Wednesday, October 7, 2015

BSC1005 General Biology Online Spring 2016 Session 3 Ref# 536369

General Biology

BSC1005

Spring 2016 Session 3 # 536369

You must complete the Orientation quiz online by February 1, 2016 to stay in the class. Students who do not complete the Orientation quiz by the deadline will be withdrawn for non-attendance. No exceptions!

Faculty Introduction

Hello and welcome to General Biology!! My name is Danielle Eisenberg and I will be the professor for this fast-paced, fully online class. My education includes an undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Central Florida and a Masters in Biology also earned at the University of Central Florida. While in graduate school, I conducted a 3-year field research project on a threatened species found only in southwest Florida, the Big Cypress fox squirrel. The results of the study may aid in revising future listing decisions by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Information Contact
Danielle Eisenberg
Science Department
Broward College North Campus
954-201-2288
954-201-2284 (admin. assistant)
e mail deisenbe@broward.edu

Course Description


This course is designed to give students an understanding of biological principles, while focusing on the nature and activities of living organisms. The course is primarily for non-science majors.



Course Objectives:  

Upon successful completion of this course a student should be able to:


1. clearly communicate in writing information derived from course related readings the major concepts and themes in the biological sciences.

2. recognize the basic characteristics of life and describe the nature of science.

3. describe the fundamentals of ecology including community interactions, and the  
    movement of energy and nutrients through ecosystems.

4. explain the structure of atoms, chemical bonding, properties of water, and the groups of
    organic molecules associated with life.

5. describe a theory of the origin of cells, distinguish prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, list cell
    organelles and their functions, describe membrane function, and detail the phases of mitosis and their significance.

6. explain the energy requirements of cells, the central role of ATP, the generation of ATP  
    during cellular respiration, the production of food by photosynthesis, and the role of
    enzymes in controlling chemical processes in the cell.

7. understand the principles of heredity as described by Gregor Mendel in regard to
    chromosome behavior, and the statistical ratios of traits among offspring.

8. understand the chemical and physical structure of the gene and its operation in the
    synthesis of polypeptide.

9. discuss various aspects of topics in biology selected by the instructor from the following: animal behavior, reproduction and development, evolution, genetic engineering, human anatomy and physiology, human diseases, diversity of life and currents topics in biology.


Course Prerequisites and Resources
Students: To maximize your chances for success in this course, make sure that you meet the following course course prerequisites:
  • Course Prerequisites and Co-requisites: MAT0024 with a grade of "C" or higher
  • Computer Knowledge and Skills:
    • Students in this course should be familiar with the following computer skills.
      • File Management - You should be familiar with finding and saving files on your computer.
      • The Internet - You should be familiar with connecting to the Internet through an Internet Service Provider or Network Connection.
      • Web Browser Software - You should be familiar with using web browser software to navigate the Internet and locate information.
      • Email - You should be familiar with sending and receiving email messages.
      • Discussions - You should be familiar with posting and reading discussion messages in a threaded format.
      • Attachments - You should be familiar with sending email messages with attached files.
      • Word Processing - You should be familiar with creating, editing, saving, and printing documents using Microsoft Word.
  • Other Requirements
    • You'll need a BC email address to access the online portion of this course.
    • Obtain a County Library Card or University/College Library Card. You will need either a County Library Card which you may obtain at either North Campus or South Campus Library or a University/College Library Card from the Central Campus Library. These cards will allow you to use select library databases. (optional)
  • Log into BCOnline/e-Learning Course
    • https://bconline.broward.edu
 Course Requirements
Students: To complete the online segments of this course, you must have access to computer hardware and software that meets or exceeds BC's minimum hardware and software standards for e-learning courses. It is strongly recommended that you check your computer to verify that its hardware and software configuration meets or exceeds the BC standard.
Students: This is a 3-credit hour course. Normally, a 3-credit hour course would meet two or three times each week (during a 16 week term) for a total of 3 hours per week or 48 hours per term. In addition, students would be expected to spend at least 1 - 2 hours a week for each hour in class reading the text, doing assignments, and preparing for exams. In this class, you will only be required to come to campus to take exams four to five times during the semester. In order to spend adequate time engaging in structured out of class or online activities (including completing the learning modules, practice tests, assignments, discussions and preparing for exams) you will need to allocate 6 to 9 hours per week to devote to this course. See the Course Schedule in the Syllabus for a detailed description of learning activities and the scheduled exams which you will take in the Central Campus e-Testing Center located on the second floor of the library, Building 17 or the North Campus e-Testing Center on the first floor of the library, Building 62. Students are responsible for regularly reviewing the Course Schedule and Assignments located in this syllabus and completing all required activities and assessments.

Methods of Evaluation
For quizzes - Quizzes worth 10 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 be become available 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, if the assignment requires, 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 proctored 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 located in the library, Building 62, Room 135. ProctorU is also available for an additional fee. You will have at least a window of 4 days to take each 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.  To receive full credit, 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.


Students: Regular, active, and meaningful participation in online learning activities is a critically important component of this course and is essential to your success. It is recommended that you log into the course several times during each week. Frequency and quality of participation may effect your grade. If you fail to log in to the course to complete activities and assignments for a two week period, you will be considered inactive in the course and will be withdrawn. If circumstances such as hospitalization or a death in the immediate family prevent you participation in the class, email your instructor to inform them of the problem.
How to Register for this Course

You may enroll in this course through BCOnline (D2L). Students must pay for the course before they will be able to log into the course.

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