Friday, October 10, 2014

Environmental Science, EVR1009 Winter 2015 Session 3 Course Preview Page

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Course Preview Page
Course Name:  Environmental Science
Term/Session: Winter 2015, Session 3
Course Number:  EVR1009
Reference Number: 506179

Faculty Introduction

Hi students, welcome to Environmental Science, EVR1009. I am professor Eisenberg and I will be facilitating this fully online, fast-paced course that runs from January 22, 2015-April 24, 2015. I am a full-time instructor based out of Broward College’s North Campus in Coconut Creek.  If you ever need to make an appointment to meet with me in person, my office is located in bldg. 57, room 121. I have been teaching face-to-face, blended, and fully online Environmental Science and Biology courses at Broward College since 2009. Prior to coming to Broward College, I completed my graduate degree in Biology at the University of Central Florida. I conducted research on the distribution, abundance, and habitat use of a rare species of squirrel, the Big Cypress fox squirrel for my Master’s thesis. I presented this research at five regional and national conferences from 2006-2008, and my research was published in a journal called, Southeastern Naturalist in 2011. 
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Faculty Contact Information

Instructor Name:
Danielle Eisenberg
Office Phone:
954-201-2288
Campus Phone:
954-201-7900
Fax:
954-201-7937
Email:
deisenbe@broward.edu

Course Description

Study of the physical environment, its relationship to the biosphere, and the human impact upon natural systems.
Click BC Course Description for more details.

Course Prerequisites

To maximize your chances for success in this course, make sure that you meet the following course prerequisites:
  • Course Prerequisites and Co-requisites: none
Orientation to Online Learning
To be successful in an online course, you should assess your readiness to successfully engage in an online learning class at Broward College. You can complete the Orientation to Online Learning to determine if an online class is a right fit for you and to learn how to navigate the system.  Upon completion of the orientation, you will earn a certificate.  Some professors require you to submit this certificate during orientation, so make sure to save it in an easily accessible folder on your computer. 
Course Attendance and Participation Policy
During the first week of class (Jan. 22, 2015-Jan. 28, 2015), you must complete the Syllabus Quiz from the course orientation, or you will be withdrawn from the course. Simply logging into the course will not satisfy your attendance during this time. As with an on-campus course, students who are reported for non-attendance in an online course and are withdrawn are still responsible for paying for the course. If you do not complete the requirements of the first week of class, you should drop the course by the official drop/add deadline or expect to pay for the course.
It is very important for you to actively participate in this online class. If you stop participating in class discussions, do not submit assignments, or fail to take quizzes or tests prior to the withdrawal date (March 24, 2015), you will be withdrawn from class and receive a W or, if it is your third attempt, an F.

If you stop participating after the withdrawal date (March 24, 2015) , you will receive an F. To avoid this situation, you should remain an active learner in this class and always communicate extenuating circumstances to your instructor. Ongoing communication with the instructor is critical to your course success. Completion of tests, assignments, and other class activities are used as indicators of your participation in order to satisfy this reporting requirement.  See the list of activities required for participation and attendance on the
General Course Policies page.
Required Course Materials

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Required Text:
Title: Environmental Science: Foundations and Applications
Author(s):Friedland, Relyea, and Courard-Hauri
published by W. H. Freeman and Company (2012)
ISBN 13:
978-1-4292-4029-1

Books for online courses are available at the Central Campus bookstore
A. Hugh Adams Central Campus Bookstore
Admissions & Student Service Center - Bldg. 19
Tel: (954) 201-6830
Fax: (954) 201-6895
In addition, this course utilizes the following required software or hardware tools:
1.      BCOnline (D2L)
https://bconline.broward.edu

