Welcome

Congratulations on surviving Biology 150 and moving on to Biology 151!

Keep reading and you will find a number of relevant and important items for success in this     course: immediately below is the official course description and my course policies. At the end you can find the course objectives. In addition, there is a brief explanation of the assignments   and a section called “Important Stuff” which provides a bit about my teaching philosophy and some tips for success as you embark on your journey into the wilderness of biology.

If you are in the honors section (or would like to be), the syllabus is at the end of this document. Ask me about eligibility for the honors program.

Here is the official description of the course:

General Biology 151 is the second class in a two course series and covers structural and functional biology of organisms and ecosystems, including growth, development,           evolution, phylogeny, and anatomy and physiology of plants and animals (with a tiny    foray into fungi), as well as community and population ecology, conservation biology.   This is an intensive course intended for STEM majors and students pursuing careers in  medicine, biomedical research, and related fields.Below you will find information about how this course works, the course policies and objectives. Please read through this         syllabus and ask if you have any questions.

This Is A Fully Online Course

This course meets online with no required on campus meetings. Optional office hours will take place by phone, zoom, or email.

Course Materials

Required Text

Biology 2nd edition by OpenStax

https://openstax.org/details/books/biology-2e

If you used a different text in BIOL- 150, you can continue to use it. The course schedule has readings in Campbell Biology as well as the OpenStax Biology 2e text.

A device with internet capability

Optional: a webcam to participate in zoom.

Grading

This course uses an unconventional grading scheme that is likely different from any you have   encountered before. I believe you will come to appreciate this alternative system as it gives you greater control over your final grade, provides a clear map of exactly how much work you need to do to get the grade you want, and facilitates a focus on learning rather than submitting work  merely for a grade. This unconventional approach is called specifications grading.

The Short Version (TL:DNR)

Read the details of this grading scheme below for the full story. Here is the short version:           All assignments in this class will be graded as having met particular specifications or having not yet met the specifications. This is essentially pass/not yet passed (or completed not/yet                completed). There are no points, percentages, scores, weighting, letter grades, or similar              “quantitative” measures.

You decide what grade you want in the class by determining how much work you want to complete. Here is the breakdown:

If you want an A, you must complete at least the number of assignments in all assignment         categories in the A column of the table. If you want a B, you must complete at least the number listed in the B column, and so forth. Note—even for an A, you do not have to complete all the  available work in this class. You have options.

For most assignments, if your work does not pass you will have the chance to revise and resubmit it.

That’s basically it! Read below for a more detailed description of this grading system and how you can get extra benefits for excellent work or extra credit activities.

Specifications grading—a pointless system

Any and all work you complete in this course will be evaluated on whether or not it meets stated specifications in a pass/not yet passed manner. There are no points or partial credit. Your grade  at the end of the semester depends on the number of items of coursework you have successfully completed. Successfully completed means you have met the specifications.

Failure — the unavoidable price of success

Much of the work you do in college is high stakes because you get only one chance to turn it in.  The cost of failure is often high. Most likely, throughout your education, you have come to think of failure as unfavorable. Failure typically has a decidedly negative impact on your course grade and ultimately on your GPA. Even worse, failure is often experienced as shameful. We believe   this is not a productive way to view failure. William Whewell (who coined the term “scientist”)  summed up our attitude in six words: “Failure is a step to success.” This is partly because            success is never possible without taking risks, which inevitably means failing sometimes. Failure is not the enemy of success—refusing to try new approaches (to “think different”) is the real        problem. The path to learning always involves productive failure and self-reflection.

There will be revisions

I very much want to create a culture in this class that encourages creativity and calculated risk   taking—one that takes the stigma out of failure. I believe failure should become a learning tool. In that spirit, we will give you the opportunity to make failure productive in this class.

I have designed the coursework in this class so as to leave ample room for error without              compromising your eventual success in terms of learning and your grade. I want you to               maximize your learning and learn to feel comfortable with the (productive) failures that go hand- in-hand with creativity.

