Introduction to General Biology I course syllabus

Summary

Dr. Ronald Raquel introduces the syllabus for a summer 2023 course, emphasizing the use of Canvas and Top Hat platforms for assignments and grading. The course is divided into lecture and lab components, with specific grading criteria for pre- and post-exercises, daily typed notes, and exams. A strong recommendation is made for purchasing a specific textbook, and a detailed explanation of the grading scale, attendance policy, and assignment submission process is provided. The syllabus also outlines the importance of preparation and participation for student success.

Takeaways

• 📅 The class is for the summer of 2023 and is structured as an accelerated program over six weeks.
• 📚 The syllabus and important course documents can be found on Canvas, the learning management system.
• 👋 Dr. Ronald Raquel (Roderick L. Rolle) is the instructor for the course.
• 📖 Students are strongly recommended to purchase a specific textbook, with the 12th edition being the preferred but not the only acceptable version.
• 🛒 The textbook and Virtual Lab exercises are to be purchased through a company called Top Hat, with an ISBN/BN number provided.
• 🏆 The grading for the course is divided between lecture (64%) and lab (36%), with specific weight given to different components such as exams and daily notes.
• 📝 Daily typed notes are a significant part of the lecture grade and are expected to be submitted before class.
• 🚫 Strict policies are in place regarding cell phone use and the prohibition of mechanical pencils during lectures to minimize distractions.
• 🧪 The lab component involves working with sensitive materials, so food and drink are not allowed in the lab classroom.
• 📅 Attendance is crucial; students cannot miss more than four days in the six-week course, with each day equivalent to two days of a regular semester.
• 🔍 The course is divided into units, with each unit having pre-exercises, post-exercises, and exams, which are weighted differently in the grading scale.

Q & A

Who is the instructor for the summer class of 2023?

The instructor is Dr. Ronald Raquel, also referred to as Roderick L. Rolle.

What is the platform used for the class syllabus and assignments?

The platform used is Canvas, which includes features like home, announcements, and grades.

How can students view the class in student mode on Canvas?

Students can view the class in student mode on Canvas by navigating to the 'home' section and then selecting 'student view'.

What is the recommended textbook for the class and is there a specific edition required?

The recommended textbook is not specified by title in the script, but it is suggested that any edition can be used, with the 12th edition mentioned as an example that might be more expensive than older versions.

How can students purchase the required textbook and lab exercises?

Students can purchase the textbook and lab exercises through a company called Top Hat, using the provided ISBN BN number.

What is the grading breakdown for the course between lecture and lab components?

The grading breakdown is 64 percent for the lecture component and 36 percent for the lab component.

How are the lecture and lab activities submitted?

Lecture activities are mostly submitted through Canvas, while lab activities are submitted through Top Hat.

What is the policy on cell phone usage during lecture time?

Students are required to turn off their cell phones or put them on silent during lecture time and are not allowed to play on their phones.

What is the instructor's policy on mechanical pencils in class?

The instructor finds mechanical pencils to be very distracting and does not allow their use in class.

What is the maximum number of absences allowed in the course?

The course allows for no more than four absences, but due to the accelerated nature of the summer program, missing two days is equivalent to missing four days in a regular semester.

How are the lecture and lab assignments weighted in terms of grading?

In the lecture portion, the unit exam is weighted the heaviest at 51 percent, followed by typed notes at 38 percent. In the lab portion, daily assignments account for 50 percent, with pre-lab and post-lab quizzes each accounting for 25 percent.

Outlines

00:00

📘 Course Syllabus and Requirements

Dr. Ronald Raquel introduces the syllabus for a summer 2023 class, explaining the use of Canvas and student view. He details the syllabus location, office hours, communication methods, and emphasizes the importance of purchasing a recommended textbook and completing Virtual Lab exercises through Top Hat. The grading structure is outlined, with lecture and lab contributions specified. Dr. Raquel also discusses the accelerated nature of the summer program, attendance policies, and classroom etiquette, including cell phone usage and the prohibition of mechanical pencils.

