Syllabus for General Biology B Spring 1998 Library 154 9:00-9:50

Text: Biology: Concepts and Applications by Starr Office Hours: Tu 9:30-11:00 HAN 42; others by appointment email gilchris@virtu.sar.usf.edu or phone 359-4377; open chat time on website will also be arranged during the first week of class

This course is an experimental introduction to case based biology instruction. Case based instruction allows students to examine traditional information in a contextual format. For this course, we will use a fictitious scenario based on front page headlines as a background for exploring biological concepts. The material covered is exactly the same as in a traditional course, though it is presented in a different manner. This requires that the students be willing to work together and to accept personal challenges in learning materials. The assessment methods for the course will also be somewhat experimental with students making suggestions for changes in format using what is known as a dynamic syllabus. Such a syllabus has a general format that will remain constant, however, students will continually update information and make course adjustments during the term. The first update will parallel the initial class assignment, with each student contributing three URLs on topics of interest to them along with a short explanation of the interest. We will be beta testing a new software for online class discussions and course management. To date, we are the only class on this campus testing the software.

We will use a traditional textbook as background material with substantial additions from the web and from primary literature. It will be essential that students become familiar with the virtual library and with webCT for this course. Each group will have a login for the webCT account. There are no individual accounts yet available, so members of the groups will have to self-designate within the group to hold conversations. The first week, we will have a session on the virtual library to familiarize you with the possibilities for the class. You will need to get an internet account as soon as possible from the computer center. Since a substantial amount of work will be done in groups, you will need to refer to the site on group work and each group should submit a group contract. Groups can contact each other and hold online chats by accessing  . You must have a password to enter, however. There are only four accounts that will be available so you will have to share.

Evaluation will be based upon both individual and group work. Each week an assessment will be offered to students. These will be completed and returned electronically. The assessment can be a thought question, a directed matrix, or other instrument. Assessments can be reworked if there is a problem in understanding. A journal kept by each student will contain in class projects as well as information from each group. Students will also be asked to keep an annotated bibliography of the web sites accessed and the resources used during the term. The groups will be evaluated from within by each member and by the instructor relative to the project progress and outcome. The overall goal is to build a set of working papers for each student that gives evidence of critical and creative thinking, depth and breadth of engagement in activities (concept understanding and application across topics), use of a variety of approaches to problem solving, and an understanding of more general application of learning techniques applied to novel situations.

Class scenario for case study

You have been hired to investigate a crime that is at least a decade old. There is a substantial amount of information that has been gathered from the original crime scene. You will need to access this information to determine how to proceed in the investigation. There will be side notes on what investigators already tried (evidence gathered; investigations) and the avenues that were not pursued. You will want to examine these with your groups to determine courses of action. Lectures will give ideas of how material might be used to enhance the investigation. The following is a schedule of the lectures and the information to be covered in each.

Tentative Topics for coverage in class

Week	Topic	Support material*	discussions and procedures**
1	Nature of inquiry/class setup	experiments	scientific investigation
2	Chemistry of life	microbial chemistry early earth	Alzheimer's Carbohydrates
3	Cells	embryo	osmosis
4	Cells	video	pollen
5	Metabolism	progress report on investigation	metabolism
6-7	Energy pathways	discussion groups	mountains to the sea
8	B R E A K	B R E A K	B R E A K
9	Cell Division/Mitosis	guest speaker	Cancer
10	Meiosis observable patterns of inheritance	video "guest"	memory matrix quiz virtual fly
11	chromosomes	investigation update	humans
12	DNA structure/function	group discussion	forensic DNA forensic science
13	DNA to proteins	video
14	Recombinant DNA/ Genetic engineering	issues discussion	clean up
15	Investigative Results	group presentations	all work due Friday at 5pm EDT

*information that will help with understanding concepts

**information that should be useful in solving environmental mystery