Marine Biology
Fall 2023
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Welcome! My name is Allison Gong and I will be your instructor for this online course in Marine Biology at Cabrillo College.
Please take 2 minutes to watch my intro video and learn a little more about me and this course. After that, I invite you to explore the rest of this page to get prepared for how this online course will work. I hope to whet your appetite to learn all about marine biology!
I'll see you around online!
Allison
How this course works
How this course works
The essentials
The essentials
This is a fully online 16-week course.
The course begins on Monday, 28 August 2023 and ends on Friday, 15 December 2023.
We have no regularly scheduled class meetings—in other words, there are no Zoom class sessions. All of your work will be completed asynchronously (on your own time) in Canvas. That said, there are four dates that we do meet to go on field trips:
Monday, September 11 (Beach lab)
Wednesday, November 1 (Seymour Marine Discovery Center)
Monday, November 6 (Moss Landing)
Monday, November 13 (Natural Bridges)
Having said that, I will hold an optional class meeting on Monday 28 August at 11:00, via Zoom. This will be a chance to get to know each other a little bit and for me to share with you how I intend the class to operate. You will also be able to ask me questions.
This is not a self-paced course. You, your classmates, and I will form a learning community together and will work through the course one week at a time.
The course is organized into 16 1-week modules in Canvas. For the purposes of this class, a week runs from Monday-Sunday. Each module will open at 12:01 a.m. on Monday.
How to succeed in this class
How to succeed in this class
Every Monday morning I will send you an Announcement, notifying you to begin the new module. Plan on logging into the course every Monday, even if only for a few minutes. Each module will be begin with an Overview page; read that, at the very least, on Monday so you know what to expect for the rest of the week.
Each module is divided into three main sections: Monday, Wednesday, and Lab. The course is asynchronous, so you can work through the materials in any order, but they will be presented in chronological order. It will often make sense to finish all of the Monday materials before proceeding to the Wednesday materials.
Download the Canvas Student app to your mobile device, and use it to check in frequently.
Plan on spending about 12 hours each week working on this 4-unit class. This time will involve reading and taking notes on pages, reading and taking notes on mini-lectures and other videos, completing a lab exercise and submitting it on Canvas, working through study guides, and other studying and revising. I hope you can squeeze in some time each week to meet with a study group, too! I have seen that student success improves when students work together and help each other understand course material. It might seem a little daunting to find study buddies in an online asynchronous course, so I would be very happy to help you do just that.
How to get your questions answered
How to get your questions answered
How to contact me
How to contact me
I am here to answer your questions and support your success in this course. I prefer that you contact me using the Canvas Inbox. You'll find that it is a great tool for organizing your communications for our course (and your other courses, too!).
I will respond to your message within 24 hours during the school week (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m to 5 p.m.). If you message me on a weekend or holiday, I may not respond until the next school day. If your message is urgent, please include "URGENT" in the subject line of the message. That will help me keep track of your message in my inbox.
Lastly, if you have a message about any of the pages (pages, assignments, quizzes, discussions, etc.) in Canvas, please include the unique number for the page in your message. That way I will know exactly which page you are referring to.
Student consultation hours
Student consultation hours
If you prefer to speak with me live, I am happy to arrange a Zoom meeting. Just send me a message with this request and we'll get it scheduled at a time that works for both of us.
I will also hold open consultation hours every week via Zoom as follows:
Monday and Wednesday 1:00-2:00 p.m.
Tuesday 3:00-4:00 p.m. (Weeks 1-8)
How to get your general questions answered
How to get your general questions answered
If you have a general question about our course, I encourage you to post it in our Q&A Lounge, which you can find by clicking on Discussions in our Canvas course. The Q&A Lounge will always be at the top of the list of discussions. Questions posted here will be visible to all members of the course and may be answered by any member. If your question is of a personal nature, please contact me directly through the Canvas inbox.
Our pact
Our pact
What you can expect from me
What you can expect from me
I will provide you with a clear, organized course that is designed to ensure that you meet our course outcomes in a meaningful manner.
I will provide a variety of assignments to ensure that your learning needs are met.
I will be actively present in your learning.
I will provide a safe and supportive environment for you to share and discuss ideas with your peers.
I will reach out to you when I sense that you need support.
I will treat you with dignity and respect.
I won't be perfect. I am human and will make mistakes. I hope to view mistakes as opportunities to learn and grow.
Is there anything else you would like to add to this list?
What I will expect of you
What I will expect of you
You will strive to be an active participant in this course and will make a good-faith effort to meet due dates.
You will maintain an open line of communication with me so I can understand how to support you.
You will contact me before an assignment is due, if you have concerns about the due date.
You will strive to regularly contribute to collaborative activities, so that other learners have the opportunity to read/listen, reflect, and respond to your ideas.
You will treat your peers with dignity and respect.
You will do your best to ensure that you have adequate access to technology to submit your work.
You will be kind to yourself. Expect to make mistakes. We all will!
Is there anything else you would like to add to this list?
How to get into our course
How to get into our course
For new students
For new students
Begin your studies at Cabrillo College by first applying to the California Community Colleges.
For returning students
For returning students
If you are a returning student, use your college ID to register for classes.
For help with Canvas
For help with Canvas
If you would like an intro to Canvas or have specific questions about Canvas, click below.
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