Student Orientation BIOL 2306 Living Planet

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Student OrientationBIOL 2306 Living Planet

• Fall 2008
• 16-week Semester

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BIOL 2306 Living Planet

• Hello and welcome to the class.
• This course is based upon Living Planet, an
  amazing nature series consisting of 12
  videotapes.
• The series is narrated by Sir David Attenborough
  and produced by the BBC.

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BIOL 2306 Living Planet

• This is an ecology course, designed primarily for
  non-science majors, although many science majors
  also take it for transfer credit.

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Living Planet Preview

• This series looks at various ecosystems, such as
  deserts, forests and grasslands.
• Attenborough takes us through each ecosystem,
  looking at characteristics of each ecosystem and
  the types of plants and animals that live there.
  
• The photography is amazing and Attenborough is an
  excellent narrator.

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Deserts An Example of an Ecosystem

• Lets look at a specific example. Deserts are
  covered in episode 6.
• As Attenborough discusses deserts, he will cover
  certain concepts about deserts. These include
• What makes a desert a desert?
• Where do you find deserts on our planet?
• What conditions cause deserts to form?
• How do plants manage to live in desert
  conditions?
• How do animals manage to live in these
  conditions?

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PCM Section

• This section is designed as a distance learning
  course and requires the regular use of a
  computer.
• PCM Personal Computer with Modem

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Distance Learning

• If this is your first distance learning class,
  please go to the Distance Learning web site at
  http//dl.austincc.edu/students/ to get more
  information about distance learning courses.

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Distance Learning

• Distance learning means that students do not
  attend traditional lectures at specific campus
  locations.
• Distance learning courses are designed to be
  taught through the use of videos, reading and
  activities (web-based or group discussion).

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Distance Learning

• Distance learning does not mean that you are
  taking a class without deadlines.
• There are exam deadlines that you will be
  expected to meet.
• Exams are given only in the ACC Testing Centers.

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Distance Learning

• Distance learning does not mean that the course
  is self-paced.
• You will be expected to participate in online
  discussion groups every week.

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Distance Learning

• Additional lecture material may be posted on
  Blackboard and you will be expected to read this
  material.
• You will be expected to participate in any
  web-based activities that are assigned.

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Time Commitments

• Distance learning courses provide opportunities
  for students to take classes in an alternate
  format.
• However, the typical distance learning student
  spends more time studying than traditional
  students and works more independently to learn
  the materials.

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Time Commitments

• Its a great way to learn if you are
  self-motivated.
• However, it does take more time and
  self-discipline.
• You will need to manage your time wisely, in
  order to successfully complete the course.

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Syllabus

• Before you go any farther with this orientation,
  you will need to print out a copy of the
  syllabus.
• If you do not have a copy of the syllabus, you
  will find the syllabus on the Blackboard web page
  at http//acconline.austincc.edu/ (available to
  students on 8/25/08) or on my web page at
  www.austincc.edu/bspeer

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Syllabus

• Read the syllabus carefully.
• This presentation will only cover parts of the
  syllabus, especially the materials you need to
  get started in the course.
• All course policies are explained in the syllabus.

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Blackboard

• As explained on page 2 of the syllabus, we will
  be using Blackboard extensively in this class
  for
• (1) Weekly online small discussion groups
• (2) Supplemental course materials
• (3) For posting grades announcements
• (4) Sending e-mails

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Blackboard Login

• The Blackboard login page is at
  http//acconline.austincc.edu/
• If you have not used Blackboard before, click on
  the link Student Guide Getting Started with
  Blackboard
• If you have problems, use the link for
  Blackboard Support Site

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ACCeID

• You will need your ACCeID to use Blackboard and
  access ACC Online.
• If you dont already have your ACCeID, go to the
  ACCeID Manager Login at https//acceid.austincc.
  edu/idm/user/login.jsp
• Click on First Time Login and follow the
  instructions.

