Biol 1000 (1N) 4 Cr. Principles of Biology Spring 2006
Instructor: Dr. John Campbell
Office: SM 254 Phone: 754-6140
Text: Mader, Inquiry into Life. 2005.11th edition. McGraw-Hill Pub. 758 pp.
Email: Via WebCT Mail as first choice, otherwise: john.campbell@northwestcollege.edu
Office Hours: 9-9:50 MWF 1-2:50 T
Class Web Page: on WebCT, accessed via the Student Portal of the college.
Course Description: This one semester course is designed to introduce the general principles of biology to non-science majors and to fulfill Northwest’slab science requirement for those students. This semester we will be using WebCT to teach this class online. The course material is presented within the context of the human experience and covers cell biology, physiology, genetics, evolution, ecology, and the interaction of humans with their environment.
Catalog Description: Students learn principles that are important for achieving sound scientific reasoning and methodology. Students study the following topics: cell biology, physiology, genetics, evolution, ecology and the interactions of humans with their environment. All topics are considered within the context of the human experience. This course will fulfill the lab science general education requirements for students not specializing in the biological or physical sciences or health and physical education.
Course Objectives: By the conclusion of the course, students should be able to:
Course Instructional Approach: The online curriculum is designed to be taught with active, and inquiry-based instructional approaches. This course will not have a formal lecture component and no classroom meetings are held. The laboratory portion will be able to be completed online or using simple materials in your house. During class you will be working alone and online, doing activities and readings that will help you organize and learn the material. Many of the questions we will work with are in your textbook, so always focus on the text as the primary source of material for the class. However, you will be interacting with other students in the class via a message board. Do not hesitate to ask questions or add information that is relevant to the topic being studied. The success of the class depends on your active engagement and participation.
However, even though the instructional and learning framework of this course is different than traditional introductory courses, some characteristics are similar. You still need to read the text to be prepared for each class section. You will also need to read the online manual or instructions to be prepared for each lab. The course will still be evaluated with unit quizzes and a final quiz , as well as other assignments.
Course Topic Outline:
Week Topic Text Chapter
Jan. 11 Scientific Method and the Study of Life 1
Jan. 23 Structure and Function of Cells 3 + quiz
Jan. 30 Human Body Organization 11
Feb. 6 Digestion and Nutrition 14 + quiz
Feb. 13 Cardiovascular System 12
Feb. 20 Respiratory System 15 + quiz
Feb. 27 Nervous System 17
March 6 No class - Spring Break
March 13 Metabolism 6 + quiz
March 20 Cell Division 5
March 27 Patterns of Inheritance 23 + quiz
April 3 Genetic Counseling 26
April 10 Evolution 27 + quiz
April 17 Ecology – Population Growth and Regulation 33
April 24 Nature of Ecosystems 34
May 1 Ecology – Environmental concerns 36 + quiz (Over 3 chapters)
Grading and Evaluation:
Lecture Components:
Seven non-comprehensive quizzes 60%
Individual written exercises 20%
Class Participation in Discussions 20%
Lecture Total 75% of class grade
Lab 25% of class grade, based on completion of laboratory exercises
Course Total 100%
Students with 90 percent of all points will be awarded As
Students with 80 percent of all points will be awarded Bs
Students with 70 percent of all points will be awarded Cs
Students with 60 percent of all points will be awarded Ds
Students with less than 60 percent of all points will fail this course.
Course Deadlines: Examination – Quizzes will be held every two weeks. Exams will be announced and described in the WebCT calendar. Assignment of individual exercises and deadlines will be announced via WebCT. You will be expected to meet all assignment deadlines. Assignments may be turned in late but will only be worth 80% of their original value. If an emergency does arise (for example, an illness you can document), please let me know in advance of the deadline and we will develop an alternative plan to get the assignment competed.