If something you submit does not meet the specifications (this will happen regularly), you will     have an opportunity to revise and resubmit your work to meet the specifications. You will always receive detailed feedback from us that will allow you to improve your learning.

Be bold and take risks! Failure, even repeated failure, is a healthy and necessary part of               becoming successful. You can rest assured that the assessment in this class does not penalize you for any failures you may encounter on the way to success!

Units — how the course works

Over the course of the semester, you will earn units for different types of work as shown in the   table above. Each individual assessment (course assignment) will be graded solely on whether or not you meet the specifications (pass/not yet passed). There is no partial credit, points, score,       percentage, or letter grade. You simply complete units by meeting the specifications, or, if your  work does not meet the specifications initially, by revising it and resubmitting. If you do              exemplary work, you will receive an extra benefit.

Your coursework will be evaluated on an EMRN scale shown below. Your work will receive one of 4 evaluations. The two basic grades are M which means your work Meets the specifications,   or R which means Revision is needed to meet the specifications. E means your work is Exemplary (and, of course, you have met the specifications). N means your work is Not assessable and you should resubmit it. Usually this is because the work was incomplete or did     not address the assignment.

Note: The Canvas gradebook mostly uses a numerical point scoring system, but we are not using points in this course. So, I will enter your grades in Canvas using the following symbols: If the   assignment is successfully completed (M or E), the gradebook will show a green check or a 1. If the assignment needs revision (R or N), the gradebook will show a black x or a 0. You will find  comments from me in Canvas explaining what aspects of your work need revision and you will  have the chance to revise and resubmit.

Meeting specifications — how do you meet specifications?

There are four ways to meet the specifications (earn an M) on any course assessment:

1)  You can receive an M based on the work you submit. In that case, you have met the specifications and you are done!

2)  When you receive an R (or an N), read the comments and revise your work accordingly. You can then resubmit it for reconsideration. If you revised it so it meets the                    specification, your grade will be changed to an M.

3)  If you receive an E on any course assessment (the first time through) you have completed that assignment AND you can use the E to convert one Lab, Lab Practical, or Quizzam from R to M. NOTE: you cannot convert Case Studies. You cannot convert an N to an M, so you have to have attempted the assignment and not passed it yet. You can use the R to M conversion two times during the semester.

4)  If you complete 20 points of extra credit, you will be allowed to convert a Lab, Lab        Practical, or Quizzam from R to an M. You cannot convert Case Studies and you cannot N to an M. You will be allowed 40 points of extra credit, total.

Missed deadlines

If you miss a due date for an activity, your score for that activity will automatically be N. You must submit work for credit. There is never any penalty for late work.

Grading — how your final grade is determined

The table above shows how many units you must complete (at the M or E level) by the end of the semester to earn the letter grade you want. Your course grade will be based on the lowest grade   in any of the categories. In other words, to earn a particular course grade, you must complete at   least the specified number of units in all categories.

Use the Grade Tracker I supply to keep track or use the Canvas Gradebook.

Note that everyone must complete the Final to pass the class. You only have to complete the Project if you want an A.

Late Work and Due Dates

This online course is divided into 6 modules. All of the work for each module is due at the end of the period in which it is assigned. However, I there is no penalty for late work. If you turn in         work late, you will not be penalized by me, but time does penalize you and the farther behind       you fall, the harder it will be to catch up.

Credit and Extra Credit

All work will be graded on Canvas.

Extra credit will be offered up to 40 points. There are three ways to earn extra credit:

1)  Any official college activity counts (workshops, seminars, lectures, events, plays, art  openings, etc.). Biology-related activities will typically count as 10 points, while non- Biology-related activities will usually count as 5 points.

2)  Any activity you do that is relevant to the class can count. These are determined on a    case-by-case basis, so ask me (before completing the activity) if it would count and for how many points. If you want to earn extra credit and have no activities in mind, talk to me and we can figure something appropriate out.

