BI 234 Syllabus

Umpqua Community College Syllabus
Introductory Microbiology: BI 234 Online
Summer 2023  8-week accelerated course

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION
Instructor: Lena Green
Office: Teaching fully online this term
Office Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 15:00-16:00 (Zoom, use the email below)
Canvas e-mail: [email protected] (best way to reach me)
Communication Response Time: Typical response time may be within 24 hours Monday through Thursday and within 48 hours Friday through Sunday.
Lecture: online on BiologyLessonsOnline.com
Labs: using a lab kit from eScienceLabs.com

COURSE INFORMATION
Credits: 4
Course Location: Online
Course Meeting Times: Online
Prerequisites/Co-requisites: CH 104 or CH 114

Course Materials/Textbooks:
Required:

  • OpenStax by Rice University: Microbiology. Nina Parker, Mark Schneegurt, and Anh-Hue Tu; (2016) is available for FREE online. A PDF copy can be downloaded at https://openstax.org/details/books/microbiology. You can also purchase a print version, if you prefer, from OpenStax on Amazon.com. Make sure you use the link on openstax.org, so you get the official OpenStax print version. (Simple printouts sold by third parties on Amazon are not verifiable and not as high-quality.)
  • Custom lab kit from eScienceLabs.com (purchase a redemption code at the UCC bookstore, or order the lab kit6523 directly from the supplier.

Supplemental Material: Supplemental materials (study guides, power point slides, and lab worksheets can be found on Canvas Online Learning Management System. Students are expected to download, print and/or save these materials for their own use.
Video-lecture handouts can be downloaded on BiologyLessonsOnline.com using the lecture links.

Drop for Non-Attendance: Those students who do not log into their BI 234 Canvas page before Thursday of the first week may be dropped by the instructor. Students unable to attend the class during the first week or first class must contact the instructor prior to the class meeting (2017-2018 Course Catalog, pg. 15).

COURSE DESCRIPTION: The Introductory Microbiology course covers structure, physiology, metabolism, genetics, growth and control of prokaryotes; structure and function of viruses; the role of microorganisms in nature and disease.

COURSE OUTCOMES: Students who successfully complete this class should be able to demonstrate the ability to:
1. Classify the many diverse types of microorganisms based on their structure and function.
2. Give many examples of the importance of microorganisms to human welfare.
3. Relate microbial metabolism to their specific growth requirements and the techniques used in laboratory for culture, isolation and identification.
4. Describe the basis of microbial genetics and relate it to Recombinant DNA technology.
5. Explain the etiology of infectious diseases, disease transmission and the use of disinfectants, antimicrobials and antibiotics to control microbial growth.
6. Describe the mechanisms of pathogenicity and host defenses.
7. Describe the specific etiology and pathogenesis of a few selected diseases.
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TECHNICAL SKILLS
Required Technical Skills:

  • Most of the activities in this class will be performed online, so students should have an access to a PC, or a laptop, or a mobile device with a full-size keyboard. High speed internet connection is also crucial. Finally, a digital camera or a cellphone built-in camera will be used to take and upload your lab experiment results to Canvas and lab worksheets.
  • It is expected that all students are familiar with basic computer skills (basic typing proficiency, online browsing, sending and receiving emails, internet search, using Microsoft Word, Excel, and Canvas). Failure to do so can have a detrimental impact on student performance in the online learning environment.
  • Activities to engage in include reading the course syllabus, posting to discussion forums, printing study guides, lecture handouts, lab worksheets, review questions, and more.
  • Make sure that you have Firefox or Chrome browser, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Adobe Flash, and a document viewer (like Google Docs) installed on your computer or a mobile device. Use these links to download abovementioned tools (these resources are listed on Canvas also):
    Firefox browser https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/
    Chrome browser https://www.google.com/chrome/browser/desktop/index.html
    Adobe PDF reader to open PDFs https://get.adobe.com/reader/
    Adobe Flash to view virtual labs https://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/
    Google Docs to open DOCs or Excel spreadsheets (use Chrome browser to open) https://www.google.com/docs/about/
    or Microsoft Word (1-month trial) https://products.office.com/en-us/try
    or Microsoft Excel (1-month trial) https://products.office.com/en-us/try

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GRADING SCALE AND LATE WORK POLICY
Grading Scale:
Grading will be based on a percentage basis: 90%= A-, 80%= B-, 70%= C-, 60%= D-
Points will be earned in the following ways:
Weekly Lecture Exams 4 – multiple choice, matching, T/F = 40%
These exams may also include material from labs. (no retakes or dropped scores)
Comprehensive Final – covers entire term, will be all multiple choice, true/ false and matching (must be taken to pass course) = 15%
Weekly Lab Quizzes 10 (based on lab materials) = 10%
2 cumulative Lab Tests based on lab materials = 20%
Homework 5 Discussion Board postings + 2 peer replies = 5%
2 Disease PDF Reports and 2 Power Point Presentations = 10%
Total: 100%
Late Work Policy: No late assignments accepted…period.
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COURSE SPECIFICS
Really Important Things about This Course: This course is designed to be completed online via at-home assignments, labs, and online activities. At no time do you have to come to campus. During this term, I am usually off campus due to the teaching fully online. Please email to [email protected] if you would like to set up a Skype meeting with me.

While I will direct your studies and provide the information for you to learn and work with, as an online course, you will find that this class requires a great deal of self-discipline and self-direction. It is your responsibility to keep up on all assigned topics and readings and to know when assignments, quizzes, and tests are due and to submit them in a timely manner.

Announcements: Weekly announcements will be used to share information, address any issues, update assignments as needed, or pass on helpful tips. Be sure to check your Canvas email and the announcement page frequently to ensure you are not missing important information.

Weekly Readings, Assignments, and Activities
The material you will learn in this course is organized into folders according to each week of the term. Within each folder, you will find directions for the required readings and any other activities designed to help you learn the new information. Each week’s folder also has directions for the required lab assignment for that week. You must complete all material during the assigned period, so please pay careful attention to all directions that I include for each week’s activities.

Quizzes and Exams
Every week, you will have two (2) online 10 point lab quizzes covering material from that week’s labs. These quizzes will include multiple choice, matching, multiple response, and labeling questions. You have one attempt and approximately 15 min to complete these assignments. Grade is calculated and entered into Canvas gradebook right after you click on the “Submit Quiz” button. Quiz answers can be reviewed after the submission.

These quizzes, as well as all exams and tests in this course, are open-book assignments. This means that you can use the textbook or the lab materials while you are working on the assignment. Keep in mind that once you begin the quiz or an exam, you cannot restart it and must finish in the time allotted. To complete the assignment on time you have to know the material, since there may NOT BE enough time to look up the answers.

Lab quizzes will be available for you to take anytime during the assigned week and will close at the end of the week at midnight.

There will be two (2) lab tests throughout the semester based on the results of your lab kit experiments (50 points each). The first lab test will be cumulative over the first five labs and the second one – over the last five labs (together they cover everything you did in all labs from the beginning of the term until the end) and will include specific questions about lab experiments, procedures, principles, and microscopic studies.
The lab tests questionnaire can be downloaded using the links on Canvas (week 3 and week 5 folders). You can type the answers or paste them from your lab worksheets. Each lab test must be submitted to me as a .pdf document. If it is not submitted as PDF, it WILL NOT BE GRADED. All lab tests must be submitted in the designated “Drop Box”.

Lab tests will become available on Friday and close on Sunday of the assigned week at midnight.

Four (4) times during this semester, you will have an online 50 point lecture exam. These exams will be multiple choice, matching, and true/false. Like the quizzes, each exam will be timed (60 min each). You will generally have a window of about three days to take each test. Remember, this is your responsibility to keep up with the due dates for all assignments (check with the course calendar on Canvas). Each exam will cover all text readings, video-lectures, handouts, labs, and any online activities assigned since the previous test. Grade is calculated and entered into Canvas gradebook right after you click on the “Submit Quiz” button. Lecture exam answers can be reviewed after the submission.

The lecture exams will be available for you to take anytime during the assigned week and will close on Sunday at 11:59 pm.

The final exam will be based on all chapters you study this semester. It has multiple choice, matching, multiple response, and labeling questions (100 points possible). You will have one attempt and 120 min to complete this assignment. Grade is calculated and entered into Canvas gradebook right after you click on the “Submit Quiz” button. The final exam answers can be reviewed after the submission.

The final test will become available on Monday and close on Sunday of the final exams week at midnight.

Lecture exams will emphasize material covered in lectures and labs.

All quizzes and tests can be accessed from the appropriate weekly folders which are located on the BI 234 Canvas homepage.

Labs (week 1 and 2 – one lab per week, weeks 3, 5, 6, 7 – two labs per week)
Lab exercises will be performed at home using the materials in your eScienceLabs.com kit. You can purchase a lab kit directly from the college bookstore (if you are using a financial aid), or order a lab kit directly on the eScienceLabs.com. If you will be going through the eScienceLabs.com website, then make sure you order your lab kit at least 6 – 10 business days before beginning of the class. First create your account, then order your lab kit at the http://esciencelabs.com/ using the code kit6523. Once you have entered this code, you should be directed to the custom kit that was created especially for this course.

Once you have received your kit, please go through the packing list included in the kit and make sure that all the materials that are supposed to be in the kit are actually there. If anything is missing or broken, please contact eScience Labs right away and they will replace the item—but, you must contact them right away because after the first 30 days, they will not replace it.

While I will give suggestions and help you if you run into problems, it is up to you to ensure that you set up and complete each lab in a timely manner.

Labs will be assigned each week, however, pay close attention to the due dates. It is your responsibility to make sure that they get done by the assigned deadline for that lab.

For each lab that you do, lab worksheets, tables, graphs and photos may be required to be submitted for grading. To verify that the lab was actually performed, you may also be required to attach a digital photograph of your lab experiment in progress to your post-lab worksheet. Please refer to the instructions for each week’s assignments for exact details.

Disease Summary & Presentation Grading Criteria
This semester students will be completing a disease summary project consisting of a Power Point presentation and a ONE PAGE PDF summary for EACH infectious disease (2 infectious disease presentations per student) following the exact order of the Outline Format shown below. Not all sections will be appropriate for each infectious agent. Include only those sections that apply. Compose 5 good multiple choice questions for EACH DISEASE on separate sheet.

Check the due date in the BI 234 calendar (left navigational panel on Canvas). No late work accepted which will be given a zero.

This assignment will be graded as follows: 25 pts. for each disease (50 pts. total). Grade is based on: 20 pts. for completeness and accuracy of outline; 5 pts. for quality of questions.

Follow the outline below in terms of order (use the “Disease Summary” as a guide).

Not all subtopics listed in the outline may be appropriate for your particular disease organism. Ask for help if you are unsure.

Disease Summary:
I. Name of Disease Syndrome(s) & Causative Agent
II. Pathogen Biology:
Morphology; Metabolic Classification (for bacteria); Genetic Classification (for viruses)
Reservoir(s)
Virulence Factors; Resistance Factors
Method(s) of identification or diagnosis
Any unique characteristics
III. Epidemiology:
Modes of transmission and portals of entry
Host and Environmental factors in spread and infection
Any unique characteristics
IV. Pathogenesis:
Signs and Symptoms
Mechanism(s) of injury to host
Treatment
Prevention or Control

On a separate sheet: Write your 5 Multiple Choice questions
Submit you power point presentations into the appropriate drop box on Canvas for grading and disease summary PDFs into the week 5 discussion board for the peer review.

Click on the “Presentations” push-button on Canvas homepage for diseases sign-up, detailed instructions, and link to the dropbox.
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Online courses are different from the face to face (F2F) courses you have taken in the past. There are no traditional lectures or labs in which you sit and passively absorb knowledge. Instead, there is much more emphasis on the learner. Online learning is student centered. You are in charge. It is up to you to get the information you need, test your knowledge, and find new ways to apply it. Your knowledge quest is not limited to your textbooks or what the instructor shows or discusses in class — you have a world of additional resources available on the Internet, and classmates to work collaboratively with. And the best part is you can work on the course when (and hopefully where) it is convenient to you, rather than being bound to a specific day and time on-campus!

