Exploring Biology Distance Learning class Syllabus for section 68541, Summer 2008 Instructor: Jean Replicon Office: SCI-130 Phone: 408-855-5267 Mailbox: Room SCI-131 Email: replicon@coastside.net Syllabus online: http://www.missioncollege.org/depts/biology/replicon/BIOSC8syllabus.htm In person class meetings: All meetings held from 5:30-7:30pm Orientation: June 2nd E3-601 Midterm June 19th E3-301 Final Exam July 10th N3-401 How to contact me: Email: Anytime, replicon@coastside.net “Have a Question” discussion forum on ANGEL: Anytime Live Chat on ANGEL: Thursdays 10:00-10:30pm Virtual office hours using CCC confer: Mondays: 11am-12pm Dial your telephone conference line: (888) 886-3951 Enter your pass code: 920122 If you hear silence, please let me know that you are on the line Course Description: BIOSC 8 is an introductory biology course designed for post-secondary students seeking to meet transfer and general education requirements or interested in personal enrichment. The course investigates a broad range of biology topics, concepts, and principles, such as the chemical basis of life, evolution, plant and animal biology, and ecology. It examines the scientific method and considers both its promises and limitations. ANGEL Class website access: http://wvmccd.angellearning.com or by clicking Angel log in on the Quick link menu of Mission College home page. Your user name is your student ID # and your initial password is your 6 digit birth date Need help getting with ANGEL? See student tutorial quick guide at http://angelsupport.missioncollege.org/students/ Video podcasts that correspond to the assigned readings will be available under the Lessons area of ANGEL. To view these podcasts you will need the latest version of QuickTime. It is available to download free http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/ The podcasts are password protected. To access them, please enter the user name and password announced in the orientation class by the instructor. Textbook website: The text has many resources available to students including practice quizzes, exams and flashcards. Go to http://www.mhhe.com/tlwessentials2 and click on Resources tab to find these. Course information: This six week summer class is self-guided and requires a lot of reading and assignments. It is designed for the student who can work independently. The video portion provides an overview of the course material. It is meant to complement, not replace, a videopodcast lectures. This course requires basic computer skills. It is often difficult to feel in touch with other classmates and the instructor. Use the “Have a Question” Discussion forum to share your ideas with one another, comment on course material, and post questions for the instructor. Students often have similar questions. Posting your questions allows everyone to benefit from the response instead of just emailing the instructor. Feel free to answer each other’s questions to test your knowledge and help out one another. Text and Supplemental Materials: (Required) Essentials of the Living World (second ed.) by George Johnson and Jonathan Losos (McGraw-Hill) 2008. (available in bookstore) Alternately, you can purchase a one year lisence for the electronic version from http://www.coursesmart.com (Required) Cycles of Life:Exploring Biology, The Complete 2 DVD set Coast Learning Systems (available in bookstore) (Required) Computer Access with Email account Two scantrons (882-E) and No. 2 Pencil Class Policies: You are expected to conduct yourself in a professional manner at all times. If inappropriate comments are made on-line, the instructor may delete the comments and report the student to the dean. Cheating and plagiarism in any form is not tolerated. Cheating includes copying sections of another students work from a previous semester and/or working in collaboration with another student for any assignment and/or using source material directly without crediting it. Please review the Mission College 2007-2008 Catalog for clarification of the policies on cheating. Any student found cheating will receive at least the minimum disciplinary action of a zero for that assignment. The instructor reserves the option to report the student to the dean, if classroom policies are violated. Do not post questions about your grades or other personal information on the message board. Please email me grading questions. No make-up exams, quizzes, or assignments will be given. The course schedule at the end of this syllabus lists all deadlines. Weekly folder You can locate the assignments, discussions, and quizzes in the folder for the week they are due. Items are due twice weekly to keep you on track. Assignments will be posted on ANGEL and are designed to help you understand key concepts from the course. In order to successfully complete this course you will need to stay up-to-date with the assignments. Download the assignment files and fill in answers in gray shaded areas (will expand to any length answer). Save the file using your name in the title, for example: Ann_Nguyen_Assign_A.doc Upload to corresponding drop box by midnight on Thursday.. Early submissions are welcome and will be graded first. It is recommended that you review the instructor’s feedback and understand all questions you missed because these same concepts will appear in quizzes and on exams. Assignments submitted late will receive a 10% grade deduction. Late assignments are only accepted for 1 week after the due date. Discussions involve posting your ideas where everyone can read your work. Clicking on the Discussion icon will lead you to the discussion topic for that week. For each discussion, read the directions and make two postings about the topic prior to the Thursday midnight deadline. Your posts must contain real substance and original ideas in order to receive full credit. For example writing just I agree would not be given no points. Since you will be able to read all other student comments, I want each comment to be unique. Start a discussion idea by clicking New Post. Respond to what others have already posted by clicking Reply. At least one of your weekly entries should be a Reply to another student’s idea. Please be sure to be respectful of others right to opinions Quizzes will be taken online in ANGEL. These open note quizzes must be completed before midnight on the due date. Before the quiz, review the video podcasts, textbook readings, study guide and all notes you have taken. Be sure to have your completed assignments and notes handy before taking the quiz. Once you access the quiz, you will be forced to complete it. Choose a time when you can focus and will not be interrupted. Click on the quiz only when you are really ready to begin. There is a 60 minute time limit for each quiz. Read each question carefully and then choose the best