BSC 1005 : Life in its Biological Environment   Ref# 303001
INSTRUCTOR :  Dr. David Byres       Phone: 646-2038

OFFICE : D-119 (South Campus)       Email:dbyres@fccj.edu

HOME PAGE (Website) : http://web.fccj.edu/~dbyres
1. Course Description : This course is an introduction to biological structure, function processes, principles, and concepts. This course is a 3 credit hour online course.

2. Text: Biology; by Belk & Borden 2nd Ed. ISBN# 0131489690

3. Learning Outcomes : The primary objective of this course is to explore the subject matter of the field and to become familiar with the vocabulary and concepts of the field.

When you finish this course, you will be able to
  • Explain and apply major concepts in general biology
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the scientific method
  • Communicate scientific ideas through oral or written assignments
  • Interpret scientific models such as formulas, graphs, tables, and schematics, draw inferences from them, and recognize their limitations
  • Demonstrate problem-solving methods in situations that are encountered outside the classroom
4. Course outline and study hints : This course is taught on the web. The online website will have notes that summarize the main information from the textbook. You may need the textbook because it will explain the notes, and provides diagrams, photos etc so that you can understand the material. In addition, there will be Internet worksheet exercises that you will do to supplement the information. Finally, you will get points for contributing to online discussions. There are three online lecture tests. If you fail to take a lecture test, you will automatically fail the course (FN grade: fail due to non-attendence).

To do well in this class I suggest that you:
  1. Print out and read the essential notes from the website.
  2. Read the chapter in the textbook to make sure you understand the notes. (Optional)
  3. Do the Internet worksheet.
  4. Post your comment in the Discussion Board.
  5. Study and learn the essential notes in detail before the test.
5. E-mail : In this online course E-mail will be an important method of communication. In any E-mail please include your name and the online course (BSC 1005 B12 term) at the bottom of the E-mail. Both E-mail and discussion forums require that you follow standard rules of "netiquette": do not write any offensive material. Any student that ignores this requirement will be withdrawn from the class. Note: all E-mail from Blackboard will be sent to your FCCJ E-mail account, not your regular (such as Yahoo) E-mail. Make sure you check your FCCJ E-mail at least twice a week.

5. Tests: You will take 3 lecture tests during the semester. The lecture tests are based on the material in the essential notes. Tests will be multiple choice, and consist of 50 questions. To see which chapters are covered by a particular test, look at the schedule.

6. Worksheets : Internet exercises will be used to supplement the lecture notes. You will do 12 exercises, each worth 5 points. Note: this is individual work, so you need to do this work yourself. If two students hand in exactly the same answers they will both get 0 points for the worksheet. You can print out the worksheets, go to the websites listed and answer the questions, then E-mail the completed worksheets every week. Assignments will not be accepted late.

Please note that the deadline for submitting your work every week is midnight on Saturday.

7. Online Discussion : Each week there will be a Discussion Board set up in Blackboard. This will usually contain an article for you to read, and then post your comments. Your discussion grade will be based upon the thoroughness, accuracy, and insightfulness of your answers, your use of correct spelling, grammar and sentence and paragraph format (always spell check your responses).

8. Points :
          3 lecture tests ( 50 points each )      150 points
          12 Internet worksheets (each 5 points)   60 points
          Online Discussion                        60 points
                                                 -----------
          Total points                            270 points
9. Grades : Students who are currently getting a passing grade and have completed 75% of the course, but are unable to complete the course may request an incomplete ( I ) grade. The request for the I grade must be in writing, and handed in two weeks before the end of the semester. 
Grade scale:         Grade           Percent            Points
                       A            90 - 100 %         243 - 270
                       B            80 - 89.9 %        216 - 242
                       C            70 - 79.9 %        189 - 215
                       D            60 - 69.9 %        162 - 188
                       F            0  - 59.9 %         0  - 161
10. Important reminders : textbooks can be ordered online ( see www.distancelearning.org or http://www.gettextbooks.com/).
Summer B12 term drop deadine is Monday 8 June, 2009. Once you start the course, check the "Announcements" section of Blackboard at least once a week as this will have reminders about work that is due, and any changes to the schedule.

11. Assistance : If you are having difficulty with the course, please contact me for additional help. You may come to my office during office hours, or E-mail me.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS FOR FCCJ STUDENTS

 1. What learning management system is used at FCCJ for the online portions of this course?
This course is delivered in the Blackboard Academic Suite online course platform.