3)   If you find any errors in any of the course materials (including grammatical errors, typos, content errors, organization errors, etc.), I will give extra credit points. Typically, minor   errors count as 1-2 points, with more egregious errors counting up to 5 points.

Class Participation/Drop Policy

If you decide to drop this class, please do so through the college website. You can see the college drop deadlines on this syllabus. I may drop you for failure to progress in the course (for example, for not participating in discussions or failing to submit assignments for an extended period).

Assignments and Expectations

Case Studies

These involve detailed explorations of topics and their implications and often focus on                 generalizable skills not covered in other coursework. The case studies typically involve reading  materials (provided by me), visiting websites or using online resources. Typically the product of these explorations will be written responses. NOTE: this course does not have major exams, so  the Case Studies are the most substantial part of the lecture component of the course.

Expectations: I expect high quality work, including evidence of thought, creativity, and effort. I also expect that your responses will be edited for language and style. Use the writing center if    writing is a problem for you. The Case Studies will typically require several hours to complete.

Discussions

In this course you will engage in discussions related to each module of the course (6 total). These are a chance for you to interact with your classmates and me, as well as discuss the course            lecture content and work.

Expectations: I expect everyone will be respectful of others. Nearly all topics in Biology are controversial and people may have a diversity of opinions.

I expect that any assertions you make will be supported with evidence if appropriate.

I expect you will check in on the discussion regularly (not just once) during the module to which it is relevant.

I expect at least two substantial posts from everyone. One of these should be an original post     while the other can be a response to another student or my comments. Substantial means            original, showing evidence of thought and understanding of the lecture content, and at least two paragraphs in length. Informal tone is appropriate, and you do not typically need references (but as noted above if you make assertions, they should be supported by evidence).

I expect that we will have vigorous and inspiring discussions.

Quizzams

For every module in the course, we will have a Quizzam. These will be held after each major       section of the course (see the course schedule). Reviews, if desired, will be held before the tests.  Quizzams may include multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, short answer, medium answer, diagram, true/false, and similar question types. These will cover the topics indicated on the course              schedule and discussed in class, including the relevant chapter in the text and any topics explored in class.

Quizzams are largely computer graded, so they have points associated with them. All Quizzams have 25 available points. To meet the specifications for a Quizzam, you must score at least 17   out of 25:

E = 24-25

M = 17-23

R = 13- 16

N = <13

Expectations: I expect you will complete these for every module. Since these are                    comprehension checks, you should complete them towards the end of the module. If you score less than 17, contact me for a way to revise your Quizzam.

Final

The final consists of 50 questions It will occur during the last week of class. It is comprehensive but will focus on the big picture. There will be some questions from each of the major topics of the course.

Expectations: I expect you will complete the final.

Labs

Lab activities are a vital part of biology. In online versions of this class, we will do mostly virtual labs (many using computer simulations). Some labs have an optional alternative hands-on             version that you can complete instead of the virtual lab. These will require some basic supplies,   mostly available at home or are easily acquired. In sections with labs on campus we will focus on organisms (microorganisms, fungi, plants, and animals) with some ecology at the end of the         course. Expect to get your hands dirty!

Labs, both in person or virtual can be a weak spot for biology courses in that many labs involve following instructions to achieve a known result. In our labs, you will be expected to follow      procedures, but also to design experiments and interpret results.

Expectations: I expect you to have fun doing the labs! I expect that, even if you do the labs with classmates, you will understand what you did and why you did it.

Lab Practicals

Lab Practicals will occur in on campus lab sections (not in online only courses). These will         involve questions related to specimens, procedures, apparatus, or analyses we have done in lab.  The term “Practical” means we ask you to actually do something on the exam rather than simply writing answers.

Lab Practicals are difficult for us to set up and cannot be made up. You must complete them in class on the specified day.

Expectations: I expect you will be able to complete any procedure or process we did in lab and   know how to interpret the results. For organisms this can include be able to identify specimens or anatomical/morphological features. Study guides will be given.