response. Do not exit the quiz once you begin since you will not be able to re-access the quiz. When you are done with all questions, click submit and you will automatically receive your grade after completing it. The correct answers to quiz questions will be available on ANGEL soon after the due date. It is recommended that you review and understand all questions you missed because these same concepts will appear in future exams. Exams will be taken on campus on the scheduled dates. Alternate arrangements, must be made a full week in advance. Exams will be multiple choice, T/F, and matching questions. You will need a scantron for each exam. Electronic translators, dictionaries, and any other study aids cannot be used. You must bring a valid picture ID to all exams. A Study Log is a record of a students time spent each week studying for this class. For a typical 6 week, 3 unit Summer class, a student is expected to attend 10.6 hrs of class and spend at least an equal amount of time studying. Since we generally do not meet for class, you should plan to spend about 21 hrs per week on class work, reading and assignments. In your study log please record each day and time you spent on on the following activities: Taking notes on reading (confirmed by notes submitted with study log) Taking notes on podcasts (confirmed by notes and ANGEL access record) Taking notes on assigned videos (confirmed by notes submitted with study log) Working on and reviewing Assignments (confirmed by instructor with ANGEL) Working on and reviewing Quizzes (confirmed by instructor with ANGEL) Participating in Discussions (confirmed by instructor with ANGEL) Each student is asked to submit their study log twice during the semester, once at the midterm and once at the final. Students satisfying the class expectations for time spent studying will receive full credit for their study logs (35 pts) Your study log may be in any format, as long as it contains the essential information. See sample study log for Week 1 Grade Determination: Student grades will be posted regularly on ANGEL. This can be accessed by going to the “Records” tab and selecting A students overall score will also be posted. Below are the components of your course grade: Points Percentage_ Discussions (6 @ 15 pts) 90 points 9 % Assignments (6 @ 50 pts) 300 points 30 % Quizzes (4 @ 60 points) 240 points 24 % Exams (2 @ 150 pts) 300 points 30 Study Log (2 @ 35 pts) 70 points 7 %__ Total points 1,000points 100 % A= > 900 B= 800 to 899 C=700 to 799 D= 600 to 699 F= < 599 A= > 90% B= 80-89.9% C=70-79.9% D= 60-69.9% F= < 59.9% This course may be taken for Credit/No Credit. The instructor must be notified in writing by the 2nd week of class if you wish to exercise this option. Credit will be given to students who attain over 700 points. Extra credit opportunities will be available. See details on the Lessons page on ANGEL. If you decide not to complete this course, it is your responsibility to drop. Important dates for enrollment are listed below. It is the students responsibility to keep these dates in mind. Under no circumstances will the instructor be dropping students after the withdrawl deadline. Last day to Drop for Enrollment fee refund: 10% of class meetings Last day to Drop w/o a W on student record (no refund): 20% of class meetings Last day to Drop with a W (withdraw): 75% of class meetings The instructor reserves the option to drop a student, if absent for the mandatory orientation or fails to participate in ten percent of the on-line portion of the class. Habits of a Successful Distance Learning student: Getting off to the right start: 1. Reread the syllabus and schedule at home 2. Purchase textbook and DVDs required for the class 3. Log onto ANGEL at http://wvmccd.angellearning.com Your user name is your student ID # and your initial password is your 6 digit birth date 1. 3. If you need ANGEL help see http://angelsupport.missioncollege.org/students/ 5. You should have already received a welcoming email from me. If you did not, the college may not have your current email address. Go to My Web Services on the Mission College homepage and supply your current email address. 6. Get organized to start this course. If you have a personal calendar, mark all of the course due dates onto it. Late work is not acceptable. Staying on track: 1. Each week log onto ANGEL and open the folder for the current week. Each folder will contain the material for the week including any assignments, discussions or quizzes that are due. 2. Since the class does not meet each week, it is important to stay on track and not get behind. Each week there will be several items that are due. This insures students do not fall behind in class 3. Try to log on at regular times to create a routine. Make sure to check the announcements and message board for any additional information. 4. If you have questions about the course material, please post them to the “Have a Question” Discussion Forum 5. Print out the STUDY TIPS handout each week and follow the instructions given. It should be used as a study guide for note taking. It lists terms and concepts that students are expected to know. 6. Watch the video(s) assigned and take notes on them. Be sure to pay special attention to questions about the video asked in the Assignments that are due that week. 7. Study the textbook section by section: a. View video podcasts for a chapter section and take notes b. Read the corresponding pages in the text and take notes c. When taking notes use the STUDY TIPS as a guide to what is important 8. A large percentage (30%) of your grade is awarded are through on-campus exams. You can be sure to perform well on these important closed note exams by doing the following: a. Keep up with all assignments and readings b. Do all of your own work c. Set aside enough time to study for the exam.. d. Know well the terms and concepts given on the STUDY TIPS student guide each week. e. Spend time reviewing the questions you missed on assignments and quizzes. f. Arrive on time for your exams with a picture ID, scantron and pencil. School Policies: You are responsible for securing your belongings at all times. In the event of an emergency, take your belongings and leave the building through the nearest exit as directed by the instructor. Any student who feels they may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact me privately to discuss your specific needs. Please contact DISC (Disability Instructional Support Center) located in S2-201 (408-855-5085 or 408-727-9243 TTY) to coordinate reasonable accommodations for students with verifiable documentation. If you have a complaint or someone has shared information with you as a student or employee that is unlawful discrimination or sexual harassment, contact the Director of Human Resources at (408) 741-2060 CLASS SCHEDULE:

Exploring Biology Distance Learning class

Syllabus for section 68541, Summer 2008

Instructor: Jean Replicon

Office: SCI-130

Phone: 408-855-5267

Mailbox: Room SCI-131

Email: replicon@coastside.net

Syllabus online: http://www.missioncollege.org/depts/biology/replicon/BIOSC8syllabus.htm

In person class meetings: All meetings held from 5:30-7:30pm

Orientation: June 2nd E3-601

Midterm June 19th E3-301

Final Exam July 10th N3-401

How to contact me:

Email: Anytime, replicon@coastside.net

“Have a Question” discussion forum on ANGEL: Anytime

Live Chat on ANGEL: Thursdays 10:00-10:30pm

Virtual office hours using CCC confer: Mondays: 11am-12pm

Dial your telephone conference line: (888) 886-3951

Enter your pass code: 920122

If you hear silence, please let me know that you are on the line

Course Description:

BIOSC 8 is an introductory biology course designed for post-secondary students seeking to meet transfer and general education requirements or interested in personal enrichment. The course investigates a broad range of biology topics, concepts, and principles, such as the chemical basis of life, evolution, plant and animal biology, and ecology. It examines the scientific method and considers both its promises and limitations.

ANGEL Class website access: http://wvmccd.angellearning.com

or by clicking Angel log in on the Quick link menu of Mission College home page.

Your user name is your student ID # and your initial password is your 6 digit birth date

Need help getting with ANGEL? See student tutorial quick guide at

http://angelsupport.missioncollege.org/students/

Video podcasts that correspond to the assigned readings will be available under the Lessons area of ANGEL. To view these podcasts you will need the latest version of QuickTime. It is available to download free http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/

The podcasts are password protected. To access them, please enter the user name and password announced in the orientation class by the instructor.

Textbook website: The text has many resources available to students including practice quizzes, exams and flashcards. Go to http://www.mhhe.com/tlwessentials2 and click on Resources tab to find these.

Course information:

This six week summer class is self-guided and requires a lot of reading and assignments. It is designed for the student who can work independently. The video portion provides an overview of the course material. It is meant to complement, not replace, a videopodcast lectures. This course requires basic computer skills.

