BIOL 1309 Life on Earth

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BIOL 1309 Life on Earth

• Hello and welcome to the class.
• This course is based upon Life on Earth, a
  nature series consisting of 13 videotapes.
• The series is narrated by Sir David Attenborough
  and produced by the BBC.

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BIOL 1309 Life on Earth

• This course examines the diversity of life,
  focusing mainly on major groups of plants and
  animals.
• The course is designed for non-science majors
  only.
• Special note to science majors this course will
  probably not transfer as science credit for you.

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PCM Section

• This section is designed as a distance learning
  course and requires the regular use of a
  computer.
• PCM Personal Computer with Modem

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Life on Earth Preview

• Attenborough takes us on a broad survey of the
  different types of plants and animals on our
  planet.
• The photography is amazing. Some of the
  organisms were filmed for the first time in this
  series.
• Attenborough is an excellent narrator. He is
  British, so be prepared for his accent.

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Life on Earth Preview

• Common themes that occur throughout the series
  include
• Evolutionary relationships
• Adaptive strategies that allow different
  organisms to live and thrive in certain areas.
• Natural history Where do different organisms
  live? How do they earn their living? What do
  they eat? Are there any unusual features? How
  do they reproduce?
• Co-evolution

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Distance Learning

• If this is your first distance learning class,
  please go to the Distance Learning web site at
  http//dl.austincc.edu/students/ to get more
  information about distance learning courses.

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Distance Learning

• Distance learning means that students do not
  attend traditional lectures at specific campus
  locations.
• Distance learning courses are designed to be
  taught through the use of videos, reading and
  activities (web-based or group discussion).

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Distance Learning

• Distance learning does not mean that you are
  taking a class without deadlines.
• There are exam deadlines that you will be
  expected to meet.
• You will also be expected to participate in
  online discussion groups on a regular basis.

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Distance Learning

• Additional lecture material will be posted on
  Blackboard and you will be expected to read this
  material.
• You will be expected to participate in any
  web-based activities that are assigned.

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Time Commitments

• Distance learning courses provide opportunities
  for students to take classes in an alternate
  format.
• However, the typical distance learning student
  spends more time studying than traditional
  students and works more independently to learn
  the materials.

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Time Commitments

• Its a great way to learn if you are
  self-motivated.
• However, it does take more time and
  self-discipline.
• You will need to manage your time wisely.

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Syllabus

• Before you go any farther with this orientation,
  you will need to print out a copy of the
  syllabus.
• If you do not have a copy of the syllabus, you
  will find the syllabus on the Blackboard web page
  at http//acconline.austincc.edu/ (available on
  9/24/07) or on my web page at www.austincc.edu/nfa
  r/

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Syllabus

• Read the syllabus carefully.
• This presentation will only go over the materials
  that you need to get started in the course.
• You will be responsible for understanding all
  information in the syllabus even if it is not
  covered in this presentation.

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Getting Your ACCeID

• Youll need your ACCeID to access the Blackboard
  Course Management System.
• To get your ACCeID, go to http//www.austincc.edu/
  acceid/ and follow the instructions.

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Blackboard

• As explained on page 1 of the syllabus, we will
  be using Blackboard extensively in this class
  for
• (1) weekly online small discussion groups
• (2) supplemental course materials
• (3) for posting grades announcements
• (4) sending e-mails

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Blackboard Login

• The Blackboard login page is at
  http//acconline.austincc.edu/
• If you have not used Blackboard before, click on
  the link Student Guide Getting Started with
  Blackboard
• If you have problems, use the link for
  Blackboard Support Site

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Using Blackboard

• Update your personal information in Blackboard as
  soon as possible.
• If you do not put your email address into
  Blackboard, I will not be able to email you.
• Check Blackboard regularly throughout the
  semester.

