strive to improve our offerings, and
our support of you, the students.
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Disclaimer & Rights:
Information contained in this syllabus was to the best knowledge of the
instructor considered correct and complete when distributed for use in the
beginning of the semester. However, the instructor reserves the right, acting
within the policies and procedures of UTPB to make changes in the course
content or instructional techniques without notice or obligation. The students
will be informed about the changes, if any.
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Schedule:
Modules
1:Chemistry and
Cells
Online
Discussions
Reading Quiz
Ch 1
Open
8/26
Close
9/15
8/26
9/3
Homework
M1 Article
M1 Exam
2: Metabolism:
Online
Photosynthesis and Discussions
Cellular
Respiration
Reading Quiz
Homework
3: DNA and Cell
Division
M2 Article
M2 Exam
Online
Discussions
Reading Quiz
Homework
4: Inheritance and
Gene Expression
M3 Article
M3 Exam
Online
Discussions
Reading Quiz
Homework
Ch 2
Ch 5
Ch 6
Ch 7
1
2
3
8/26
8/26
8/26
8/26
8/26
8/26
8/26
8/26
9/14
9/16
9/3
9/5
9/9
9/9
9/5
9/8
9/12
9/12
9/15
10/6
Ch 8
Ch 10
Ch 9
4
5
6
9/16
9/16
9/16
9/16
9/16
9/16
9/16
10/5
10/7
9/23
9/23
9/23
9/26
9/29
10/3
10/3
10/6
10/27
Ch 16
Ch 12
Ch 13
7
8
9
10/7
10/7
10/7
10/7
10/7
10/7
10/7
10/26
10/28
10/15
10/19
10/22
10/17
10/20
10/24
10/24
10/27
11/17
Ch 14
Ch 15
Ch 17
Ch 18
10
10/28
10/28
10/28
10/28
10/28
11/5
11/5
11/12
11/12
11/7
5: Evolution
M4 Article
M4 Exam
Online
Discussions
Reading Quiz
Homework
M5 Article
M5 Exam
11
12
10/28
10/28
10/28
11/16
11/18
11/10
11/14
11/14
11/17
12/8
Ch 22
Ch 23
Ch 24
13
14
15
11/18
11/18
11/18
11/18
11/18
11/18
11/18
12/7
11/24
11/24
12/3
11/25
12/1
12/5
12/5
12/8
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