It is often difficult to feel in touch with other classmates and the instructor. Use the “Have a Question” Discussion forum to share your ideas with one another, comment on course material, and post questions for the instructor. Students often have similar questions. Posting your questions allows everyone to benefit from the response instead of just emailing the instructor. Feel free to answer each other’s questions to test your knowledge and help out one another.

Text and Supplemental Materials:

(Required) Essentials of the Living World (second ed.)

by George Johnson and Jonathan Losos (McGraw-Hill) 2008.

(available in bookstore)

Alternately, you can purchase a one year lisence for the electronic version from http://www.coursesmart.com

(Required) Cycles of Life:Exploring Biology, The Complete 2 DVD set

Coast Learning Systems (available in bookstore)

(Required) Computer Access with Email account

Two scantrons (882-E) and No. 2 Pencil

Class Policies:

You are expected to conduct yourself in a professional manner at all times. If inappropriate comments are made on-line, the instructor may delete the comments and report the student to the dean. Cheating and plagiarism in any form is not tolerated. Cheating includes copying sections of another students work from a previous semester and/or working in collaboration with another student for any assignment and/or using source material directly without crediting it. Please review the Mission College 2007-2008 Catalog for clarification of the policies on cheating. Any student found cheating will receive at least the minimum disciplinary action of a zero for that assignment. The instructor reserves the option to report the student to the dean, if classroom policies are violated. Do not post questions about your grades or other personal information on the message board. Please email me grading questions.

No make-up exams, quizzes, or assignments will be given. The course schedule at the end of this syllabus lists all deadlines.

Weekly folder You can locate the assignments, discussions, and quizzes in the folder for the week they are due. Items are due twice weekly to keep you on track.

Assignments will be posted on ANGEL and are designed to help you understand key concepts from the course. In order to successfully complete this course you will need to stay up-to-date with the assignments. Download the assignment files and fill in answers in gray shaded areas (will expand to any length answer). Save the file using your name in the title, for example: Ann_Nguyen_Assign_A.doc Upload to corresponding drop box by midnight on Thursday.. Early submissions are welcome and will be graded first. It is recommended that you review the instructor’s feedback and understand all questions you missed because these same concepts will appear in quizzes and on exams. Assignments submitted late will receive a 10% grade deduction. Late assignments are only accepted for 1 week after the due date.

Discussions involve posting your ideas where everyone can read your work. Clicking on the Discussion icon will lead you to the discussion topic for that week. For each discussion, read the directions and make two postings about the topic prior to the Thursday midnight deadline. Your posts must contain real substance and original ideas in order to receive full credit. For example writing just I agree would not be given no points. Since you will be able to read all other student comments, I want each comment to be unique. Start a discussion idea by clicking New Post. Respond to what others have already posted by clicking Reply. At least one of your weekly entries should be a Reply to another student’s idea. Please be sure to be respectful of others right to opinions

Quizzes will be taken online in ANGEL. These open note quizzes must be completed before midnight on the due date. Before the quiz, review the video podcasts, textbook readings, study guide and all notes you have taken. Be sure to have your completed assignments and notes handy before taking the quiz. Once you access the quiz, you will be forced to complete it. Choose a time when you can focus and will not be interrupted. Click on the quiz only when you are really ready to begin. There is a 60 minute time limit for each quiz. Read each question carefully and then choose the best response. Do not exit the quiz once you begin since you will not be able to re-access the quiz. When you are done with all questions, click submit and you will automatically receive your grade after completing it. The correct answers to quiz questions will be available on ANGEL soon after the due date. It is recommended that you review and understand all questions you missed because these same concepts will appear in future exams.

Exams will be taken on campus on the scheduled dates. Alternate arrangements, must be made a full week in advance. Exams will be multiple choice, T/F, and matching questions. You will need a scantron for each exam. Electronic translators, dictionaries, and any other study aids cannot be used. You must bring a valid picture ID to all exams.

