GENERAL BIOLOGY ONLINE

I'm Dr. Jeffrey White your instructor for General Biology Online this semester.  I look forward to meeting all of you online and exploring the very interesting field of Biology with you!  You can call me Dr. White!

This section of Biology 104 is an asynchronous online course … for both Lecture and LAB components, and proceeds in a weekly format. Each week on Tuesday mornings, new Canvas Modules with course content, assignments, and LAB activities will be published.   Weekly assignments and activities are due on Mondays, and weekly quizzes take place on Mondays and Tuesdays.

The Lecture and LAB portions of the course are organized and managed on separate Canvas sites.  You are enrolled in both a Lecture and a LAB section.   Be sure to visit BOTH Canvas sites each week.  Week 1 course modules (Lecture & LAB) will be posted on Tuesday.

The two Canvas course sites will be opened on Sunday before the term starts.

My Philosophy of Learning

You are not alone!  We are all members of the General Biology Online learning community. To succeed, members of this community regularly participate in the course, contribute to discussions, are curious, have a positive attitude, and help one another. Each member is a unique person and this strengthens our learning with insights drawn from diverse experiences and perspectives. 

Learning and growing means getting outside of one's comfort zone. We all struggle while learning and this is a sign that we are engaged.  Interestingly, when we truly learn something, we can not only talk about the idea, but we can tell the story of how we came to understand the idea. Have you ever shared your own story of learning something new with family or friends? 

Sometimes mistakes and set-backs happen or we simply get a bit lost in our learning.  It happens to all of us because we are not perfect and it takes time and effort to really learn well.  When this happens, we take a break and then get back to it.  And we ask for help if we need to!

So let’s all work together to make this a terrific learning experience for everyone! 

OUR PACT

The successful completion of this course involves a partnership between you and me the instructor. As we enter this course together, we must be mindful of the expectations that each of us will uphold.  Please take a moment to read them now.  I hope that you commit to them as you begin this course.

Have a Question?

How This Course Works

You will use Canvas to log into the course (the log in link is at the bottom of this page) and all of the course content. This semester-long course is organized into 14 weekly modules beginning on Tuesday and ending the following Wednesdays, an Eight-day Module week.  The modules will have similarities, but they each are unique and have assignments with staggered due dates. 

Materials You Will Need for Week One

1. Concepts in Biology:  You do not need to purchase the textbook for this course. We use an open source textbook by OpenStax College titled, Concepts of Biology, at no cost to you.  You can access the full version of the Concepts of Biology online.  A link is available Canvas. Formats available include: fully online, PDF, iBooks & Kindle.

2. Lectures on Video:  This course makes use of a multitude of short lectures presented in video format. You will soon notice that the lectures are presented by different people depending on the topic, and have a variety of visual aids and additional resources to accompany them.  

3. Course Documents:  These documents are usually in the form of PDF files, and Canvas pages. 

Due Dates for Start-up and Week 1 Module

Put these dates on your calendar now.

1. Getting to Know You Survey [Start of Course]

2. Lecture Assignment:  Icebreaker [Due Monday, August 28]

3. LAB Activity:  Syllabus Activity and Academic Pledge [Due Monday, August 28]

4. Lecture Quiz:  Week-in-Review Quiz 1 [Due Tuesday, August 29]

My Advice for Success

Right now, make a commitment to yourself to log into our course every Tuesday morning (or as close to that as your schedule allows). On Tuesday, preview the module overview page, put the week's due dates (Mondays and Tuesdays) on your calendar, and assess the workload. This mental picture of the landscape is the best thing you can do to prepare each week.  Consider your personal schedule and plan when you will be available to complete the course work and submit assignments on time. 

If you identify a challenge, contact me right away to share this concern.  

Upon completing this course successfully, the Student Learning Outcomes state that you will be able to:

1. investigate the cause of observable phenomena using the scientific method.

2. explain biological diversity using evolutionary principles. 

3. describe major concepts that apply to biology, such as cell structure and function, genetics, homeostasis, and evolution. 