05:01

📚 Lecture and Lab Breakdown

This section delves into the specifics of the lecture and lab components, their respective weights in the final grade, and the grading scale. It explains the lecture assignments, including pre-exercises, post-exercises, daily typed notes, and unit exams, emphasizing the importance of the unit exam. The lab portion is also detailed, with a focus on pre-lab and post-lab quizzes, daily activities, and the distribution of lab points across different units. The importance of timely submission and the consequences of late submissions are highlighted.

10:01

🔍 Assignment Details and Submission Guidelines

The paragraph outlines the process for submitting pre-exercises, post-exercises, and daily typed notes, which are integral to the lecture portion of the course. It stresses the need to complete these assignments before class and the lack of makeup opportunities. The lab activities, including pre-lab and post-lab quizzes, daily activities, and review questions, are also discussed, with a focus on their contribution to the lab grade. The use of Top Hat for lab activities and the importance of accessing and submitting assignments through the platform are explained.

15:03

📆 Course Schedule and Preparation

The tentative schedule for the course is presented, with a focus on the first day's activities and the importance of preparing and submitting notes before attending class. The process of finding and submitting notes on Canvas is detailed, including how to access and submit typed notes for different lecture topics. The integration of lab activities with lectures and the expectation of submitting daily activities before class start are also covered.

20:05

📝 Lab Activities and Makeup Options

This paragraph focuses on lab activities, including pre-lab and post-lab quizzes, and the importance of submitting daily lab activities for points. It provides instructions on accessing and submitting lab materials through Top Hat and Canvas. Makeup options for missed classes or labs are discussed, with details on the requirements for making up points through written assignments. The paragraph concludes with guidance on how to access and utilize lab videos for preparation and in-class assistance.

Keywords

💡Syllabus

A syllabus is a document outlining the content, objectives, assignments, and expectations of a course. In the video, Dr. Ronald Raquel emphasizes the importance of the syllabus for the summer class of 2023, explaining its structure and how it will guide students through the semester.

💡Canvas

Canvas is a learning management system used by educational institutions for course delivery and communication. Dr. Raquel demonstrates how to navigate Canvas, including accessing the syllabus, announcements, and grades, and he also mentions the student view feature.

💡Office Hours

Office hours refer to the designated times when professors are available to meet with students outside of class to discuss academic matters. In the script, Dr. Raquel informs students of his office hours and encourages communication via email or through the Canvas inbox.

💡Recommended Book

A recommended book is a text suggested by an instructor for students to read or purchase to supplement their understanding of the course material. Dr. Raquel strongly recommends purchasing a specific book, noting that while the 12th edition is suggested, older versions may be more affordable.

💡Virtual Lab Exercises

Virtual lab exercises are online simulations or activities that replicate hands-on laboratory work, often used in distance education. The script mentions that students must purchase and complete virtual lab exercises through a company called Top Hat, which is integral to the course.

💡ISBN

ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number, a unique identifier for books. Dr. Raquel provides the ISBN number for the recommended book, which students can use to ensure they purchase the correct edition.

💡Grading Scale

The grading scale is the system used to assign grades based on student performance. The script explains that the grading scale for the course has been modified to help students succeed, with lecture and lab components contributing differently to the final grade.

💡Lecture and Lab

Lecture refers to the instructional method where an instructor gives a talk on a subject, while lab refers to practical, hands-on work in a laboratory setting. Dr. Raquel differentiates between the lecture and lab components of the course, explaining their respective weights in the grading scale and how they will be managed through Canvas and Top Hat.

💡Pre-exercise and Post-exercise

Pre-exercises and post-exercises are assessments given before and after a lesson or unit to gauge understanding and retention. In the script, Dr. Raquel describes how these exercises will be part of the course, with pre-exercises to be completed before class and post-exercises after covering the material.