Project

The project will involve investigating a topic of your choice in greater depth and contributing to world knowledge by analyzing and improving the Wikipedia entry on that topic. If you are          aiming for an A in this class you must complete all 5 parts of the Project. If you are happy with a B or C, you can skip the Project.

Expectations: I expect you will find a topic that is useful or interesting for you to investigate. I expect you will complete all phases of the project.

Course and College Policies

Communication Policy

This class includes a number of interactive elements. We will have discussions open for content questions, logistical problems, and off topic biology questions. You can also contact me via        Canvas messages, your MSJC email, or by text or phone. The best way to contact me is by          Canvas message or by phone. I will respond to messages, emails, or phone calls with in 48 hours (possibly somewhat longer during holidays or long weekends).

Online Course Etiquette / Technology Use

This class is a safe space. Discussion and debate is great, as is passion. Rude, insulting, or         aggressive behavior is not. Think about “netiquette” when interacting with others in the course. (See this explanation of the Core Rules of Netiquette infographic.)

We are required to follow the MSJC Acceptable Use Policy when using MSJC Information and Communications Technology (including Canvas).

Diverse ideas and perspectives are valued in this course, and you will be challenged to analyze  how diversity fosters learning throughout the various required course activities. We are all         human and are therefore influenced by psychological biases. We should practice mindfulness in all of our interactions to create an inclusive learning experience for everyone.

Academic Integrity Policy

We professors have high expectations of our students. One of our assumptions is that you           maintain high standards of integrity in your work in college. If you attempt to gain credit for      work that is not your own original creation and you know you are doing this, you are not being  honest. Respect your work and the work of others—be honest about what you did or did not       create. As a college student, it is your responsibility to understand what constitutes plagiarism    and how to avoid it (by citing correctly and giving credit where credit is due). Ask if you are not sure what constitutes plagiarism. Penalties for plagiarism include no credit for the assignment    and referral to the Student Affairs Committee. It isn’t worth it!

We understand that the temptation to plagiarize may stem from a sense of desperation. You may be up against a deadline and overwhelmed by other responsibilities. Please contact us—we may be able to work out a solution that allows you to complete the work without resorting to              plagiarism.

According to MSJC guidelines, plagiarism is defined as:

•     verbatim copying without proper acknowledgment

•     paraphrasing without proper acknowledgment

•     putting together a “patchwork” paper from diverse sources, without proper acknowledgment of those sources

• unacknowledged appropriation of information or of someone else’s ideas

Cases of plagiarism and cheating may be reported to the appropriate parties at the college and      may lead to further disciplinary action. Avoid plagiarism by citing your sources on all                  assignments and exams. Use APA or MLA citation formatting. Referencing a source is important but simply cutting and pasting information with a citation is not enough to earn full credit on       assignments. You can also avoid plagiarism by not submitting the work of one of your                 colleagues. While we encourage collaborative studying, avoid the potential for plagiarism by       working independently when sitting down to type up your answers to assignments.

Copyrights

In this course, you will be using materials created by others, including some (like this syllabus)  created by the instructor. You may not realize it, but all these materials are copyrighted. What     this means for you is that you should not (and legally must not) share any course materials          (PowerPoints, assignments, articles, tests, even the syllabus) with anyone not enrolled in the       class. This includes uploading the documents to Course Hero, Chegg, or similar sites. Uploading to Course Hero or similar sites also violates the MSJC code of student conduct.

Academic Support

Support services are provided for you through each campus Library, and Career and Technical   Tutoring Centers. Although this is an online course, you may find the on campus resources         helpful. Please, Inquire at each center regarding hours of operations and specific subjects for      which tutors are available. In addition to academic support services, MSJC provides a variety of other student support services. To learn more, visit the Student Support Hub.

Technology Support

If you have questions or need help with technology provided by the college - including Canvas, please click on Help at the bottom of the Canvas left side (red) menu.