COURSE INFORMATION
| Meeting Time: | Monday, Friday 9:05 – 9:55; Wednesday 8:00-9:55
Laboratory – Thursday 2:00-5:00 |
| Meeting Place: | 101C Pearson Hall for lecture |
| Instructor: | Linda Dion |
| Office: | 338 Wolf Hall |
| Phone: | 831-2476 |
| E-mail: | ldion@udel.edu |
| Office Hours: | Tu, W 11:00-12:00, or by appointment |
| Course Web Page: | www. |
COURSE CONTENT
The biology of cells, including structure and function, heredity, and gene expression. An introduction to evolution. Laboratory focuses on experimentation and data analysis. Pre- or co-requisites include C101, C103, C105 or C111.
COURSE METHODS
Course Philosophy:
Introductory Biology is intended to be a survey course which introduces
students to the breadth of biological sciences and prepares them for higher
level courses in biology or other science majors. Therefore a broad-based
understanding of content is important. But so are the skills which will
be needed to continue learning later in life. These include: the ability
to learn independently, the ability to think critically and explain your
under-standing with clarity, and an ability to work constructively with
others toward shared goals. Although the lecture format of teaching has
the potential to deliver content, there is no assurance that a student
will develop the skills mentioned above, since listening to lecture is
a very passive activity. Furthermore, analyses of college level studies
during the past decade have shown that collaborative learning increases
productivity, professional self-esteem, improved problem-solving skills,
and positive social relationships. Therefore, this course will include
some lecturing, but will also have an active student-centered component
of problem-based learning.
So in addition to learning biology content, my goals for this course are that you will learn to:
Quizzes: Before the beginning of each major topic of the course, you will be given a learning guide with suggested readings, questions and learning objectives. It is your responsibility to do the readings and come prepared to the first class (usually, but not always, on a Monday) to take a quiz over the material. This quiz (about 10-12 questions) will be taken by you as individuals at the beginning of the class period and answers will be graded immediately by a Scan-Tron machine. After submitting your individual quizzes, you will take the same quiz with your group members. These group exams will also be immediately scored by the scanner. Both the individual and group scores will count, and generally, the group scores will be higher than that of the individual (though not always).
Appeals Process: After you receive your group scores, your group may review the answers. If you feel there are legitimate grounds for appeal, your group may decide to submit an appeal. Only group scores (not individual ones) are subject to appeal, and only when the appeal is written and signed by all members of the group. If the appeal is granted (after due consideration by me outside of class) all members of that group (but not other groups) will receive the higher score for the group quiz. Decisions on appeals will be final.
Problems: Problems will be complex real-world scenarios which you will have to analyze in the context of a biological foundation. Working with other members of your group, you will address a series of questions which will require that you use resources (text, notes) to solve the problems. These problems should reinforce your understanding of the content material, help you develop analytical and decision-making skills, hone your ability to work with others, and give you experience in addressing real problems.
Exams In addition to the quizzes, there will be three exams. Two of the are hourly exams, which will be taken both as individuals and as a group (though the group exam will be a different format from the individual ones). The third exam is a final exam which will be taken as individuals only. Individual exams will be similar in format to the quizzes, but with a more extensive synthesis of the material (use learning guides to prepare). Group exams will be an essay format.
FORMATION AND FUNCTIONING OF GROUPS
Groups of 4-5 people each will be assigned by me before the first class period. Except for minor changes which may have to be made because of late dropping or adding of the course, these groups will be permanent for the whole semester. I will try to make these groups as heterogeneous as possible, so that you all have a chance to experience diversity of majors, ages and experience. Much of a group’s successful functioning is related to its members being tolerant of views different from their own, so a group’s heterogeneity will help toward that end.
One of the first group activities will be to formulate ground rules, or operating rules of conduct that each member agrees to abide by. These will be in writing, signed by each group member. I will collect them to xerox for my files, but then return each one to its respective group for referral later in the term if group dynamics become problematic.
Each group will be given a folder in which attendance will be recorded and quizzes and problems can be stored. An explanation of the appeals process and the peer evaluation process will also be in the folder.
GRADING
The final grade is a reflection of effort both in the classroom (lecture) and the laboratory. Lecture will constitute 75% of the final grade, lab 25%. Information about your laboratory grade will be provided during the first meeting of the lab.
Your grade in lecture will be based on three criteria: Individual Performance, Group Performance, and Per Evaluation.
Lecture grade