Bio 113 Syllabus - Fall 2006
Instructor:
Dr. H. Johnson
Office Location: TCNW 205G
Office Hours: MW 9:00-11:00 a.m. Other hours by appointment.
Phone: 745-5136
e-mail: Heather.Johnson@wku.edu
Tentative
Lecture/ Exam Schedule
Week 1 Web Introduction and Class Mechanics
A Little Chemistry/Biochemistry
Intro to Biological Macromolecules
Week 2 Carbohydrates and Starchy Stuff
Lipids: Fats and Oils
Week 3 Proteins
Nutrition
Nucleic Acids
Week 4 First Exam -100 points
DNA/RNA/Proteins
Week 5 Metabolism/The Central Dogma
Cell Division/Cancer
Genetics I
Week 6 Genetics II
Human Genetic Disorders
Week 7 Human Genetic Disorders
Second exam -100 points
Bacteria
Week 8 Viruses
Emerging Diseases
Week 9 Biodiversity
Plants and Fungi
Evolution
Week 10 Third Exam -100 points
Human Biology: Tissues, Organs and Systems
Week 11 Circulation: Heart Disease
The Immune System
Week 12 The Nervous System
Muscles and Bones
Week 13 Digestion and Nutrition
Fourth Exam -100 points
Week 14 Special Topics-
Drug Development
Week 15 Biotechnology I
Organ Transplantation
World Population Growth
Comprehensive Final Exam - 200 points
Course Objectives:
This course is designed to give you a solid foundation of the basic principles
of biology and apply those to real-world situations, including current events.
It will cover biological concepts, processes, and theories. Bio 113 will increase
your understanding of the basic building blocks of life, your own body systems,
other organisms, and the world around you.
Course Requirements:
This is a Nonmajors Biology course and has no prerequisites. There is no book
for this class. All the material you need is Online. You will need to purchase
5 BLUE-GREEN Scan-Tron
sheets (FORM # 882-E) from the bookstore (10 cents each) for use with Exams.
Click on the words "Scan-Tron sheets" above to see what this form looks like.
Requirements for this class include either prior knowledge of how to use a typical
web site, or a willingness to learn on your own during the first week of class.
This is because course announcements, lessons, all reading assignments, most
quizzes, and details explaining the policies for this course are found on the
Internet.
Computer-based learning:
Owning your own computer is not required
for successful completion of this course. There are several computer labs located
throughout the campus: at the Library, DUC, TCCW, etc. Click here for a link
to WKU's computer lab locations and hours of operation: WKU
Computer Labs. However, most students find that it is more convenient to
have his/her own computer with access to the Internet (located in his/her own
room). Since a computer can be the most valuable tool you can have while in
college, it is strongly suggested that you purchase one. The computer that you
use must have the following FREE software installed: Either Browser (e.g. Netscape
or Internet Explorer) version 4.0 or higher and the plug-ins listed on the Bio
113 Intro Page . The course looks, and works, much better with InterNet
Explorer.
To receive the full benefit of our
website, you need 4 FREE "Plug-ins" (e.g. Flash, Quicktime, and Real Player).
Plug-ins are little programs that work with your browser, expanding its capabilities,
so that you can view motion and sound over the Internet. The computers at DUC,
the Libray and Grise already have the plugins installed. Again, these Plug-ins
are FREE; you do not need to order or pay for the Plug-ins. See the Bio
113 Intro Page for a list of the plugins.
Need Help?
If you find the course incomprehensible
or need extra help, be sure to come to my office or schedule an appointment
with me (see above or: http://bioweb.wku.edu/faculty/DeHart/Default.html).
If you have problems with the mechanics or material in this course, e-mail me (Heather.Johnson@wku.edu) or come and see me BEFORE the due date, Exam date, etc. I am more than happy to help. However, if you wait until afterwards, or until the last second (i.e. the night before), you will receive NO MERCY.
Study Strategies: Click on this link for study strategies, such as a method called SQ5R, Notetaking, and Concept Mapping. These strategies will help you study for any class.
The Learning Center: If you need tutoring in this class (highly recommended for those with averages below 75% at this point, but available for ANYONE, no matter how high your grade is - check your grades online to determine your present average, or see me) you can just drop in at The Learning Center (A330 DUC) or make an appointment to better suit your schedule. The Learning Center is available for help not only in this class, but for all your classes.
Check out their website at: www.wku.edu/tlc or e-mail them at tlc@wku.edu or call them at 745-6254.