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Required Course Materials

• Life on Earth Concepts and Questions, 3rd
  edition by Speer, Maxim, Froehlich, Strong and
  Allen. This study guide is available at the ACC
  bookstores or you can print it from this web
  site
• http//www.austincc.edu/biology/labmanuals/loe3/lo
  e3main.html
• Life on Earth video episodes (13 total). These
  are available for watching at the ACC libraries.
  A few copies are available for checking out (see
  syllabus p. 5).

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Videotapes

• ACC does not have the rights to show this series
  on cable.
• You will have to view the videotapes in order to
  complete the course materials.
• Videotapes are available in the ACC libraries and
  at Fredericksburg High School for viewing.

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Videotapes

• See page 5 of the syllabus.
• There are a few checkout copies available for
  students to check out and take home.
• Most students end up watching the videotapes in
  an ACC library.

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Videotapes

• Do not plan on being able to check out videotapes
  and take them home.
• Exam deadlines will not be extended if you are
  unable to checkout the videotapes.

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Are there other alternatives?

• There are no other alternatives available from
  ACC, due to our licensing agreement.
• Students have found other alternatives in the
  past, although I personally do not know how well
  these work.
• The following four slides are based solely on
  previous student comments. I cannot tell you if
  these alternatives will work for you or not.

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Other Alternatives?

• The Life on Earth DVDs are still sold in Great
  Britain. Students have ordered the DVDs from
  Great Britain and paid for expedited shipping.
• This is the link for amazon.com.uk
  http//www.amazon.co.uk/Life-Earth-David-Attenboro
  ugh/dp/B0000AISIQ/refsr_1_7/203-7085732-2973517?i
  eUTF8sdvdqid1179875467sr8-7
• The DVDs are Region 2 (Great Britain), not Region
  1 (USA).

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Other Alternatives?

• Students have told me that you can change the
  setting on your computer DVD player to read
  Region 2. (I have never done this.)
• Apparently, you can only change the setting twice
  before you have to reinstall the software. This
  means that your DVD player will not be able to
  play USA DVDs until the semester is over.

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Other Alternatives?

• Region-free DVD players are also available for
  purchase for under 100.
• Region-free DVD players are supposed to play any
  DVD, regardless of the region format.

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Other Alternatives?

• According to students, episodes 1-10 are
  currently available on the web at
  http//quicksilverscreen.com/show/109
• I know nothing about this site. I do know that
  web sites come and go. The site apparently does
  not have episodes 11-13.
• This web site is not connected with ACC or this
  class in any fashion. This information is based
  solely on unverified student comments.

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Online Discussion Groups

• Read this section on page 4 of the syllabus.
• You will be assigned to a small group discussion
  forum.
• I will post a different set of questions at the
  beginning of each unit for the group to discuss.

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Online Discussion Groups

• You can also use your group discussion forum to
  ask each other questions about the video episodes
  or any course material that you do not
  understand.
• Questions will be posted for all 6 units.
• The deadline for your posts to the group are the
  test deadlines on p. 9 of the syllabus.

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Online Discussion Groups

• You will be graded on participation in your
  group.
• You must make at least two posts per unit.
• Your posts must be meaningful, applying to the
  unit concepts and organisms.
• Your participation in the group will earn up to
  20 points per unit.

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Exams

• See pages 5-9 in the syllabus.
• All exams are given in the ACC testing centers.
• Locations of ACC testing centers Cypress Creek,
  Eastview, Fredericksburg, Northridge, Pinnacle,
  Rio Grande, Riverside, Round Rock Higher
  Education Center, San Marcos and South Austin.

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Exams

• There are six required exams in this course.
• There are mandatory deadlines for each exam.

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Exams

• There are no retests but there is an optional
  final.
• You cannot skip an exam and replace it with the
  final.
• You must take all six required exams in order to
  receive any grade other than F.

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Mandatory Exam Deadlines

• Mandatory exam deadlines are on page 9 of the
  syllabus.
• Please note that you have an automatic 24-hour
  grace period for exams.
• You do not have to ask permission to use the
  grace period.