2. Where do I acquire the required texts and instructional materials for this course?
All course materials can be purchased at your campus bookstore or online from E-Follett.

3. Do I have to have Internet access at home?
The College can provide you with Internet access (no ISP needed). You may choose to use your own ISP; however, the colleges ISP services are free to enrolled students. The College also has many student computer labs available to students who wish to use them.

4. What if I need special accommodations to take the course?
If you require specific accommodations to complete this course, contact Services for Students with Disabilities at www.fccj.edu/resources/disabilities/index.html and notify your instructor.

5. How long will I have to wait for a response from the instructor to my e-mail?
Faculty respond to e-mails within 48 hours.

6. What is proper e-mail etiquette?
E-mail to other learners and the instructor needs to be addressed in a manner appropriate to polite interactions.

7. What will help me succeed in this course?
a. Strong discipline and desire to succeed. You will need to login to class often during the typical week, motivating yourself to meet the requirements for success.
b. Ability to work well independently. You will develop the support of fellow learners all taking the same coursework together, but it will be different than a typical classroom environment. If you work well independently, your chance of success is higher.
c. Computer savvy. If you are not familiar with the Internet and e-mail communication, we recommend that you take a computer enrichment class prior to enrolling in this course. Faculty assumes you know how to access and send data on the Internet.

8. What is an FN grade?
This grade is awarded to students who do not meet the attendance requirement of a course.

9. What are I grades and when are they used?
An I grade may be assigned at the instructors discretion upon request by the student to permit the student time to complete required course work, which s/he was prevented from completing in a timely way due to non-academic reasons. The instructor may require the student to document the request to assist in the decision. The instructor may choose not to grant the request. The I grade should be considered only when the student has the potential to earn a passing grade if the missing work is made up.
The instructor shall prescribe in a written agreement with the student, the remaining course work required for completion and removal of the I grade. A copy of this agreement will be kept on file in the office of the appropriate dean. All work must be completed within the first eight weeks of the subsequent term, unless the instructor agrees to a longer timeframe extension of time (not to exceed one year). When the work is completed, the instructor will submit a grade change form with the grade earned. If the work is not completed within the prescribed timeframe, the I will automatically change to an F grade. The student will be informed of the final grade assigned.
To be eligible for an I grade, the student must be passing the course at the time of the request, and must have completed at least 75 percent of the course work.

10. What is the FCCJ Code of Ethics?
Consistent with The Code of Ethics of the Education Profession in Florida, 6B-1.06, Principles of Professional conduct for the Education Profession in Florida, an obligation to the learner requires that an individual shall not harass or discriminate against any learner on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national or ethnic origin, political beliefs, marital status, handicapping condition, sexual orientation, or social and family background and shall make reasonable effort to assure that each learner is protected from harassment or discrimination.

11. What about academic dishonesty? Academic dishonesty, in any form, is expressly prohibited by the rules of the District Board of Trustees of Florida Community College at Jacksonville. Academic dishonesty incorporates the following:
  • Cheating which is defined as the giving or taking of any information or material with the intent of wrongfully aiding oneself or another in academic work considered in the determination of a course grade.
  • Plagiarism which is defined as the act of stealing or passing off as your own work the words, ideas, or conclusions of another as if the work submitted were the product of your own thinking rather than an idea or product derived from another source.
  • Any other form of inappropriate behavior which may include but is not limited to falsifying records or data; lying; unauthorized copying, tampering, abusing or otherwise unethically using a computer or other stored information; and, any other act of misconduct which may reasonably be deemed to be a part of this heading.
  • Any student alleged to have committed any act of academic dishonesty as defined herein shall be entitled to due process as defined in the District Board of Trustees Rule 6Hx7-2. 18 prior to the administration of disciplinary action, including suspension and dismissal.
12. May I repeat this course?
Learners repeat a course in an attempt to improve a grade previously earned. State Board Rule 6A-14.0301 limits such attempts to courses where a D, F, or FN grade was earned. A learner has only three total attempts in any course, including the original grade, repeat grades, and withdrawals. Upon the third attempt in a course, the learner must be given an A, B, C, D or F.
When learners repeat a course only the last grade earned is calculated in their cumulative grade point average (GPA). However, learners with an excessive number of W or FN grades and those who repeat courses to improve their GPA may jeopardize their admission to programs in the Florida State University System (SUS) or other institutions.