Grading
Learning is a process
Our course grading system is designed around the principles of how we learn - how our brain works! Your course grade will not be determined by how quickly, or how many attempts it takes to complete an activity. We are here to learn, and the best way to learn is to explore, get confused, review feedback, and then revise! Please watch this "Boosting Math" video created by Youcubed at Stanford for an introduction to how our brain works. Just substitute "Biology" for "Math" when watching the video, and enjoy the information about how our brain works!
Everyone can learn biology
Believe in yourself
Struggle and mistakes are really important
Speed is not important
One of the reasons mature people stop learning is that they become less and less willing to risk failure. ~John W. Gardner
You have to be able to accept failure to get better. ~Lebron James
Failure is the key to success; each mistake teaches us something ~Morihei Ueshiba
Grading only your first attempt at a new skill does not capture your full capacity to learn and discourages creativity. If you are able to successfully explain a new concept on the first try, then maybe the concept was too easy or you already knew it. Deeper learning occurs when you are given opportunities to take risks, extend beyond what you already know, get frustrated, receive feedback, and then put the feedback into action. Growth and learning happen when we are challenged and have opportunities to practice a skill or concept, with support in the learning process.
Specifications Grading with Grade Goals
This course uses a specifications grading system. Individual activity submissions will be recorded in the Canvas Gradebook as complete (✔️) or incomplete (✖️). The specifications used to determine whether a submission is complete can be found at the bottom of each activity's instructions. Review these specifications before you submit, but you can still submit incomplete work if you are stuck and would like some feedback. You can think of incomplete as "in progress". There are no points or partial credit in our course since you can revise and resubmit any incomplete activity. Review the feedback provided in submission comments and then revise and resubmit to complete the activity. When the submission is complete, the ✖️ will be updated to a ✔️ to record the activity as complete. You can revise and resubmit each activity as many times as you need to complete the activity. I will share feedback on every submission to guide you during the learning process.
You choose your grade goal. This is the grade you want to work towards in our course. To get the most out of our course, I hope to see you working toward an A in our course, but I do understand that you have other priorities and responsibilities this semester. Choose the grade you want to work toward, and we can check in if you need to re-evaluate your grade goal as the semester unfolds.
The only letter grade in this course will be your final course grade submitted to the college, and it will be determined by the number of activities you complete over the course of the semester. This final letter grade is not an evaluation of you, but just a description of the number of activities completed during the semester. There are more activities available than you need to complete to give you choice in which activities you complete to secure your grade goal.
To successfully complete BIOL 1 with an A, B, or C, you will be an active participant in your Synthesis Project, your completed Synthesis Project will be shared with the rest of the class, and you will complete our weekly study guides, lab activities, and progress checks.
If your grade goal is an A complete our study guide, 3 lab activities, and progress check each week.
If your grade goal is a B complete our study guide, 2 lab activities, and progress check each week.
If your grade goal is a C complete our study guide, 1 lab activity, and progress check each week.
You do not need to be perfect every week. You can submit missing activities late, and you can revise incomplete activities, to meet your weekly target and total semester goal. There are a total of 16 study guides, 48 lab activities, and 16 progress checks available in our course, so you can skip a study guide, up to 6 lab activities, and a progress check over the course of the semester and still earn an A in our course. I encourage you to complete a few extra lab activities when you have time or interest to build a bit of a cushion in case you have a challenging week or two later in the semester. This will put you on track to complete the number of activities needed to earn your chosen grade goal by the end of the semester.
30-41 total completed activities in our course is a D and less than 30 total completed activities is an F. Let's stay in communication throughout the semester if something gets in the way of your weekly participation in our course so we can avoid these letter grades on your transcript.
Due Dates
Weekly study guides, lab activities, and progress checks are due every Thursday at 11:59 PM.
Due dates for specific activities are posted on our Canvas Calendar, Canvas To-Do List, Course Schedule page in our Canvas Syllabus, and in weekly announcements.
Your Synthesis Project should be ready to be shared with your co-learners by the end of the 12th week of the semester so they can review your project, learn from your curated content, and share feedback with you in time for you to make revisions to improve your project before the end of the semester.
Due dates and progress checks have been designed in the course to ensure time is provided to allow you to produce your best work each week and to spread out our course work evenly throughout the semester.
Please try to submit your work on or before the assigned due date, which, in turn, allows me time to review your work and provide meaningful feedback.