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Using Blackboard

• Update your personal information in ACC Online as
  soon as possible.
• Blackboard automatically uses the e-mail address
  in your personal information in ACC Online.

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Using Blackboard

• Check Blackboard regularly throughout the
  semester, at least 2-3 times per week.
• You should check Announcements frequently. I
  often post announcements to the class, especially
  if something needs to be corrected or if there is
  a problem at any ACC campus.

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Checking Blackboard

• You should also check postings on your Group
  Discussions board. This discussion board will
  be used by members of your group to discuss
  weekly topics.

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Using Blackboard

• You should also check postings on the Class
  Discussions board. This discussion board will
  be used by all members of the class to post
  questions about the study guide and video
  episodes.

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Required Course Materials

• Living Planet Concepts and Questions, 8th edition
  by Speer, Maxim and Strong. This study guide is
  available at the ACC bookstores or you can print
  it from this web site http//www.austincc.edu/bi
  ology/labmanuals/23068th/ind23068th.html

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Required Course Materials

• Living Planet video episodes (12 total).
• These video episodes are available
• On ACC cable (syllabus, page 16),
• As streaming videos on Blackboard,
• Available for watching or checking out at the ACC
  libraries (syllabus, page 5)
• Available for purchase (syllabus, page 22).

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Online Discussion Groups

• Read this section on pages 4-5 of the syllabus.
• You will be assigned to a small group discussion
  forum by the instructor.
• I will post a different set of questions every
  week for the group to discuss.

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Online Discussion Groups

• Group discussions begin the first week of class.
• Go to the Blackboard site, locate Group
  Discussions in the frame on the left, and go to
  your group.
• Read the questions for Week 1.
• Post to the group discussion board by Sunday,
  August 31.

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Online Discussion Groups

• You can also use your group discussion forum to
  introduce any new materials that you want to
  share with your group members.
• Questions will be posted for weeks 1-14.
• I will not post any new topics to discuss after
  December 1.

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Online Discussion Groups

• You will be graded on participation in your
  group.
• There will be 14 weeks of online group
  activities.
• Your participation in the group will earn up to
  10 points per week.

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Exams

• See pages 5-7 in the syllabus.
• All exams are given in the ACC testing centers.
• Locations of ACC testing centers Cypress Creek,
  Eastview, Fredericksburg, Northridge, Pinnacle,
  Rio Grande, Riverside, Round Rock Higher
  Education Center, San Marcos and South Austin.

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Exams

• There are seven required exams in this course.
• There are mandatory deadlines for each exam.

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Exams

• There are no retests but there is an optional
  final.
• You cannot skip an exam and replace it with the
  final.
• You must take all seven required exams in order
  to receive any grade other than F.

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Mandatory Exam Deadlines

• Mandatory exam deadlines are on page 9 of the
  syllabus.
• I suggest that you print this page separately and
  keep it where you can easily refer to it
  throughout the semester.

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Grace Period for Exams 1-7

• These are the test dealines.
• Please note that you have an automatic 24-hour
  grace period for exams 1-7.
• You do not have to ask permission to use the
  grace period.
• The grace period will not be extended for any
  reason.

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Check page 9 to see what each exam covers.

• The table on page 9 explains what each exam
  covers.
• Exam 1, for example, covers the introduction.
• Exam 2 covers the first two videotapes and
  corresponding material in the study guide.

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Check page 9 to see the format for each exam

• The table also explains the format for each exam.
  
• Exam 1, for example, has 41 multiple choice
  questions and two short answer questions.
• Exam 2 has 36 multiple choice questions and one
  short answer question.

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Review Page 9 before taking an exam at the
Testing Center

• Before taking an exam, check to make sure that
  you know which exam to ask for!
• Dont make the mistake of studying the materials
  for Unit 1 (episodes 1 and 2) and then taking
  Exam 1.
• You will have studied the wrong materials for
  that exam!