4. articulate how knowledge from the life sciences can be applied to personal, social, and ethical issues in contemporary society.

5. demonstrate the critical skills necessary for examining general biological principles through experimentation, observation, and documentation. 

What's My Role?

As your professor, I am the person you should contact if you need help with meeting the course goals. I strive to make this course clear and ensure you can see your pathway to success. I understand that each student is different and will always strive to respond to your questions quickly and efficiently. Teaching online can be lonely!  It's hard for me to know what's happening on your end if you don't reach out and let me know.  Please use that Canvas Inbox we talked about to drop me a note if you need some support.  We can arrange a time to discuss.

Campus Resources for Students

Canvas Technical Support

• • • If you have any difficulties with the computer or technical aspects for this online course, please call the Help Desk at 707-826-4357. 

Tutoring and Learning Center Support

• • • Learning Center Office:  707-826-5217 or email learning@humboldt.edu.

    • Learning Center professional staff:  Visit our staff page for contact information for each of our staff members. If you are unsure of who to reach, contact our Administrative Support Assistant, 707-826-5227.  

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

• • • Students who wish to request disability-related accommodations should contact the Student Disability Resource Center (SDRC) in the lower library, 826-4678 (voice) or 826-5392 (TDD). Some accommodations may take up to several weeks to arrange. For more information, go to: http://www.humboldt.edu/disability 

My Grading Philosophy

Rather than a couple of large exams and big assignments for this course, I have planned a series of activities, assignments and quizzes for each of the 14 weekly modules for the course.  Generally, with assignments and activities, if you complete them satisfactorily you will receive full credit or close to full credit.   With quizzes, there are a variety of question types to assess what you have learned.   You may use your notes and textbook during the quizzes but you are required to do you own work for the quiz.  Often, there are short answer questions that ask for a written responses.   Be sure to complete these so share your ideas about the topic.  

How Your Work is Weighted

Course accounting is in the form of points earned for the various components of the course.  A total of 600 points are possible for the course, 400 points or two-thirds (2/3) are for lecture and 200 points or one-third (1/3) for LAB.  Points are as follows: 

>>Week-In-Review Lecture Quizzes 

The Week-in-Review Lecture quizzes are worth 15 points each and are given each week.  The highest 12 lecture quiz scores will be used to determine the lecture quiz portion (180 pts) toward your final grade.   This means that if you miss, or do poorly on one or two quizzes, it won’t have a negative impact on your grade.  Quizzes for each week are taken between Mondays at 8:00am through Tuesdays at 11:59pm.

>> Lecture Assignments

The lecture assignments portion of the course is worth 150 points.   They are in the form of Canvas “Assignments”, “Discussions” or sometimes “Quizzes” and are worth 10 points each. They are generally given weekly but in some cases, there may be two assignments in one week, or none at all.   Assignments are due on Mondays before 11:59pm.

>>Weekly LAB Activities

The LAB activities are worth 10 points each. The highest 13 activity scores (out of 14) will be used to calculate the LAB activity portion (130 pts) toward your final grade.  LAB activities are in the form of Canvas “Assignments”, “Discussions” or sometimes “Quizzes” and are due Mondays by 11:59pm.

>>Semi-Weekly LAB Quizzes (every two weeks) 

A LAB Quiz worth 10 points is given every other week covers LAB material for the two-week period.  These quizzes are taken between Mondays at 8:00am through Tuesdays at 11:59pm.

>>Final Lecture Exam                

A comprehensive lecture final, worth 70 points, will be given on Monday and Tuesday of finals week.

>> EVALUATION SUMMARY (Lecture=400 pts; LAB=200pts)                          

12 Lecture Week-In-Review Quizzes    180 pts  (30.0%)                        

15 Lecture Assignments                        150 pts (25.0%)            

13 LAB Activities (weekly)                      130 pts  (21.7%)

  7 LAB Quizzes (every two weeks)         70 pts  (11.7%)             

  1 Lecture Final Exam                              70 pts  (11.7%)

TOTAL                                                       600 pts