LECTURE EXAM 3

Endterm Lab Practicum

FINAL In-Class EXAM and FINAL Take-Home EXAM

6. COURSE OUTCOME

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GENERAL GOAL SET BY THE INSTRUCTOR:

To provide students with knowledge about biological principles, in regard to ourselves and the world we live in. We will be able to PARTICIPATE MORE EFFECTIVELY IN A DEMOCRACY IF WE HAVE GAINED KNOWLEDGE WHICH ENABLES US TO MAKE BETTER JUDGMENTS - for example, writing, speaking out and voting intelligently on questions that involve both biological principles and human welfare.

EXEMPLARY EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES SET BY THE TEXAS HIGHER EDUCATION COORDINATING BOARD:

In Texas each higher education institution's core curriculum must be designed to satisfy "exemplary educational objectives" specified for the component areas of the ''Core Curriculum" adopted by the TEXAS HIGHER EDUCATION COORDINATING BOARD.

Since it is difficult to define exemplary educational objectives for a core curriculum outside of some framework of the general areas of content, the objectives and outcomes described below are suggested as those that meet the intent of the Texas Senate. "Colleges and universities across the state have specific missions and different roles and scope. The way in which colleges and universities achieve these outcomes will thus vary. These outlines are not intended in any way to impose restrictions on the creativity of the classroom instructor or to dictate pedagogical methods."

The objective of the study of a natural sciences component of a core curriculum is to enable the student to understand, construct, and evaluate relationships in the natural sciences, and to enable the student to understand how science works.

The Exemplary Educational Objectives for the Natural Sciences:

1. To understand and apply method and appropriate technology to the study of natural sciences.
2. To recognize scientific and quantitative methods and the differences between these approaches and other methods of inquiry and to communicate findings, analyses, and interpretation both orally and in writing.
3. To identify and recognize the differences among competing scientific theories.
4. To demonstrate knowledge of the major issues and problems facing modern science, including issues that touch upon ethics, values, and public policies.
5. To demonstrate knowledge of the interdependence of science and technology and their influence on, and contribution to, modern culture.

The course competencies explains what you should be able to do and understand in biology after you have taken this course.

List of Course Competencies CLICK HERE

In Texas each higher education institution's core curriculum must be designed to satisfy a series of "basic intellectual competencies" - reading, writing, speaking, listening, critical thinking, and computer literacy. These competencies are essential to the learning process. "Although students can be expected to come to college with some experience in exercising these competencies, they often need further instruction and practice to meet college standards and, later, to succeed in both their major field of academic study and their chosen career or profession." (Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board)

Exerts from the Lower-Division Academic Course Guide Manual by the TEXAS HIGHER EDUCATION COORDINATING BOARD:

READING: Reading at the college level means the ability to analyze and interpret a variety of printed materials - books, articles, and documents. A core curriculum should offer students the opportunity to master both general methods of analyzing printed materials and specific methods for analyzing the subject matter of individual disciplines.

WRITING: Competency in writing is the ability to produce clear, correct, and coherent prose adapted to purpose, occasion, and audience. Although correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation are each a sine qua non in any composition, they do not automatically ensure that the composition itself makes sense or that the writer has much of anything to say. Students need to be familiar with the writing process including how to discover a topic and how to develop and organize it, how to phrase it effectively for their audience. These abilities can be acquired only through practice and reflection.

SPEAKING: Competence in speaking is the ability to communicate orally in clear, coherent, and persuasive language appropriate to purpose, occasion, and audience. Developing this competency includes acquiring poise and developing control of the language through experience in making presentations to small groups, to large groups, and through the media.

LISTENING: Listening at the college level means the ability to analyze and interpret various forms of spoken communication.

CRITICAL THINKING: Critical thinking embraces methods for applying both qualitative and quantitative skills analytically and creatively to subject matter in order to evaluate arguments and to construct alternative strategies. Problem solving is one of the applications of critical thinking, used to address an identified task.

COMPUTER LITERACY: Computer literacy at the college level means the ability to use computer-based technology in communicating, solving problems, and acquiring information. Core-educated students should have an understanding of the limits, problems, and possibilities associated with the use of technology, and should have the tools necessary to evaluate and learn new technologies as they become available.
Some of theses intellectual competencies have traditionally been tied to specific courses required of all students during their first two years of college. For example, courses in college composition, together with mathematics have long been the cornerstone experience of the freshman year. But a single course or two-course sequence in college composition can do little more than introduce students to the principles and practices of good writing. Within the boundary of three to six semester credit hours of course work, neither of theses sequences can guarantee proficiency. Moreover, in most curricula there are no required courses specifically dedicated to reading or to critical thinking. Thus, if a core curriculum is to prepare students effectively, it is imperative that, insofar as possible, these intellectual competencies be included among the objectives of many individual core courses and reflected in their course content.

7. ATTENDANCE POLICY

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Attendance in this class is important! Students registered for the course must be registered simultaneously in lecture and lab classes. You are expected to: 1. attend all scheduled classes (lectures and labs), 2. be on time, 3. actively participate in class activities, 4. remain in class until the class is dismissed.

Late students will not be allowed to sign the beginning-of-the-class-roster, and students leaving early will not be allowed to sign the end-of-the-class-roster. Students repeatedly tardy, or repeatedly leaving early, without permission from the instructor may be dropped from the course.

If you do not attend a scheduled class, if you are not ON TIME, if you do not actively participate in class activities (i.e., if you are physically present but "mentally absent"), and if you do not remain in class until the class is dismissed you will be marked absent.

The attendance record is part of a students education attitude and poor attendance and tardiness will be reflected in the course grade.

The definition of ABSENCE.

Your commitment to your education is reflected in your attendance and punctuality!

Do NOT ask anyone to sign your name on an attendance roster. Each and all students must sign their own name on the attendance rosters. The person signing for another person, and the person asking, may be disciplined according to the rules of academic integrity.

Grading (Assessment ) Criteria:

Performance Scoring: What does it mean to get an A, a B, a C, etc.? CLICK HERE

12. EXAMS

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As stated above, while ideally you are here for the love of life science, reality mandates that grades must be assigned. I must be able to assess if a student has learned something. The exams used to assess learning are as follows:

Regular Lecture Exams have 50 questions. The format of the lecture exams will mainly be a combination of multiple choice, true/false, and matching questions. One question may be a set of short answer questions, or a short essay question based on an important Textbook Figure. (Make-Up policy see below.)

There MAY also be booster projects. (This is the only method that MAY be used to curve class exam results.)

The Final Exam consists of two parts: (i) a 200 question, comprehensive, open book, take-home exam, and (ii) a 50 question, comprehensive, closed book (no references allowed) in-class exam. You are expected to show that you remember concepts learned earlier in the semester. The format of the Final Exam is mostly multiple choice questions. (Make-Up policy see below.)

All regular lecture exam scores and the two final exam scores will be counted toward the final grade. (Make-Up policy see below.)