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Mandatory Exam Deadlines

• Grace periods will not be extended for any
  reason.
• There is no grace period for the final.
• There are different deadlines for the final,
  based on which testing center you decide to use.
  
• You may take the final at any testing center.

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Check page 9 to see what each exam covers.

• The table on page 9 explains what each exam
  covers.
• Exam 1, for example, covers the introduction and
  Unit 1.
• Exam 1 will also cover any additional material
  posted on Blackboard and the material covered in
  the online discussion group.

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Check page 9 to see the format for each exam

• The table also explains the format for each exam.
  
• Exam 1, for example, has 48 multiple choice
  questions and one short answer question.

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Review Page 9 before taking an exam at the
Testing Center

• Before taking an exam, check to make sure that
  you know which exam to ask for!
• Dont make the mistake of studying only episode 1
  and then taking Exam 1.
• You will only have studied part of the material
  that will be covered on that exam!

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Optional Final

• See page 8 of the syllabus.
• There is an optional comprehensive final that can
  be taken to replace your lowest (non-zero) exam
  grade.
• The final cannot substitute for an exam that you
  did not take.

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Optional Final

• The final cannot hurt your grade in the course.
• If it is your lowest exam grade, it will not
  count.
• If higher, the final grade can be used to replace
  your lowest exam grade.

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Extra Credit

• See page 8 of the syllabus.
• Each exam has three extra multiple choice
  questions for extra credit.

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Extra Credit

• You can earn up to 36 points of extra credit on
  the exams.
• This is the only way to earn extra credit in this
  course.

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Course Grades

• See page 10 of the syllabus.
• Your grade for the course will be based on
• 6 exams at 100 points each 600 points
• Participation in your discussion
• group (6 units _at_ 20 pts) 120 points
• Total points for course 720 points

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Course Grades

• Course grades will be based on percentages
• A 90-100
• B 80- 89
• C 70- 79
• D 60- 69
• F below 60

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Withdrawals

• Withdrawal policies are discussed on page 11 of
  the syllabus.
• The last day to withdraw is November 26.

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Withdrawals

• Please note that I withdraw students only for the
  following reasons
• (1) A student does not complete the orientation
  materials by Wednesday midnight, October 3 and
  send an e-mail confirmation to me.
• (2) A student does not complete exams 1-4 by
  the mandatory deadlines.

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Blooms Taxonomy

• See page 14 of the syllabus.
• Blooms taxonomy is a model that tries to place
  mental thinking skills into categories. If you
  look over this page, you will see that higher
  level thinking skills fall into categories 2
  through 6. Rote memorization (recall) is
  category 1 in this model.

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Blooms Taxonomy

• In this course, I write exam questions at levels
  1-4.
• In Blackboard (under Syllabus), you will find a
  specific example of how test questions can be
  written at different levels over the same
  material.

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Testing Center

• See page 15-16 of the syllabus.
• Look at the hours of operation for the different
  testing centers and the mandatory exam deadlines
  for the course (p. 9).

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Choose Your Testing Center

• Choose the testing center that you intend to use
  during the semester.
• You may only choose one testing center to take
  exams 1-6.
• Exams will be placed at your testing center of
  choice.

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Testing Center Policies

• See pages 17-18.
• The testing center has very strict rules about
  testing.
• Please read their policies carefully.
• If you are banned from the Testing Centers for
  violating their policies, you will have no way to
  take the exams.

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Testing Center Policies

• If you do not have an ACC ID, go to the nearest
  Admissions Records Office (any campus) and get
  your ACC photo ID.
• You will not be able to use the testing center
  without an ACC photo ID.

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Testing Center Policies

• Admission to any Testing Center is on a first
  come, first serve basis.
• Please do not wait until the last minute to take
  an exam.

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Read the syllabus carefully.

• All course policies are explained in the
  syllabus.
• This presentation is just intended as an overview
  of the syllabus.
• Please refer to the syllabus for complete details
  about the course and ACC policies.
• If you have any questions about the syllabus or
  the course, please send me an e-mail at
  nfar_at_austincc.edu