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Methods of Instruction
This is a 3-credit hour fully online course with proctored exams. In this class, you will engage in structured out-of-class and online activities. The online activities may include, but are not limited to, readings, discussions, essays, case studies, research, and/or online quizzes and tests. See below for a detailed description of activities. Students are responsible for regularly reviewing the course schedule and completing all required assignments by the deadline.
For quizzes - Quizzes worth 5 to 15 points will be taken between exams to test your comprehension of the material covered. Some of the questions on the practice questions within the learning modules will appear on quizzes, and some of the quiz questions will appear on exams. Quizzes will become available at least 4 days before the "must be completed" date listed in the schedule below, after which they will be closed. Only one attempt is allowed, so study the material thoroughly before opening the quiz. Once you begin you will be timed, and cannot come back to complete questions later. Don't forget to save your answers before submitting the quiz. Quizzes can be accessed by going to the assessment button on the left toolbar or using the links within the learning modules. Questions will be objective (such as multiple choice, matching, or true-false). All quizzes are online and close at midnight on the close date listed in the schedule below.
For discussions - Discussions will be assigned where appropriate throughout the course. In all discussion postings, express yourself in complete sentences using correct grammar and spelling. Compose thoughtful contributions to the discussion using information you learned in this course, other courses, life experiences and from research where appropriate. Always cite your sources. You are required, at a minimum, to post a message addressing the discussion topic/questions and then reply to the post of at least one other student, adding some additional information or insight to his or her statements. Simply stating you agree or disagree is not acceptable. You should explain why, backing your statements up with information gathered from reliable sources. A grading rubric will be provided when the directions for each discussion are posted, so you will know how points are assigned to arrive at your grade.
For exams - The four exams will be taken at the Central Campus e-Testing Center located in the library, Building 17 room 220 or the North Campus e-Testing Center in Building 62, Room 135, or at an alternate pre-approved testing location. For detailed instructions please visit our Proctored Exam Policy page. Go to testing center’s websites to check hours of operation. You will have at least a window of 4 days to take each exam. The first three exams will consist of multiple choice questions worth 100 points, and you will have 1.5 hours to complete the exam. The comprehensive Final Exam will cover material in Unit 4 and review questions from the first three units. It will consist of 150 multiple choice questions worth 150 points. You will have 2 hours 10 minutes to complete this exam.
For assignments - Assignments will be made throughout the course to help you master the course objectives. Some assignments will involve reading pages in the text. Others will involve activities such as going to websites, completing activities, and writing reports. Specific instructions and the point value of the assignment will be given when it is posted.  In order to receive full credit you will need to develop your answers fully, answering in complete sentences, with proper grammar, spelling and syntax. Follow the instructions carefully. For example, be sure to understand what the assignment requires when words like "describe", "list", "explain", "compare and contrast", "interpret", etc. are used. Points will be deducted if these instructions are not adhered to. Also, the assignment must be submitted on time. 20% will be deducted for assignments received up to 24 hours after the due date. After that, no credit will be given.
General Policies and Technical Requirements
You are responsible for being familiar with all BC Online policies and procedures related to your activity in this course.
Broward College Policies
  • Review the Broward College Policies on topics including disability services, academic honesty, privacy, and critical event procedures.
BC Online Policies
  • Review the General Course Policies for topics including rules for netiquette, definition of participation, and other information.
Proctored Exam Policy
  • This course has proctored exams that must be taken at a campus e-Testing Center or at an alternate pre-approved testing location. For detailed instructions please visit our Proctored Exam Policy page.
Technical Requirements
  • Students taking an online course are expected to be moderately proficient in using a computer. Please go to the Technical Requirements page for a complete list of computer skills and technical requirements.
How to Access the Course
Follow these steps in order to log into the BC Online course. Normally, the login date will be the first day of the session in which the course is scheduled. Only students who have registered and paid for the course will be permitted to login. There may be a delay of up to 20 minutes from when you register and pay before BC Online login is activated.
  • Your BC Online User Name is the same as your BC email ID.
  • Your BC Online password is the same as your BC email PIN code.
  • If you need login information, obtain BC email user ID and PIN code before attempting to login to BC Online.
Links to help you get connected to BC Online course(s)