A Study Log is a record of a students time spent each week studying for this class. For a typical 6 week, 3 unit Summer class, a student is expected to attend 10.6 hrs of class and spend at least an equal amount of time studying. Since we generally do not meet for class, you should plan to spend about 21 hrs per week on class work, reading and assignments. In your study log please record each day and time you spent on on the following activities:

Taking notes on reading (confirmed by notes submitted with study log)

Taking notes on podcasts (confirmed by notes and ANGEL access record)

Taking notes on assigned videos (confirmed by notes submitted with study log)

Working on and reviewing Assignments (confirmed by instructor with ANGEL)

Working on and reviewing Quizzes (confirmed by instructor with ANGEL)

Participating in Discussions (confirmed by instructor with ANGEL)

Each student is asked to submit their study log twice during the semester, once at the midterm and once at the final. Students satisfying the class expectations for time spent studying will receive full credit for their study logs (35 pts)

Your study log may be in any format, as long as it contains the essential information. See sample study log for Week 1

Grade Determination: Student grades will be posted regularly on ANGEL. This can be accessed by going to the “Records” tab and selecting

A students overall score will also be posted. Below are the components of your course grade:

Points Percentage_

Discussions (6 @ 15 pts) 90 points 9 %

Assignments (6 @ 50 pts) 300 points 30 %

Quizzes (4 @ 60 points) 240 points 24 %

Exams (2 @ 150 pts) 300 points 30

Study Log (2 @ 35 pts) 70 points 7 %__

Total points 1,000points 100 %

A= > 900 B= 800 to 899 C=700 to 799 D= 600 to 699 F= < 599

A= > 90% B= 80-89.9% C=70-79.9% D= 60-69.9% F= < 59.9%

This course may be taken for Credit/No Credit. The instructor must be notified in writing by the 2nd week of class if you wish to exercise this option. Credit will be given to students who attain over 700 points.

Extra credit opportunities will be available. See details on the Lessons page on ANGEL.

If you decide not to complete this course, it is your responsibility to drop. Important dates for enrollment are listed below. It is the students responsibility to keep these dates in mind. Under no circumstances will the instructor be dropping students after the withdrawl deadline.

Last day to Drop for Enrollment fee refund: 10% of class meetings

Last day to Drop w/o a W on student record (no refund): 20% of class meetings

Last day to Drop with a W (withdraw): 75% of class meetings

The instructor reserves the option to drop a student, if absent for the mandatory orientation or fails to participate in ten percent of the on-line portion of the class.

Habits of a Successful Distance Learning student:

Getting off to the right start:

1.Reread the syllabus and schedule at home

2.Purchase textbook and DVDs required for the class

3. Log onto ANGEL at http://wvmccd.angellearning.com Your user name is your student ID # and your initial password is your 6 digit birth date

3.If you need ANGEL help see http://angelsupport.missioncollege.org/students/

5. You should have already received a welcoming email from me. If you did not, the college may not have your current email address. Go to My Web Services on the Mission College homepage and supply your current email address.

6. Get organized to start this course. If you have a personal calendar, mark all of the course due dates onto it. Late work is not acceptable.

Staying on track:

1. Each week log onto ANGEL and open the folder for the current week. Each folder will contain the material for the week including any assignments, discussions or quizzes that are due.

2. Since the class does not meet each week, it is important to stay on track and not get behind. Each week there will be several items that are due. This insures students do not fall behind in class

3. Try to log on at regular times to create a routine. Make sure to check the announcements and message board for any additional information.

4. If you have questions about the course material, please post them to the “Have a Question” Discussion Forum

5. Print out the STUDY TIPS handout each week and follow the instructions given. It should be used as a study guide for note taking. It lists terms and concepts that students are expected to know.

6. Watch the video(s) assigned and take notes on them. Be sure to pay special attention to questions about the video asked in the Assignments that are due that week.

7. Study the textbook section by section:

a. View video podcasts for a chapter section and take notes

b. Read the corresponding pages in the text and take notes

c. When taking notes use the STUDY TIPS as a guide to what is important

8. A large percentage (30%) of your grade is awarded are through on-campus exams. You can be sure to perform well on these important closed note exams by doing the following:

a. Keep up with all assignments and readings

b. Do all of your own work

c. Set aside enough time to study for the exam..

d. Know well the terms and concepts given on the STUDY TIPS student guide each week.

e. Spend time reviewing the questions you missed on assignments and quizzes.

f. Arrive on time for your exams with a picture ID, scantron and pencil.

School Policies:

You are responsible for securing your belongings at all times. In the event of an emergency, take your belongings and leave the building through the nearest exit as directed by the instructor.

Any student who feels they may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact me privately to discuss your specific needs. Please contact DISC (Disability Instructional Support Center) located in S2-201 (408-855-5085 or 408-727-9243 TTY) to coordinate reasonable accommodations for students with verifiable documentation.

If you have a complaint or someone has shared information with you as a student or employee that is unlawful discrimination or sexual harassment, contact the Director of Human Resources at (408) 741-2060

CLASS SCHEDULE: