Syllabus

UNE Summer Session

Biology I – Summer Session – 2024

Credits - 4

Description

Biology I 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. Biology I can be both a standalone course or a precursor to Biology II with an emphasis on providing a conceptual framework for understanding the basics of modern biology, the scientific method, the chemical basis of life, cell biology and reproduction, and genetics so that the student will be well equipped to apply this knowledge in his or her further studies.

Materials

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

Program Outcomes

In lecture courses, students should be able to:

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

In lab courses, students should be able to:

• Ask a question or define a problem that can be tested.
• Hypothesize possible result(s).
• Plan and/or conduct an investigation individually and/or collaboratively to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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

After completing the lecture section, students should be able to:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of the basic content of the discipline
2. Discuss and demonstrate how scientists solve problems in the discipline
3. Evaluate the validity of scientific arguments
4. Apply knowledge to scientific problems
5. Ask a question and develop a hypothesis that can be tested
6. Plan and conduct an investigation to test a hypothesis
7. Analyze data and apply scientific ideas to evaluate the strength of a hypothesis
8. 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 I 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 module quiz. Once you have completed these, you can then move on to the next module’s material. (if you are waiting for the lab materials to arrive, you can move ahead with the next module’s material and come back to complete the labs if necessary).

Laboratories

For the laboratory portion of the course, most modules 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 your grades, 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 Cellular Respiration 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 unit contains a homework assignment associated with the textbook. You can find these by clicking on the homework links in the modules 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 the 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 modules include a laboratory assessment. The laboratory assessments for each module 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 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 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 Cellular Respiration lab.

Quizzes & Lab Assessments

All 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 make sure to have a UNE-compliant External Webcam to take your proctored examinations. 

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. 

The exam consists of 65 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 Units 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. 

The final exam consists of 68 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.

A maximum of two attempts will be allowed for proctored exams.

Grading Policy

Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:

Grade Breakdown

Category	Points Available
Lab Assessments	20%
Lab Report	5%
Homework	10%
Discussion	15%
Quizzes	10%
Midterm	20%
Final Exam	20%
Total	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