💡Daily Typed Notes

Daily typed notes are written records of class lectures or readings that students are expected to submit as part of their coursework. Dr. Raquel emphasizes the importance of submitting typed notes daily, explaining that it encourages students to review material before class and contributes significantly to their grade.

💡Absence Policy

An absence policy outlines the rules and consequences for missing class. In the video, Dr. Raquel explains the absence policy for the course, noting that due to the accelerated nature of the summer program, missing a day equates to missing multiple days of a regular semester.

💡Unit Exam

A unit exam is a test that assesses a student's understanding of a specific unit or section of the course. Dr. Raquel highlights the significance of unit exams in the grading scale, stating that they are weighted heavily and are a primary method of evaluation.

Highlights

Introduction to the syllabus for the summer class of 2023 by Dr. Ronald Raquel.

Canvas platform overview, including how it appears to students and navigation tips.

Emphasis on downloading the syllabus and office hours information.

Instructions for communication via email or the inbox feature.

Recommendation to purchase a specific textbook, with a suggestion to consider older editions for cost-effectiveness.

Mandatory Virtual Lab exercises through Top Hat, with details on ISBN and company information.

Explanation of student learning objectives and the structure of the syllabus for a 15-week semester.

Clarification on the accelerated summer program's condensed schedule.

Grading breakdown with percentages allocated to lecture and lab components.

Different platforms for lecture and lab submissions: Canvas for lecture, Top Hat for lab.

Description of assignments and their importance in the grading scale.

Modified grading scale to enhance student success in the class.

Rules regarding cell phone usage and mechanical pencils in class.

Laboratory etiquette guidelines, including restrictions on food and drink.

Attendance policy for the four-hour course, detailing the impact of absences on grading.

Detailed breakdown of lecture portion grading, including unit exams and daily typed notes.

Importance of the unit exam and its weighting in the overall grade.

Strategies for students who are not good test takers to excel in other assignment areas.

Description of pre-exercise and post-exercise assignments and their submission requirements.

Expectations for daily typed notes and their role in preparing for class.

Lab component grading, including unit distribution and the importance of daily assignments.

Process for submitting daily activities in Top Hat and their significance in the grading.

Options for making up missed lab or class points through written assignments.

Tentative schedule provided with key dates and corresponding lecture and lab activities.

Instructions for accessing and submitting notes through Canvas modules.

Details on the use of Top Hat for lab activities, including pre-lab and post-lab quizzes.

Availability of lab videos for preparation and reference during class.

Final summary of the syllabus and the dual use of Canvas and Top Hat for assignments and grading.

Transcripts

good morning this is Dr Ronald Raquel

roll today I'm going to go over the

syllabus

so this class is for the summer

of 2023.

here is canvas

and how canvas would appear to you you

go to home

announcements

grades and so on well let me put this in

student view

so under home is you'll find your

syllabus to the left I have the syllabus

downloaded also to my computer

so like I said my name is Roderick L

Rolle

go down to office hours office hours

will be in red communication please

email me or inbox me inbox would be over

to the right we're looking at the inbox

message will pop up for me

a course subscription read through that

on your own we're going to go down to

section five recommended I want you to

purchase this book this book is very

important it doesn't have to be the 12th

edition but you need to purchase the

book

and get an older version it might be a

little cheaper so here is recommended

but I'm going to strongly recommend that

you purchase this book section five

also on Section Five this is required

the Virtual Lab exercises you will

purchase this book through a pro through

a company called top hat

there's the ISBN BN number and it the

company is called Top Hat I'm going to

send you a link to your email

you must purchase this book and you must

do exercise exercises through this

external software

it's going to be worth some points let's

go through the student learning

objectives

read through that

we have each day this syllabus is

written for a 15-week semester

so it's going to be a little bit

different so day one versus day two that

would take up a whole week in a regular

15-week semester for us we're going to

do day one and day two

in the same day

this is through the accelerated summer

program which is only six weeks so let's

keep going

uh here's the grading

um the course is based on lecture lab

lecture is going to be 64 percent of

your grade and lab is going to be the

rest of it 36 percent of your grade

lab activities they'll be submitted

online through this app called Top Hat a

lot of the

stuff for lecture will be submitted

through canvas

so we have two separate places why

because lecture

is going to be through canvas mostly

and lab is going to be through Top Hat

mostly why because these are two

separate courses most schools have them

separated but at FGCU we have them

combined so you register for

BSC 1005c which is a combined course but

I try to keep it separated so you have

two places to turn in assignments these

are the assignments that we're going to

be doing

we're going to go through those shortly

this is something that's important to

most students the grading scale

the grading scale has been modified

slightly to help you be successful in

this class

cell phones during lecture time you need

to turn the cell phone off or put it on

silent you cannot be playing on your

cell phone during lecture time

another pet peeve I have is mechanical

pencils they're very distracting to me

and to others

so do not use those in this class this

Laboratory

has dead animals in it sometimes viruses

and so on so make sure you do not have

food or drink in this classroom

attendance this course is a four hour

four credit course you can not miss over

four absences so again this is an

accelerated summer program which is uh

six weeks so a day would be equivalent

to the first uh 2 and 45 minutes of two

hours and 45 minutes of a class of a

normal class during the summer

so if you missed a whole let's say you

missed the first day of class on a

Tuesday if you missed that entire day

you really missed two days

so make sure you pay a special attention

to that

this portion in blue you can read it on

your own this is something that the

university requires us to put on here

this is the absentee policy like I said

you can't miss more than four days

so during the summer that would be

equivalent to two days if you miss uh

Tuesday and Thursday

you missed four days already

keep going through that that was all

stuff that the university wanted me to

put there so now we're on Section 10.

this is important to you the course is

is separated into 65 lecture in blue and

36 percent lab and orange

let's keep going this is the lecture

portion only we will have six units each

unit is worth 10.

66 percent

we have a pre-exercise that will be for

each unit we have a pre-exercise that is

worth uh 1.8 percent post exercise is

worth nine point four percent daily uh

typed notes is worth 37 and the unit

test is worth 51 percent

so let's look at it a different way

let's look at it by weight if you look

at all four of these

they are not weighted equally

so the one that is worth the most points

would be the actual unit exam

so if you make hundreds on all of these

activities that's important but it's not

important as the unit exam so the unit

exam is going to be weighted very

heavily

the next thing that's weighted heavily

is type notes so if you're not a good

test taker

just follow instructions so let's look

at this in a different way

so if we look at this image here

we have

the distribution of lecture points again

if you're not a good lecture taker a

lecture unit exam taker

which is that is worth 51 percent

so let's say you make D's and F's on

these tests that means on the other side

other side of this uh this pie chart you

need to excel

you need to turn all your assignments in

on time you need to do the daily notes

you need to type them up and submit them

you can't have any

mess-ups or screw-ups on the second on

the left side of this pie chart if

you're a bad test taker now if you're an

average test taker say you make 75s then

you can afford to mess up a little bit

on the other side of the pie score of

the pie chart

so again

know thyself if you're a bad test taker

you have to turn in everything

all the other assignments on time what

are those other assignments they are the

pre-exercise has to be turned it on time

you have to make a 100 on it the post

exercise has to be turned on time uh

tight notes daily they have to be turned

on time

let's keep going so this next portion it

describes each one of those assignments

pre-exercise is going to be turned in

before I cover the material

before I cover the material so do not

turn this in late

why because no makeups will be allowed

so I'm going to give you a series of

questions before I cover the material it

might be five questions it might be ten

questions

that's called the pre-exercise then

those same questions will be given at

the end of the unit

that's called a post exercise

then we have the unit exam we will have

a series of 10 maybe 30 questions

those are going to be the unit exams and

then here's one that's very important

notes I'm going to give you notes in

class every day I expect those notes to

be typed up before I go over the

material in class so this is going to be

homework for you so I'm trying to force

you to open your book and look over this

material before you come to class it's

going to make class more exciting

because now you can just listen

and jot down notes on the side instead

of just sitting there typing while I am

talking so this has to be done at home

so read through this section 10.8 and it

talks about it

so the notes will be typed daily and

they have to be submitted daily

so our first class is Tuesday Tuesday if

we're going to look at the syllabus

let's go down to uh

the schedule

the first Tuesday

is on the 16th so on the 16th you need

to type up all of these notes before you

even come to class now in class I'm

going to go over these notes but you

need to type them up before you come or

you will get a zero on The Daily

activity so let's go back up to our

daily activity

our daily activity would be typed notes

again

how significant is that that's worth 38

of your grade and lecture so yes it's

busy work but I'm giving you points for

doing what you're told if you just

follow instructions like at a job they

tell you hey we need you to um

clean out the bathroom

every two hours while you're on shift

just do it and you get paid so if you

type these notes up you will get paid

so that is lecture we're done with

lecture now let's look at lab Lab again

is worth 36 percent

of the total

so lab is very important these are the

things we're going to do in lab we have

six units

unit one is worth four percent two is

worth four percent three is worth four

percent unit four is worth six percent

five is ten and six is eight percent so

they're not all weighted equally but

these other things are weighted equally

so before every lab you will have a

pre-lab quiz that's worth a half a point

and you have a post lab quiz that is

worth a half a point

then at the end of that lab

you have to turn in Daily activity

it's going to be a series of questions

and that is going to be worth some

points so that's for each day

so here's the lab unit

distribution

50 of the lab is going to be on the

daily assignments

whereas 25 will be on the pre-lab 25

will be on the post lab this down here

describes which each one of them are the

pre-lab means you need to read over the

lab before coming to class

then there's going to be a series of

questions that you would need to answer

and this is all through top hat

then after we do the lab you'll do a

post lab that's going to be a series of

five to ten questions or maybe two

questions that will ask you stuff to see

if you understood the lab

now this will be will be due 24 hours

after you do the lapse on Tuesday

May 16th you'll do a lab

on May 17th this post lab will be due

at the end of class at the end of that

lab you have to turn in these review

questions

review questions will be worth points

too well I'm sorry it's right here on

daily activity so that would be your

review questions

let me try to open up top hat to show

you how this looks

so we'll go here

let me open up top hat

top hat

so we have General Biology one I'm gonna

go to the the meter the metric system

and then um you will open up this

mic uh download open this up

this would be the lab that you'll do in

class you will collect data at the

bottom of this lab

collect data here

and then when you get to here where it

says question and answers that is going

to be your daily activity that you need

to turn in every day

so this is going to be worth points

we're going to grade this and we're

going to give you give you credit for it

so that that is for the first lab in Top

Hat

so let's go back

and keep going

uh this stuff down here is for

individuals who Miss lab or Miss class

for some reason and they're trying to

make up some of those points if you're

trying to make up some of those points

please read through the makeup options

we have three options for you and this

is going to be the paper that you need

to write either 250 word paper or a

thousand word paper

just keep going down to look at this

portion this is the actual tentative

schedule this portion in red is going to

be just important for the summer course

so here's the the tentative schedule so

first Tuesday

is May 16th this is the material we're

gonna I'm gonna lecture on

so these are the the two uh PowerPoints

that you need to download and actually

type these notes before you come to

class now how do you find that you go

over here to canvas

you click on the module

and then here you have type no so day

one

one

type note so if I go here

that is where you're going to submit it

so once you type it you'll go here and

then you'll be able to submit your notes

and this it'll be a drop down box

for you to submit your notes into

now where do you get the notes from if

you scroll down all the way to the

bottom of the page

you have the notes

so here this note is called one

introduction to bio if you go over here

on the tentative schedule that's the

first one one the second one is 2A so

then you go over here you have to click

on this one 2A

also on Tuesday you have to do

2B 2C and 2D which is all of these over

here on canvas to be 2C uh I mean two

two yeah two B two c and 2D

so all you would do is open up one of

them

and it'll take a little while to

download and then these are the notes

that I'm going to cover in class

so these are the notes that you need to

type now only thing you need to type

is the stuff that is that is in Black so

all of these words that are in Black you

need to type now you don't have to type

anything that's in the pictures but just

type all the notes in Black

and then like I said you would then go

back to your module

you're going to put that in a Word

document and then you're going to submit

it under day one

so day one

the first section

is one and two a you would submit that

here where it says day one type knows

the second part of the day we'll take a

break we'll do a lab the second part of

the day will will be 2B 2C and 2D

once you type those you'll submit them

under day one b

now they both need to be submitted

before class starts

all right so let's go

go back to

home on canvas

and then we'll go back to our tentative

schedule so our first test will be the

next day I meet with you Thursday

morning will be your test then we'll

cover these two activities these two

lectures and remember this has to be

submitted to me

before class starts this is the second

part of day two

here's day three

the first part of day three here's the

second part of day three

let's go back up to day one the first

day one we have the lecture topics and

then over here we have the lab activity

this is lab that that we're going to do

then we have the second part of the day

like I said after lab we'll take a

little break

then we'll lecture over these three

topics and then after we finish

lecturing you'll do that lab

so this is kind of the overview of the

syllabus and this is for anybody who has

an excused absence you would have to

fill out this form here and submit that

to me so this is the syllabus

um and and the explanation of it

and over here to the right we have uh

canvas and we have top hat top hat

here is we have the pre-lab quiz

where you have a couple of questions

that you need to answer

we have the post lab quiz where you have

a couple answers a couple of questions

you'll have to answer

we have

Lab video attachment this is the actual

lab that you're going to print off from

brain to class but if you ever forget to

bring it to class you could just open

your phone and this is the same lab

also

it says video attachments so I've

recorded video Snips of how to perform

the different labs in class

so you can watch those at home to

prepare yourself before coming to class

but if you're in class and you're

unprepared and you don't know what's

going on the first thing to do would be

to open up this this lab video and watch

me perform the lab that you're trying to

figure out and that can help you also

again you would click on here where it

says

lab write up

and you would download

the actual lab and bring it to class now

if you're a strapped for cash and you

you don't really have a lot of money to

print off a 10 cent a page the portion

that must be brought to class would be

this question and review sheet so the

last couple of pages of each lab must be

turned in every day

to get points from

let's go back to it the daily lab

activities

so each lab is going to be worth half a

point so this first one is on the metric

system it's worth a half a point

then if we go to the second one which is

the microscope

lab

the last page of that is also worth a

half a point

so the first day

you're going to take turn in two daily

activities that are worth a half a point

and here's the other daily activity I'll

go here to the microscope

I'm just open it but you would download

it and print off which page the last

page because the last couple of pages is

what I'm going to require once you see

question and answer sheet that's what I

need to be turned in and that's the

portion that I'm going to grade

so I hope this explains everything to

you and hope you um understand this

syllabus and that I have two things

opened up I have Top Hat opened up which

is going to have most of your lecture

activities in it and then I mean top hat

which is going to have most of your lab

activities in it and then canvas will

have all of your lecture activities in

it but

I'm going to submit all the grades

into canvas

all the grades will be submitted into

canvas let me leave student view

and show you how it will look on my end

so my end will have all of the student

information here

and on the bottom you see all of the

activities

even though some of these activities are

submitted through Top Hat they'll still

appear here I'll just transfer them over

here

so this concludes uh

the um

the explanation of this let me close out