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Syllabus

Science Prerequisites for Health Professionals

BIOL 1011: Biology II – Fall 2022

Credits - 4

Description

Biology II is a four-credit course incorporating an at-home laboratory component. This course is designed for individuals with a baccalaureate degree who need Biology as a prerequisite to apply for admission to various health professions programs, such as, but not limited to, graduate programs in dietetics, nursing, physical therapy, physician assistant, nurse anesthesia, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, dental medicine and medicine.  The emphasis of the course is on providing a conceptual framework for understanding the basics of modern biology, ecology and biodiversity so that the student will be well equipped to apply this knowledge in his or her further studies.

Materials

Textbook

Biology, 5th edition by Brooker, Widmair, Graham and Stiling

The text for this course is an ebook with homework assignments as part of your purchase. You can buy access to these at the UNE bookstore or after you have enrolled in the course, you can buy it directly from the publisher by clicking on the first homework link. If you purchase it from the bookstore, it will ask for a course website. Simply go to the first week site and click on the first homework link. You can then enter your access code there.

Note: for students who took Biology I prior to this course, the same book and homework system will be used. The access that you purchase for Biology I will last for one calendar year so that if you complete both courses within this time frame, you will NOT need to purchase any additional text materials for Biology II. You will be able to use the same code that you used in Biology I for the text.

Lab & Exam Material

 The cost of the laboratory materials is not included in the laboratory fee and must be purchased by the student directly from the supplier, Hands on Labs/Science Interactive (HOL). The lab pack includes access to the online HOL website and the supplies needed to perform the experiments that will accompany this course. You may need to supply other basic items such as paper towels, scissors, a pen, etc. but these will all be listed in the laboratory information from HOL.  

For the best experience, check the system requirements from the publisher. 

  • It is mandatory for students enrolled in the course to order a lab kit.
  • The kit must be purchased directly through Hands-on Labs and cannot be purchased second hand or from another vendor.
  • Students must complete both parts of every lab – the assigned experiment and the corresponding assignment online – to earn a grade for the lab.

Dry-Erase Whiteboard with Marker and Eraser (Optional for Proctored Exams)

This course permits the use of a dry-erase whiteboard for scratch work during one or more of your proctored exams. It must be purchase from the following seller.

Official UNE External Webcam and whiteboard* – To be used during proctored exams

You must show your proctor that your whiteboard is clear at the beginning of your testing session, and you must erase your whiteboard in front of the proctor before disconnecting from your session. If you do not do this, your exam will not be credited.

The cost of the laboratory materials is not included in the laboratory fee and must be purchased by the student directly from the supplier, Hands on Labs/Science Interactive (HOL). The lab pack includes access to the online HOL website and the supplies needed to perform the experiments that will accompany this course. You may need to supply other basic items such as paper towels, scissors, a pen, etc. but these will all be listed in the laboratory information from HOL. You should plan on ordering your lab kit once you have registered for the course.

For the best experience, check the system requirements from the publisher. 

  • It is mandatory for students enrolled in the course to order a lab kit.
  • The kit must be purchased directly through Hands-on Labs and cannot be purchased second hand or from another vendor.
  • Students must complete both parts of every lab – the assigned experiment and the corresponding assignment online – to earn a grade for the lab.

Hands On Lab/Science Interactive (HOL) Kit

For help ordering your HOL Kit, please follow the instructions on the SI site. NOTE: you do NOT need a microscope, we will be using the V-Scope (virtual scope) in these labs.

For customer service concerns, please use the HOL dedicated phone line: (720)-360-4034

UNE-authorized whiteboard (optional) – Can be used during your proctored exams!

Dry-Erase Whiteboard with Marker and Eraser (Optional for Proctored Exams)

This course permits the use of a dry-erase whiteboard for scratch work during one or more of your proctored exams. No scratch paper is permitted. The whiteboard must be purchased by following these instructions.

*Note: There is a discount if you order both the webcam and the whiteboard together. Choose “Whiteboard and Webcam Combo.”

You must show your proctor that your whiteboard is clear at the beginning of your testing session, and you must erase your whiteboard in front of the proctor before disconnecting from your session. If you do not do this, your exam will not be credited.

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

Program Outcomes

In lecture courses, students should be able to:

  1. Communicate scientific concepts and information clearly.
  2. Illustrate fundamental laws, theories, and principles of scientific disciplines.
  3. Apply knowledge and critical thinking skills to scientific problems.

In lab courses, students should be able to:

  1. Ask a question or define a problem that can be tested.
  2. Hypothesize possible result(s).
  3. Plan and/or conduct an investigation individually and/or collaboratively to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence.
  4. Analyze data using tools, technologies, and/or models (i.e. computational, mathematical, graphical, etc.) in order to make valid and reliable scientific claims or determine an optimal design solution.
  5. Communicate the results by constructing an explanation based on multiple pieces of valid and reliable evidence obtained from a variety of sources (including students’ own investigations, models, theories, simulations, peer review) and the assumption that theories and laws that describe the natural world operate today as they did in the past and will continue to do so in the future.
  6. Apply scientific ideas, principles, and/or evidence gained from various experiments, as well as other observations and/or research, to provide an explanation of phenomena and solve design problems, taking into account possible unanticipated effects.

Course Objectives

Upon the completion of this course, the student will be able to…

  • Demonstrate knowledge of the basic content of the discipline
  • Discuss and demonstrate how scientists solve problems in the discipline
  • Evaluate the validity of scientific arguments
  • Apply knowledge to scientific problems
  • Ask a question and develop a hypothesis that can be tested
  • Plan and conduct an investigation to test a hypothesis
  • Analyze data and apply scientific ideas to evaluate the strength of a hypothesis
  • Communicate results of scientific experiments by basing conclusions on valid and reliable evidence

SELF PACED DESIGN

On the course start date, students will have access to orientation. This must be completed to be able to gain access to the first module in the course. Students must complete the first module to gain access to the next one. We recommend that students spend about 15 hours per week to complete a course in 16 weeks. When trying to complete the course in less than 16 weeks, we typically see students do this successfully within 12-14 weeks. Instructors will be timely in grading and feedback, but it will not be instant.

Assignments

Lectures and Laboratories

Lectures

For the lecture portion of the course, Biology II is divided up into 4 units that cover 15 weeks work of coursework  Each week you will start by completing the reading assignment and finishing the homework associated with the reading. Then you need to view several mini-lectures, complete a laboratory experiment with laboratory assessment, and then complete the week quiz. Once you have completed these, you can then move on to the next week’s material. (if you are waiting for the lab materials to arrive, you can move ahead with the next week’s material and come back to complete the labs if necessary).

Laboratories

For the laboratory portion of the course, most weeks will also have an assigned laboratory exercise. Assessment for each lab lesson will be the questions that are listed throughout each lesson. These will be graded as soon as you complete them but it may take a few days for the grade to appear in the course, as the instructor will be reviewing your lab data and then transferring the grades over. If you appear to only be taking the quizzes and not actually conducting the labs (i.e. you have no data or photos) a grade of zero will be entered for the lab. So, be sure to conduct the experiments, collect and record the data and then take the lab assessment.

 In addition to conducting the laboratory exercises and taking the assessment, you will also need to write a lab report. This lab report will be based on the data you collect in the Microbes Everywhere lab and is due by the end of Unit 3.  There are additional guidelines for writing the lab report that will be found in the course.

Examination and Grading Information

Homework Assignments

Each week contains a homework assignment associated with the textbook. You can find these by clicking on the homework links in each week and then answering the “practice” questions in the text. These are LearnSmart assignments designed to help you understand the material. If you answer the questions correctly, you will move on to the next topic. If you struggle with the material, the software will continue to test you until you have a better understanding. It will also point you to sections of the text for additional clarification. The grade for the homework is based on completion of the assignment, such that if you answer all of the questions, you will receive a grade of 100%.

Discussion Board Posts

Discussion questions cover interesting current events or materials that contribute to a deeper understanding of key concepts and allow you to interact with your classmates and the instructor. Most of the discussion questions are designed to accompany particular chapters (see specific discussion questions for more information). Each question will require you to conduct internet research, read additional materials (a short journal or magazine article), visit a specific webpage, OR view a short video. Then you will write a response following the guidelines in the assignment.

To earn full credit you will need to post a response, respond to the original posts of at least two other students, and then contribute to an ongoing discussion. For special cases where one or two students are accelerating faster through the course, the instructor will participate in the discussion so that everyone has the opportunity to interact.

Discussion Question Guidelines

  1. Read the assignment carefully so that you are familiar with the materials that you need to cover and how to craft your post.
  2. Respect each other’s ideas, feelings, and experience. Some of the questions involve areas of disagreement. Expect your classmates to have different opinions.
  3. Use proper writing style. Correct spelling and sentence structure are expected just as if you were writing a regular paper. Use spell check and grammar check before you submit.
  4. Write your posting in a word document! That way you can save a copy and use spell check and grammar check.
  5. Cite the sources that you use to write your response. Follow the AMA guidelines.
  6. Avoid posting large blocks of text. Break your writing into paragraphs and use a space between paragraphs to make your posting easier to read online.
  7. Use the “reply” button rather than the “compose” button when responding to someone else’s post.
  8. When responding to a classmate, address them by name.
  9. Do not use postings such as “I agree,” “I don’t know either,” or “ditto.” They do not add to the discussion, take up space on the Discussions, and will not be counted.
  10. Everyone benefits from an active discussion. Check back in frequently to see what others are saying.
  11. Plan your time carefully. You will need to give your classmates time to respond to your postings. This is an asynchronous class where students will be in different points of the class.
  12. Contact your instructor if there are schedule problems or other issues that need to be resolved.

Laboratory Assignments

Most of the weeks include a laboratory assessment. The laboratory assessments for each week can be found in the course outline portion of this syllabus. You will perform all laboratory assessments in a non-laboratory setting, such as your kitchen. There will be 13 laboratory assessments distributed throughout the course. As you work your way through the laboratory exercise, be sure to record your data and answer the questions. Once you have completed the experiment and questions, these will be graded in the HOL software but it may take a few days for the grade to appear in course, as the instructor will be reviewing your lab data and then transferring the grades over. If you appear to only be taking the quizzes and not actually conducting the labs (i.e. you have no data or photos) a grade of zero will be entered for the lab. So, be sure to conduct the experiments, collect and record the data and then take the lab assessment.

In addition to conducting the laboratory exercises and taking the quiz, you will also need to write a lab report, due by the end of Unit 3. This lab report will be based on the data you collect in the Microbes Everywhere lab. There are additional guidelines for writing the lab report that will be found in the course.

Weekly Quizzes & Lab Assessments

All weekly quizzes & lab assessments are open book and open notes and are not timed. The quizzes and lab assessments will be taken online through the course or the HOL site for the lab questions. Doing well on the quizzes and lab assessments will help prepare you for the midterm and final exams.

Midterm Exam

You must purchase the Official UNE External Webcam to take your proctored examinations. Remember to order your webcam at least three weeks prior to scheduling your first proctored exam.

The midterm exam can be taken once you have completed all of the assignments for Units 1 and 2, including the quizzes, labs and the first discussion board, as well as the Midterm Exam Honor Pledge. It is a timed and proctored exam.

This is a closed-book and closed-notes exam. You may have a single UNE-authorized whiteboard to use while taking this exam. You must show your proctor that your whiteboard is clear at the beginning of your testing session, and you must erase your whiteboard in front of the proctor before disconnecting from your session. If you do not do this, your exam will not be credited.

While a calculator is not necessary for this, or any of the course assessments, you may bring a four-function calculator if you choose. Scientific and programmable calculators are not allowed.

You will not have access to any material saved on your or any other computer. No access to the internet or other communication devices is allowed during this exam. These exams are closed for review. You will not be able to review this exam at any time. Please contact your instructor for specific feedback.

The exam consists of 64 multiple choice questions and you have up to two hours to complete the exam. You will need to arrange to take your midterm exam with Proctor U. Information on the proctoring process is available below.

For all exams, you must review the Proctored Examinations information and requirements in the Policies section of this syllabus.

Final Exam

The final exam cannot be taken until you have completed all of the assignments for the course, including the quizzes, labs, discussion boards and the lab report, as well as the Final Exam Honor Pledge. The final will be a timed-proctored exam that covers Unit 3 & 4. 

This is a closed-book and closed-notes exam. You may have a single UNE-authorized whiteboard to use while taking this exam. You must show your proctor that your whiteboard is clear at the beginning of your testing session, and you must erase your whiteboard in front of the proctor before disconnecting from your session. If you do not do this, your exam will not be credited.

While a calculator is not necessary for this, or any of the course assessments, you may bring a four-function calculator if you choose. Scientific and programmable calculators are not allowed.

You will not have access to any material saved on your or any other computer. No access to the internet or other communication devices is allowed during this exam. These exams are closed for review. You will not be able to review this exam at any time. Please contact your instructor for specific feedback.

The final exam consists of 56 multiple choice questions and you can have up to two hours to complete the exam. You will need to arrange to take your final exam with Proctor U. Information on the proctoring process is available below.

For all exams, you must review the Proctored Examinations information and requirements in the Policies section of this syllabus.

Examination and Grading Information

Lecture Grade

Homework 10% of the lecture grade
Discussions 15% of the lecture grade
Weekly Quizzes 10% of the lecture grade
Midterm Exam 30% of the lecture grade
Final Exam 35% of the lecture grade
Total 100% of the lecture grade

Laboratory Grade

Lab Assessments 80% of the laboratory grade
Lab Report 20% of the laboratory grade
Total 100% of the laboratory grade

Final Grade

Lecture Grade 75% of Final Grade
Laboratory Grade 25% of Final Grade
Total Course Grade 100%

Grade Scale

Grade Points Grade Point Average (GPA)
A 94 – 100% 4.00
A- 90 – 93% 3.75
B+ 87 – 89% 3.50
B 84 – 86% 3.00
B- 80 – 83% 2.75
C+ 77 – 79% 2.50
C 74 – 76% 2.00
C- 70 – 73% 1.75
D 64 – 69% 1.00
F 00 – 63% 0.00

Schedule

Course Outline

This course is designed to be completed in a 16-week period, just like an on-campus General Biology II course. This breaks down to one module per week and one week to study for and take the final exam. One week in this online course is equivalent to 3-50 minute lectures in a traditional classroom setting. The general rule of studying for science courses is to spend 3 hours studying for every one hour that you are in class. Therefore, the suggested study time for each module is 9 hours above and beyond the time it takes to listen to the lecture. Please refer to the schedule below for the suggested schedule of lectures and the accompanying laboratory exercises. Students may complete the course in less than 16 weeks.

Note: All labs are accessed through HOL/Science Interactive. Labs that require microscopy work will be using the virtual microscope (V-Scope) on the HOL/Science Interactive class site. Purchase of a microscope for this class is NOT required.

 

 

Week

 

Title

 Text Chapter

 

Lab Session
  UNIT 1: Introduction to Evolution    
1 Introduction to Evolution 22 Taxonomy (with V-Scope)

 

2

 Population Genetics and Macroevolution

 

23, 24

 Population Genetics: Natural Selection and Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium

  • Complete HOL/Science Interactive Lab AND write a formal lab report. Refer to the assignment in the course for more information.
3 Introduction to Ecology and Behavior 54, 55 Ecological Succession
4 Species Interactions 57 Food Webs
  UNIT 2: The Diversity of Living Things    
5  Bacteria and Protists 27, 28 Protista (with V-Scope)
6  Plants 31, 32 Angiosperms: Flowers and Fruits

 

7

 Invertebrates 34

 

Invertebrates: Cnidaria, Platyhelminthes, Rotifera, Annelida (with V-Scope)
8 Vertebrates 35 Invertebrates: Arthropoda, Mollusca, Echinodermata
  UNIT 3: Physiology Unit 1   **NOTE: Lab report is due by the end of Unit 3

 

9

 Homeostasis

 

41

  Homeostasis
10 Nerves and Sensation 42, 44   No lab this week
11 Musculoskeletal System 45 Physiology of the Muscular System
12 Nutrition and Digestion 46 No lab this week
  UNIT 4: Physiology Unit 2    
13 Circulatory System 48 part 1 Cardiovascular Physiology
14 Respiratory System 48 part 2 Physiology of the Respiratory System
15 Endocrine and Reproductive Systems 50, 51 No lab this week
  Final Exam    

 

Student Resources

 

Online Student Support

Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you - they will monitor course progression and provide assistance or guidance when needed. Please don’t hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, course materials, billing, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies.

Questions? Visit the Student Support Science Prerequisites page

Online Peer Support

Togetherall is a 24/7 communication and emotional support platform monitored by trained clinicians. It’s a safe place online to get things off your chest, have conversations, express yourself creatively, and learn how to manage your mental health. If sharing isn’t your thing, Togetherall has other tools and courses to help you look after yourself with plenty of resources to explore. Whether you’re struggling to cope, feeling low, or just need a place to talk, Togetherall can help you explore your feelings in a safe supportive environment. You can join Togetherall using your UNE email address.

Instructor and Support Contact Information

Check Brightspace for specific instructor and support specialist contact information.

Student Lounge

The Student Lounge Discussion Forum is a designated support forum in which students may engage with each other and grapple with course content. Feel free to post questions, seek clarification, and support each other, but be mindful of UNE's Academic Integrity Policy.

Your instructor will monitor this forum. However, if you are seeking specific and timely answers to questions about course content or your personal grades, please contact your instructor via course messages. For questions about course materials, program policy, and how to navigate and proceed through the course, please contact your Student Service Advisor through the Student Portal.

Accommodations

Any student who would like to request, or ask any questions regarding, academic adjustments or accommodations must contact the Student Access Center at (207) 221-4438 or pcstudentaccess@une.edu. Student Access Center staff will evaluate the student's documentation and determine eligibility of accommodation(s) through the Student Access Center registration procedure.

Online Peer Support

Togetherall is a 24/7 communication and emotional support platform monitored by trained clinicians. It’s a safe place online to get things off your chest, have conversations, express yourself creatively, and learn how to manage your mental health. If sharing isn’t your thing, Togetherall has other tools and courses to help you look after yourself with plenty of resources to explore. Whether you’re struggling to cope, feeling low, or just need a place to talk, Togetherall can help you explore your feelings in a safe supportive environment. You can join Togetherall using your UNE email address.

Information Technology Services (ITS)

Students should notify their Student Support Specialist and instructor in the event of a problem relating to a course. This notification should occur promptly and proactively to support timely resolution.

ITS Contact: Toll-Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673.

Career Ready Program

The College of Professional Studies supports its online students and alumni in their career journey!

The Career Ready Program provides tools and resources to help students explore and hone in on their career goals, search for jobs, create and improve professional documents, build professional network, learn interview skills, grow as a professional, and more. Come back often, at any time, as you move through your journey from career readiness as a student to career growth, satisfaction, and success as alumni.

Online Student Support

Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you. Please don't hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies.

Questions? Visit the Student Support Science Prerequisites page

Instructor and Support Contact Information

Check Brightspace for specific instructor and support specialist contact information.

Further Assistance

Your student service advisor monitors course progression and provides assistance or guidance when needed. They can assist questions regarding ordering course materials, University policies, billing, navigating the course in Brightspace, and more.

Student Lounge

The Student Lounge Discussion Board is a designated support forum in which students may engage with each other and grapple with course content. Feel free to post questions, seek clarification, and support each other, but be mindful of UNE's Academic Integrity Policy.