Expectations:
1. Attend online class (at least three times a week), take notes, pay attention and learn the material.
2. Be punctual to both, a lecture and a lab.
3. Notify me of any questions or problems as soon as possible.
4. Be respectful and polite to others (online and offline).

Student Expectations

  • All students are expected to login to Canvas learning management system and participate into their online activities during the first week of class. Ideally, students should enter their LMS on the first day of the term. Students must attend at least 50 percent of the lecture/lab meetings during the first week of the term, or they may be administratively dropped from the class by the instructor. Students unable to attend the
    class during the first week or first class must contact the instructor prior to the class meeting if they wish to avoid being administratively dropped from class.
  • Students are expected to continue logging-in to the online course system on a regular basis. Students should plan to log-in to the course at least several times a week to check for news and information, and to maximize their online participation.
  • In order for you to be successful in your studies it is essential that you plan your schedule to include 2-3 hours per week of school work for every credit in which you are enrolled. This means that if you are taking 4 credits a semester, you should set aside (and build into your schedule) 8-12 hours per week for your studies. Students should be participating in online discussions at least once a week. While the times of day and specific days of the week in which you do this work are flexible (meaning you can do your work in the middle of the night if this is best for you!), in order for you to be successful in your classes and to fulfill your responsibilities as a member of your class learning community, you must participate actively and regularly in online discussions. This means setting aside specific time in your schedule every few days, each week.
  • Be polite and respectful in your postings on discussion board – practice “Netiquette”: (no “Flaming” or posting / sending negative, hurtful comments to others); use good grammar and correct spelling; don’t write in all caps (it feels like you’re shouting) or exotic fonts (they may not show up on everyone’s computer); sign your name. In short, present your best self!
  • Plagiarism is a serious offense and will not be treated lightly. You must document all of your source material. If you take any text from somebody else, you must make it clear the text is being quoted and where the text comes from. You must also cite any sources from which you obtain numbers, ideas, or other material. If you have any questions about what does or does not constitute plagiarism, ask! Fortunately, it is also easy to avoid and if you are the least bit careful about giving credit where credit is due you should not run into any problems.
  • Students are encouraged to purchase textbooks and lab kits IN ADVANCE, preferably 2-3 weeks prior to the start of the term to ensure that the required materials are in their possession at the time when classes begin.

Instructor Expectations:

    • I will read my email and the discussion board postings at least daily, but will not necessarily post messages or email daily.
    • If you have a concern that I think others will benefit from hearing discussed, I will ask you to post it on the discussion board.
    • Students will receive a grade for their assignments within a week of submission.
    • I will keep you posted on how you are doing in the course, through Canvas gradebook and comments on assignments.
    • You may email to [email protected] if you have questions or concerns about this course.

Keys to Success:
Online courses are not easier or less time-consuming than F2F courses; they are just different. Here are some suggestions for your success:
1. Set aside a specific time during the day for this course–the best time that fits your schedule. Use this time for preparation (reading, studying, writing case studies) and for participation (reading and posting messages and assignments, taking quizzes).
2. Don’t put off the work–you need to keep up so you can more effectively participate in group and class discussions.
3. Don’t be afraid to ask questions–just like in a F2F class, there are probably several others who are wondering the same thing.
4. Keep advised of when the college computer system is scheduled to “go down” for maintenance (if you are using a computer on campus). Usually this is on Sunday (which is why assignments are due on Fridays). Check the schedule at this site. A scheduled computer outage is not a sufficient excuse for turning in work late.
5. Check in and contribute to the class several times a week–this will keep you engaged, on-track, and moving steadily toward your goal!
6. Let me know about any problems you are having right away so we can resolve them quickly.
7. Have Fun!!!