Try to turn stuff in early. You will receive feedback sooner and have more time to revise and resubmit, if needed, and you will be glad when last-minute things come up and you don't have to stress.
Because we all have outside responsibilities - and you know your priorities better than I do - deadlines can be challenging. Late submissions will be accepted with no late penalty.
Do try to complete activities on time, but if that is not possible, make them up as soon as you can. Late work can be great work, but you got to turn it in at some point! Course work piles up quickly if you miss more than one due date and that just increases stress.
If you recognize a due date might be a problem, email me with your plan for when you are going to catch up. We will work together to make sure you can be successful.
Remember that you should be setting aside 8-12 hours a week for this class; scheduling that in to your week will help you stay on track.
Feedback
I review your work as it is submitted, so the earlier you submit, the earlier you will see my feedback. Submissions will usually be recorded as complete (✔️ ) or incomplete (✖️) in the gradebook within 24-48 hours of submission during the week, and by Tuesday evening if you submit over the weekend. I strive to provide feedback as soon as I can so you can use the feedback provided to revise and resubmit while the information is still fresh, and before you need to start focusing on our next module.
I will share feedback on most of your lab activity submissions, even if your submission is complete. This feedback will help you build a foundation of biological knowledge, so look at it closely. If you have any questions about the feedback, please reply to the submission comment or send me an email. I am happy to discuss any questions you have.
If your submission is missing any of the specifications listed in the submission instructions it will be recorded as incomplete (✖️). Don’t be disappointed! This is the learning process and most of the time incomplete assignments are really close, and just need a small addition or change to be completed. When you see a ✖️ in your gradebook, review and respond to the feedback in the submission comments to complete the activity.
Attendance / Participation
If you miss a due date I will check in with a Canvas message. Please respond so we can discuss a plan for how you can catch up. If you have not actively participated (turned in lab activities) for 2 weeks and you are not responding to my check-ins, you may be withdrawn from the course (before October 16th) or receive an FW (Failing Withdrawal). If you stop participating in our course before Sept 6th, you will be withdrawn from our course without notation on your transcript. If you stop participating in our course between Sept 6th and October 16th, our course will show up on your transcript with a W for Withdrawal. If you stop participating in our course after the 75% date of the semester our course will show up on your transcript with a FW for Failing Withdrawal. A Failing Withdrawal (FW) has the same effect on your GPA as an F, so please do check in with Melody and an Academic Counselor to discuss your options if you are unable to complete BIOL 1 this semester. If an extenuating circumstance prevents you from participating in our course, please meet with an Academic Counselor to discuss your options, which may include an Excused Withdrawal (EW), which would not affect your GPA. If the extenuating circumstance occurs during the last few weeks of the semester and you were on track to complete our course with an A, B, or C, please email Melody to discuss an Incomplete grade, which would allow you to save your progress in our course and complete the last few weeks of the semester during the following semester.
Active and consistent participation in our course is an essential component of your success.
Active participation in our course is defined as completing 1 study guide reflection, at least 1 lab activity, and 1 progress check each week.
Federal law requires active participation if a student is to continue to receive financial aid.
Please contact me if you need more time to complete a module so I know you plan to continue to participate in our course. If you do not actively participate (turn in lab activities) for 2 weeks - and don't check-in with me - you will be withdrawn from the course or receive an FW (Failing Withdrawal), which calculates into your GPA the same as an F.
If you do not complete the Week 1 Progress Check by August 25th, you will be withdrawn from the course if you don't check in with me to let me know you would like to stay enrolled and your timeline for catching up. Completing Progress Check 1 before midnight on Aug 25th is how you secure your spot in our course.
Important Attendance Note: If you need to drop the course it is your responsibility to drop the course by September 5th to avoid notation on your record or October 16th to receive a W. After this withdrawal deadline, you will need a serious and compelling reason to withdraw. Please check in with me or an academic counselor if you have any questions about withdrawing from our course. Any student that is not actively participating (not turning in lab activities) for two consecutive weeks at any point in the semester may be withdrawn from the course. Please do not disappear! If something comes up that gets in the way of your participation and success in our course please send me an email or text. You have options if circumstances beyond your control get in the way of your academic success. I can help you navigate those options, no matter which week of the semester they emerge.
For the rules and regulations set by the college please visit Butte College Student Academic Policies and Procedures