Your instructor will monitor this forum. However, if you are seeking specific and timely answers to questions about course content or your personal grades, please contact your instructor via course messages. For questions about course materials, program policy, and how to navigate and proceed through the course, please contact your Student Service Advisor through the Student Portal.

Policies

Proctored Examinations

The University of New England has contracted with ProctorU to provide students with the most convenient online exam proctoring system. This system provides a simple, no cost to the student, secure, online proctor for exams and allows the student to take all the exams at home and on their own schedule.

Upon enrollment into the course, each student will register with ProctorU and establish a login name and password. This will give the student access to all of ProctorU's services. When ready, students will schedule each of their proctored exams with ProctorU. Exams must be scheduled at least 72 hours in advance to avoid fees. Prior to taking their exams, students must be sure that they have downloaded the ProctorU Chrome or Firefox extension and are using the most current version of Chrome or Firefox. They must also be sure their testing site's connection meets the minimum requirements by using ProctorU's "Test It Out" utility.

Upon the exam day and hour, students will log in to ProctorU and click on "exams". After following the procedures outlined at ProctorU's web site, the student will log in to Brightspace and locate their correct exam. The proctor will then allow student access to that exam.

Students must use ProctorU and must follow all proctoring requirements for their exams to be credited.

Proctored exams are not available for review at any time. You will not be able to see the questions, nor the answers you've given, after completing the exams. Please contact your instructor for specific feedback.

Course Discussions

Discussion board assignments cover interesting current events or materials related to this course that contribute to a deeper understanding of key concepts and allow you to interact with your classmates and the instructor. Each assignment may require you to conduct internet research, read additional materials (a short journal or magazine article), visit a specific webpage, AND/OR view a short video prior to writing a response following the specific guidelines in the assignment.

To earn full credit: you will need to post a response to the discussion topic, respond to the original posts of at least two other students, and then contribute meaningfully to an ongoing discussion. You will need to post your initial response before you will see any posts from your classmates. Please keep in mind that only this initial response is included in your assignment grade, so make sure you have followed all of the guidelines and written a complete response prior to submitting the post. For special cases where one or two students are accelerating faster through the course, the instructor will participate in the discussion so that everyone has the opportunity to interact.

Please see Brightspace for a full description, along with specific guidelines, for each assignment. Discussion board assignments should be completed, along with all other assignments in the course, in the order that they appear. Due to the course design, you may be unable to take a proctored exam if you do not complete all assignments that appear prior to that exam.

Please also refer to the Grading Policy/Grade Breakdown section of the syllabus to learn the percentage of your grade that each discussion board assignment is worth.

Technology Requirements

Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Programs: Technical Requirements

Course Length

A schedule of lectures and assignments is included in this syllabus. This is, however a self-paced course and you can complete the course in less time.

  1. Courses in the SPHP program are equivalent to one-semester courses designed to be completed in 16 weeks
  2. Enrollment in the course begins the day your section opens which is listed in the Academic Calendar found on the Student Success Portal.
  3. Course start and end dates are in respect to Eastern Time.

Withdrawal and Refund Policies

Please visit the enrollment page to review the withdrawal and refund policies.

Grade Policy

Students are expected to attempt and complete all graded assignments and proctored exams by the end date of the course. View the incomplete grade policy..

Transcripts

Due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, only the student may request official transcripts. This may be done online by going to the University of New England Registrar website and following the directions on the page.

To view your unofficial UNE student transcript:

  1. Log into uonline at http://uonline.une.edu
  2. Select Student Services
  3. Select Student Records
  4. Select Academic Transcript

To request your official UNE student transcript:

Please review your Unofficial Transcript prior to requesting an Official Transcript.

  1. Log into uonline at http://uonline.une.edu
  2. Select Student Services
  3. Select Student Records
  4. Select Request Printed/Official Transcript
  5. Follow the prompts

After you click Submit Request, your official transcript will be put into the queue to be printed in the Registrar's Office.

Academic Integrity

The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable.

Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:

  1. Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
  2. Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
  3. Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
  4. Multiple submission of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
  5. Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.

Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.