Office: 428 Boyd Science Center
E-Mail: jdooley@muskingum.edu
Phone: 740-826-8227,
Lecture: BSC 437, MWF 1:00-1:50 p.m.

PLUS Learning Consultant: Ms. Mary Piecynski?
Student Tutor: TBA
Student Success Center Tutor Hrs:  TBA

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Biology 106 Learning Objectives:

The Biology 106 courses (Biologic Issues) aim to provide students with an enhanced understanding of how science works within the context of a particular subject or issue area.   These courses are designed to meet Goal 1 of Muskingum's LAE: "Muskingum students will develop the ability to analyze questions related to major concepts in a field of study."  Each version of this course overviews what is already established within the particular topic area as well as focal areas and approaches to current investigation.   In this way students can come to fuller understanding of how scientific inquiry proceeds from an established knowledge base to extension of insight and understanding.  Though the focal topics vary from section to section students across all versions of this course the biology department indeeds that students will advance their understanding of:

• The knowledge base associated with the particular topic for that semester’s course including the factual foundation for current understanding, theory or major hypotheses associated with work in that area, and major areas of current investigation

• The nature of scientific inquiry including a consideration of its potential and limitations as well as any important societal implications.

•  How scientific inquiry has advanced and continues to advance understanding within the domain of the specific topic area under consideration.

1. An understanding of how evolutionary ideas developed through time, starting in Greek culture.
2. An understanding of the important advances Charles Darwin provided to the development of evolutionary thinking
3. A basic understanding of life's history
4. An understanding of how evolutionan works through the processes of selection, genetic drift, geneflow and mutation
5. An understanding of the scientific evidence supporting the theory of evolution and how scientific inquiry adds to our understanding of evolution
6. An understanding of the nature and history associated with the debate about teaching evolution.
   
7. An improved understanding of how science works as well as what kinds of questions it can address.
   

Course Description:

At a more basic and casual level, my goals for this course are twofold. First, students should further develop and hopefully refine their understanding of evolution. Evolution provides one of the most important and exciting theoretical frameworks in all of science and certainly provides the conceptual foundation upon which all of modern biology rests. I believe that many people in this country have "kind of an idea" of what evolution is all about, but few have a solid command of even its most basic principles. In addition, there is a lot of misunderstanding about what evolution says and what it doesn't say. Much of that misunderstanding springs from a more general problem many people have in understanding how science works.  

That leads right into my second, and perhaps larger goal for the course. In many ways I plan to use evolution as an example area in science with the aim of trying to convey a more basic understanding of what science is and how it works to develop new insights and understandings. In my view,  you don't need to understand each detail of how a cell divides in order to be culturally literate, but you are going to need to understand how the process of science works if you are going to be able to make intelligent choices as a citizen, consumer, and community member.

A Word About Our Topic: Some people feel that accepting the ideas associated with evolution places them at odds with their religious or philosophical beliefs. My aim in offering this material is not that you come out of this course believing in the theory of evolution; however I will expect you to understand the basic theoretical principles underpinning modern evolutionary biology as well as current ideas about the history of life that we will advance through lectures, reading, and discussion.  I would hope that the your experience this term will enrich your ability to embrace uncertainty while maintaining a commitment to reasonsed discussion and intellectual exploration.
 
 

Course Design and Structure:

Weekly course topics are outlined in the classroom schedule that follows later in this syllabus. Generally, I am planning to lecture during  part of our weekly meetings but also reserve time for discussion.  Lecture readings are listed below, but some of the readings (particularly those associated with climate change) will be TBA in order that we can maintain a flexible pace in our discussion activities. Given this design for the course, participation in class discussions will be expected and required!
 

Class Policies:

• Attendance:  I will take attendance most class meetings.  You will be allowed a maximum of five absences (for whatever reason). If you miss class a sixth time (regardless of the reason) your participation grade will be docked at my discretion.  The more absences you have, the more likely you will loose significant course points. Thus, the five absences I allow you are much like an insurance policy. Only use them when you are sick or have an athletic obligation etc.

In some cases coaches, other staff or faculty members have taken to sending out documents listing names of students who are not going to be attending classes because of a field trip, athletic event or other college sanctioned activity.  Please Note: I will not review each of these documents and then compare the names with each of my class rosters - sorry but that would require a huge amount of wasted time.   Therefore understand that if you are going to miss class, it is your responsibility to e-mail me with an explanation as to why you will not be in class. Please be sure to include reference to the class you are taking with me and make sure I receive this information 1 week before the event.   Failure to comply with this policy will mean you will be counted as absent for the class.

• Communication:   I understand that you may or may not routinely check email in your personal life.  However, email is a critical means of communication for this course.  Your are responsible for checking in for course email at least once each day.  "I didn't receive the email" will not  be accepted as an excuse if you fail to receive and act on announcements or changes to course assignments.

• Cell Phones: I do want you to bring your cell phone to class - we're going to use them to help us improve learning.  However if you text for non-class related purposes, I will ask you to leave class for the day.

Grading: Course grades will be based on the following formula:
 

Participation	8%
Quizzes & Short Assignments	8%
Test I	12%
Test II	18%
Comprehensive Final Exam	24%
Lab Grade	30%

 
Tests: Tests I, & II are closed book closed notes.  After each of the tests, we will take class time to review the exams.  You will be receive your tests & answers back in order that you take notes.  I will collect your tests at the end of the review sessions, therefore make sure you take extensive notes on your exam responses.  I will allow you to use notes during the final exam based on the following policy.

Final Exam Notes Policy:

A Word About the Reading: You should understand that we can't cover everything from the reading in class.  I've selected the text because it's a good one and I expect you to keep up with the reading.  Therefore, expect that quizzes and tests will have questions drawn directly from text reading, discussion papers, videos and other materials I've assigned - even if we haven't directly discussed the material in class! 

Lab: Our laboratory is designed to complement and reinforce the important principles we are covering in lecture.  Generally, laboratory will start with a short quiz covering material from the last lab as well as any materials assigned in preparation for the current day's work.

Course Resources:
 

Textbooks at the Bookstore: Dooley, Jim - Contemporary Biologic Issues: Evolution.   Don't worry, I'm not having you buy a text book that I wrote.  However I did assemble the text from other materials using the Create Program available through the McGraw-Hill Publishing company.    Most of the material is based on a text by Kenneth Kardong (2008. An Introduction to Biological Evolution (2nd edition). McGraw Hill). The value here is that this text should save you a good bit of money relative to purchasing the original text.  Note: you can only get this text at the University bookstore - it is not available from any on-line vendor. 

McGraw-Hill Text Website: http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0073050776/  

Course Blackboard Page: (check - you should have this course as one of your Blackboard courses, if not contact your instructor immediately)

On-Line Version of the Course Syllabus. Your should plan to plan to check on-line for updates to the class web page Note that at the top of the syllabus I list the date of the last update: use that as a quick guide post to determine whether you are up to date on what is going on with the course.

Materials on Reserve at the College Library - I will place a copy of the text on reserve at the library but note this means you will not have the benefit on a text during open book quizzes. Ask for Biology 106, Section 1 - the text should be filed under my name.

Your Instructor:  I'm here to help you!  You have to do the work (and make no mistake, real learning involves real work)!