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Optional Final

• See page 8 of the syllabus.
• There is an optional comprehensive final that can
  be taken to replace your lowest (non-zero) exam
  grade.
• The final cannot substitute for an exam that you
  did not take.

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Optional Final

• The final cannot hurt your grade in the course.
• If it is your lowest exam grade, it will not
  count.
• If higher, the final grade can be used to replace
  your lowest exam grade.

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Deadline for Optional Final

• There is no grace period for the final.
• There are different deadlines for the final,
  based on which testing center you decide to use.
  
• You may take the final at any testing center.

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Extra Credit

• See page 8 of the syllabus.
• Each exam has one extra question for extra
  credit.
• Exam 1 has one extra multiple choice question for
  extra credit.
• Exams 2-7 have a written (short answer) extra
  credit question.

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Extra Credit

• Exams 2-7 will also have an optional map quiz
  over the geographical locations covered in each
  unit.
• You will find the blank map in the study guide.
• You can find a list of possible geographic
  locations for each unit in Blackboard (see Course
  Documents).

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Extra Credit

• You can earn up to 44 points of extra credit on
  the exams.
• This is the only way to earn extra credit in this
  course.

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Course Grades

• See page 10 of the syllabus.
• Your grade for the course will be based on
• 7 exams at 100 points each 700 points
• Participation in your discussion
• group (14 weeks _at_ 10 pts) 140 points
• Total points for course 840 points

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Course Grades

• Course grades will be based on percentages
• A 90-100
• B 80- 89
• C 70- 79
• D 60- 69
• F below 60

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Withdrawals

• Withdrawal policies are discussed on page 11.
• The last day to withdraw for the Fall 2008
  semester is November 24, 2008.

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Withdrawals

• Please note that I withdraw students only for two
  reasons
• (1) A student does not complete orientation
  materials by midnight, Sunday August 31 and send
  an e-mail confirmation to me.
• (2) A student does not complete exams 1-5 by
  the mandatory deadlines.

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Blooms Taxonomy

• See page 15 of the syllabus.
• Blooms taxonomy is a model that tries to place
  mental thinking skills into categories. If you
  look over this page, you will see that higher
  level thinking skills fall into categories 2
  through 6. Rote memorization (recall) is
  category 1 in this model.

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Blooms Taxonomy

• In this course, I write exam questions at levels
  1-4.
• In Blackboard (under Course Documents), you will
  find a specific example of how test questions can
  be written at different levels over the same
  material.

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Testing Center

• See page 18 of the syllabus.
• Look at the hours of operation for the different
  testing centers.
• Then consider the mandatory exam deadlines for
  the course and your schedule.

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Choose Your Testing Center

• Choose the testing center that you intend to use
  during the semester.
• You may only choose one testing center to take
  exams 1-7.
• Exams will be placed at your testing center of
  choice.

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Testing Center Policies

• See pages 19-20.
• The testing center has very strict rules about
  testing.
• Please read their policies carefully.
• If you are banned from the Testing Centers for
  violating their policies, you will have no way to
  take the exams.

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Testing Center Policies

• If you do not have an ACC photo ID, go to the
  nearest Admissions Records Office (any campus)
  and get your ACC photo ID.
• You will not be able to use the testing center
  without an ACC photo ID.

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Testing Center Policies

• Admission to any Testing Center is on a first
  come, first serve basis.
• Please do not wait until the last minute to take
  an exam.

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Read the syllabus carefully.

• All course policies are explained in the
  syllabus.
• This presentation is just intended as an overview
  of the syllabus.
• Please refer to the syllabus for complete details
  about the course and ACC policies.
• If you have any questions about the syllabus or
  the course, please send me an e-mail at
  bspeer_at_austincc.edu

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The End

• You have now completed the Student Orientation
  Powerpoint Presentation.
• Complete the student information sheet, following
  all instructions.
• I hope you enjoy the course!