According to The Learning Center: "If anyone needs to meet with a tutor outside of those hours, all they need to do is ask! We will try our best to accomodate each student's schedule!" There are NO EXCUSES for turning down READILY ACCESSIBLE FREE HELP! Don't wait until it is mathematically impossible to succeed in a class before getting help.
Link to Many Other Free Tutoring Services at WKU: http://www.wku.edu/teaching/tutoringhandout.html for all of your classes, ex. The Math Lab, The Writing Center, Foreign Language Tutoring, etc.
Policies:
Attendance is not required for this class. The only times you "must" attend are for Exams. Therefore, I do not need excuses for missed classes other than Exams (see below). You should arrive to class in a punctual manner with a minimum of noise and disruption (be polite). Since the class has a web site, paying attention in class may be more important than taking notes. Almost all (99%) of the class material can be found @ the BIO 113 web site, so you really shouldn't have to write down a whole bunch of stuff every lecture. You might find it helpful to print out the material ahead of time for class and add notes to the margins or you can conserve paper and just come with a list of questions on the topics you need clarification on. Attending class does give you the benefit of being able to ask questions as the material is covered. You may also benefit from the questions of others. Do not hesitate to ask questions in or outside of class. You are encouraged to work with other students as you study for this course; however, at no time will excess talking during the class be permitted (again, a politeness thing). Also, cell phones and beepers should be set to vibrate and phones should be answered outside of class.
To Get a Good Grade in This Course:
1. COME TO CLASS
2. PAY ATTENTION
3. TAKE GOOD NOTES
4. IF YOU ARE EVER ABSENT: You should plan to set aside an hour to go over the material missed in class, since each class lasts for an hour, plus another hour or two or more to study the material and pick out the important information for EACH TIME YOU MISS CLASS. Remember that I probably have 3 more college degrees (B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Biology) than most of you, plus a Certification in Education, and that it is my job to present the material to you in such a way that the important points are emphasized (i.e., things that you are most likely to be tested on) and difficult material is explained in such a way that you understand it. In my experience, if you choose to take these tasks on and attempt to teach yourself, you will end up achieving at least a letter grade lower than if you had let me do my job.
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act:
Due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA ), if you are 18 years old or older, I cannot discuss your grades, etc. with your parents.
Academic Misconduct:
Dishonesty on quizzes, exams, or written assignments (see WKU's plagiarism statement below) will result in a failing grade for the class. Computers are wonderful things. Each time you send me an assignment the computer tells me where you are and when you sent it (and more if I wish). This means I can tell when two people take the same quiz or assignment from the same computer within a short period of time. If the assignment is for credit then this is cheating and it will not be tolerated.
WKU's Plagiarism Definition: "To represent written work taken from another source as one's own is plagiarism. Plagiarism is a serious offense. The academic work of a student must be his/her own. Once must give any author credit for source material borrowed from him/her. To lift content directly from a source without giving credit is a flagrant act. To present a borrowed passage without reference to the source after having changed a few words is also plagiarism." Plagiarism FAQs
Assignments:
Of course you should read the web site before class. The Internet, in general, can also be a useful source of information. Students who do not do the required reading (AKA: don't try very hard) frequently have difficulty, as they would in any course.
All the due dates for tests and assignments are posted well ahead of time (see the Calendar). That means don't even try to tell me you "didn't know something was due, can I turn it in late?".
Online Quizzes:
The Online Quizzes are graded work. This means that they must be done independently. I can tell if two students submit quizzes from the same or adjacent computers.
Online Quizzes cover the material in the corresponding Section in Course Documents and may be repeated until the due date/time to achieve as many points as possible, up to 25 points maximum/quiz. Note that the LAST submission will be the one recorded, which may not necessarily be the highest.
Practice quizzes are practice for you only. They are self-grading and are not assignments graded by me. These quizzes will help you to assess your level of knowledge and understanding of particular topics throughout the course.
Exams:
The exams will directly reflect the material covered in class. The readings on the web site are the most important part of this material and will be used to fill in gaps in material that cannot be covered due in class to time constraints. All exams are closed-book exams.
Exams may include essay, true/false, fill-in-the-blank, multiple choice, matching, diagrams, and other types of questions. Once the first student leaves the Exam (finishes the Exam) no other students will be admitted to the room. I keep all exams and scan-tron/answer sheets on file in my office. You may come by and review them/study what you missed. I do not return exams.
The final exam is COMPREHENSIVE, which means that it covers all the material in BIO 113. It will be given ONLY during the university designated time.EXAM PENALTIES: 5 points will be deducted from the exam score for each of the following infractions: not bringing scan-tron sheet to exam/in-class quiz, writing on exam unless expressly told to do so, not putting name on scan-tron/answer sheet, or not putting exam number on scan-tron sheet.