Missed Quizzes and Labs:
Missing an quiz is very serious. A makeup quiz will be allowed only for excused absences and serious illness. You must let me know the reason you will not take a quiz before the day of the quiz. All college-sponsored activities must be excused in advance. Missed quizzes and labs not dealt with in the above manner will not be considered excused and any makeup quiz, if allowed, will be worth only 80% of a normal quiz (two letter grade penalty).Makeup and replacement exams may be different in form from the missed quiz.
Attendance Policy: Attendance in an online class must be defined differently from a traditional class. In a traditional classroom, you would be present for 5 hours of classroom and laboratory each week. To do well, most students would need to spend a minimum of one hour of preparation for each hour in class. You should not expect to spend less time since this class is taught online. This class will take as much work and time as a traditional classroom section. I will monitor participation, expecting you to have been online at least three times per week and to have posted at least three discussion responses per week (at least one by midweek). A strong association exists between participation and grades. Students who do not actively get involved in the class should not expect to do well in this course. I hope you do not try and test this well supported hypothesis. If you are unable to log on and participate in this class, for whatever reason, I expect you to contact me to make me aware of the reason.
Policy on Academic Integrity: You are expected to strictly observe NWC rules regarding academic honesty. These rules are detailed in your Student Handbook. These rules require you to abstain from cheating on exams, properly reference published written and electronic material, and only submit work that is your own. If you have any questions regarding what behavior is proper, including what constitutes plagiarism, please do not hesitate to ask.
Students with Special Needs: Students who qualify for specific accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act should notify the instructor in the first week of class to ensure that their needs are met in a timely manner. It is the student’s responsibility to inform the instructor of his/her needs and to provide the necessary documentation to the
How to contact me:
If you have any questions, need help or clarifications, or need to tell me something, you may contact me in several ways (not in order of priority):
1. Contact me via WebCT email
2. Contact me via normal email. My email address is john.campbell@northwestcollege.edu
3 Call me in my office. My phone # is 754-6140. If I'm not there, leave a voice mail message.
BIOLL 1000 (1N) Principles of Biology Lab Spring 2006
Instructor: Dr. John Campbell Text: No text – Online labs
Office: SM 254 Phone: 754-6140 Credit hours: (included with lecture credit)
Office Hours: 9-9:50 MWF 1-2:50 T
Email: Via WebCT as first choice, otherwise john.campbell@northwestcollege.edu
Lab Schedule
Week Topic Exercises
Jan. 16 Scientific Method 1
Jan. 23 Function and Properties of Cells 2
Jan. 30 No Lab
Feb. 6 Digestion and Nutrition 3
Feb. 13 Circulatory System 4
Feb. 20 Respiratory System 5
Feb. 27 Senses 6
March 6 No Lab
March 13 Cell Division - Mitosis and Meiosis 7
March 20 No Lab
March 27 Heredity 8
April 3 Genetic Problems in Humans 9
April 10 Evidences of Evolution 10
April 17 Predator-Prey Interactions 11
April 24 Biodiversity12
May 1 No Lab
Lab directions, what each lab report should consist of and access to lab materials will be provided to you from within WebCT under Assignments and Lab Content.
Exams and Grading: Lab = 25% of course grade.
Your lab grade will be based on: 100 % = lab reports and questions from each lab.
No lab quizzes will be given
The following grading scale will be followed --
90-100=A 80-89=B 70-79=C 60-69=D 59 or lower=F
Absence policy: Since you will be completing these labs on your own at home and over WebCT, no specific attendance policy is in place other than you are expected to complete each lab during the week it is offered. Missed labs may be turned in late, with their value being reduced to 80% of their original value
Policy on Academic Integrity: You are expected to strictly observe NWC rules regarding academic honesty. These rules are detailed in your Student Handbook. These rules require you to abstain from cheating on exams, properly reference published written and electronic material, and only submit work that is your own. It is expected that you will have completed the lab work yourself. If you have any questions regarding what behavior is proper, including what constitutes plagiarism, please do not hesitate to ask.
Students with Special Needs: Students who qualify for specific accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act should notify the instructor in the first week of class to ensure that their needs are met in a timely manner. It is the student’s responsibility to inform the instructor of his/her needs and to provide the necessary documentation to the