Makeup Exams/Excuses:
Grades for all exams/quizzes/assignments will be posted in Blackboard within 1 week of the exam/due date (see course calendar for exact dates for exams/quizzes/assignments and grade postings. 1 week later, or as noted on the Course Calendar, you MUST present your valid written excuse for the exam you missed or your valid receipt for the quiz/assignment not posted for you.
Note: You will have plenty of time to complete quizzes and assignments. The only way that you be able to make up a quiz or assignment is if you have an excuse that spans the entire time from the announcement of that quiz/assignment to the due date for that quiz/assignment.
Make-up Exams: Make-up exams will be given only in the case of university approved excused absences. You must provide a documented excuse (WKU-sponsored event, legally required court appearance, healthcare provider-documented personal illness, death in your immediate family - spouse, child, sibling, parent, grandparent). Failure to contact me within 1 week of the exam (exact dates noted on the Course Calendar) will result in a zero recorded for that test grade. DOCUMENTED excuses may be presented to me in person, faxed attention to me (270-745-6856), or SCANNED in and e-mailed to me. MAKE-UP EXAMS MAY BE GIVEN IN THE AFTERNOON ON THE LAST DAY OF FINAL EXAMS FOR THE SEMESTER AT THE DISCRETION OF THE INSTRUCTOR.
Extra Credit:
Extra credit is just that, extra. Please do not complain or badger about the ease, availability, or the effect on your grade of Extra credit. Extra credit will be assigned at my discretion only. Any extra credit will be offered to the class only; I do not offer extra credit on an individual basis.
Online Grades:
See this Blackboard site (Student Tools) for online grades. I enter your grades for the online assignments manually, so give me a little time before you expect your grade to show up. Keep in mind that "-" means that I haven't entered your grade in yet, whereas "0" means that you received a zero on that assignment/quiz/exam.Please note that your "Assessment Average" calculated by Blackboard is only that work that Blackboard itself has graded (i.e., quizzes) and does not include in-class exams or written assignments.
Grades for all exams/quizzes/assignments will be posted in Blackboard within 1 week of the exam/due date (see course calendar for exact dates for exams/quizzes/assignments and grade postings. 1 week later, or as noted on the Course Calendar, you MUST present your valid written excuse for the exam you missed or your valid receipt for the quiz/assignment not posted for you. See section above regarding receipts and make-ups.DOCUMENTED excuses may be presented to me in person, faxed attention to me (270-745-6856), or SCANNED in and e-mailed to me.
VALID receipts for assignments will have the following information (no others will be accepted): 1. YOUR name, 2. date and time on or BEFORE the DUE DATE AND TIME, AND 3. computer location code, for example: 161.6.9.161
BE SURE TO ALWAYS PRINT AND KEEP YOUR RECEIPTS for the assignments in case they get stuck in cyberland between your computer and mine.
Grading:
There will be a total of 825 points possible in this course, consisting of some variation of:
Total - 825 points
Other quizzes or assignments may be made at which time the total points possible will be altered to include the points for these assignments.
Percentage of the total grade; points
I assign grades based on whole numbers, meaning that grades ending in a decimal of .5+ round up to the next whole number.
Withdrawals and Audits:
If you wish to audit or withdraw from the course you should do so by the dates mandated by the University. Be sure you are aware of these dates because credit for the course will not be changed to an audit after the university designated time. You also cannot drop the class or change to Audit or Withdraw after the designated time. Be aware that IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO DROP THE CLASS. Do not assume that I will do this for you. University policy states, "Students who, without previous arrangement with the instructor or department, fail to attend the first two class meetings of a course meeting multiple times per week or the first meeting of a class that meets one time per week MAY be dropped from the course; however, students are responsible for officially dropping any course for which they have enrolled."
Disabilities:
"In compliance with university policy, students with disabilities who require accommodations (academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids or services) for this course must contact the Office for Student Disability Services in DUC A-200 of the Student Success Center in Downing University Center. Please DO NOT request accommodations directly from the professor or instructor without a letter of accommodation from the Office for Student Disability Services."
Note that if you require accommodations, you may be required to take exams at another location. In order to receive your accommodations or, if at any time during the semester you want to change your testing arrangements, you must see me at least 3 days prior to the upcoming exam date.
If you need extra time on assignments or quizzes, you must make arrangements with me PRIOR TO THE DUE DATE of the assignment or quiz. Accommodations cannot be made retroactively.
