Virtual Core Biology

Introduction

This course fullfills the requirements for Core 8.1 at Brooklyn College. It uses the same information, requires the same coverage of topics, needs the same depth of understanding, and requires the same or greater participation as the traditional Core 8.1 Biology course.

Each participant in this course becomes a researcher who assists a famous scientist in his investigations of biological phenomena. Gregor Mendel, (or "Brother Gregory" as he is known here), was the first person to show that there were patterns of inheritance, and that from these patterns it was possible to make deductions about the nature heredity. He carried out this work in the middle of the 19th century in an Augustinian monastery in what is now the Czech Republic. His work is famous in Biology, and he is a good role model for any kind of scientific research. You are going to help him. In this course you will become a research investigator who will assist Brother Gregory in carrying out a series of research tasks. In each investigation Brother Gregory will ask you a biological question. To get the answers he needs, you will have to perform one or more qualitative or quantitative experiments using simulations or material found on this Web site. You will accumulate data, record that data, analyze the results and report what you find. You will then be combine all the answers with the results of your experiments into a "portfolio". Your portfolios will eventually be graded and become part of the overall grade for the course.

Organization

Fourteen weeks of work requiring at least five hours of work a week at a networked computer, and five hours of reading and other assignments.
• Week 1 or Period 1:
  Introduction to Biology, the course, and the technology; each student will e-mail or otherwise contact, the Brooklyn College instructor for this course.

  All students will read an assigned section of the Biology Web site Science at a Distance ; each researcher will prepare a text answer to a question and send their text answer to the newsgroup web site (Caucus) and read the other submissions.

  Instructions for Using Caucus

  ***Note*** if necessary, a student may be asked to attend a face to face orientation to the course, and be given some instruction in the use of some of the technology. This live orientation will usually be held during the first week, and detailed information will be sent to each particpant.

• Weeks 2 - 13 or Period 2:
  "Investigations in Biology"; each investigation module will include reading assignments, answering assignment questions, performing experiments and submitting reports.

  Portfolios containing the results of each Investigation will be electonically transmitted, sent or given to the Brooklyn College instructors for inspection and grading at appointed times throughout the length of the course.

  Each researcher will be in constant contact (by e-mail) with their instructor thoughout each investigation. Instructors will inform the researchers as to their progress and quality of the work being done (written and scientific). An assessment of the contents of the the portfolios will be given to the researcher before it is submitted for final grading.

  In some cases and under some circumstances, changes will be allowed before the investigations are given a final grade.

• Week 8 or Period 3:
  At the discretion of the instructors, there will be one mid-term examination. This examination may be in the form of a multiply choice test, and/or a series of essay questions.

  This examination will be used to evaluated the mastery of the content that each student has acquired, and perform an assessment of the research skills that have been learned by performing the investigations.

• Week 14 or Final period:
  All portfolios submissions must be electronically transmitted, sent or given to the instructor for final grading.

  A written, "Final examination" will be administered.

• Examinations and testing:
  The final grade for this course will be calculated on the basis of a student's performance in; two content examinations (and/or investigation examinations), the quality and quantity of the research investigations, the content of the assignment questions that were posted, and portfolios of research results.

  There are a total of 100 points given in this course, and the instructors will inform (by e-mail) each student of the grading policy and how the final grade will be calculated.

Technology and Other Requirements

Each particpant will be expected to know how to use a computer, how to prepare word-processed documents, how to e-mail, how use the World Wide Web, and how to prepare and send documents using a newsgroup (Caucus).

Instructions for Using Caucus
*** All students should read these instructions ***

Each particpant will be expected to read the required information on the web-site and e -textbook.

Each particpant will need graph paper and drawing paper.

Investigation modules

Particpants will be required to prepare a 'results portfolio' for each investigation that consists of answers to "assignment questions", a record of results of an investigation and the answer to Bother Gregory's main question.

These portfolios will be electronically transmitted, sent or given to the instructor at agreed intervals throughout the course. They will be an important component in the final grade for the course.

Each investigation module consists of:

1. - A series of readings from,
   (a) the required e-textbook,
   (b) one of the 'Meet Brother Gregory' Chapters found on the "Science at a Distance" web site at Brooklyn College, and
   (c) Web based materials (on site and off site).
   • The two content examinations will be based on information found in the required readings and/or the results of the research investigations.

     The questions will be factual and require an understanding of the principles of biology, a knowledge of the details and facts presented in these readings, and how the results obtained in the research investigations relate to other information found in the readings.

   • It is estimated that the average student should spend about 2 - 4 hours a week on these reading assignments.

2. - A question or an assigment given by Gregor Mendel that relates to his work or some aspect of science.
   • Approximately every two weeks (or agreed periods of time) each researcher will be required to carry out an investigation assignment that is posted on the WWW and/or the Virtual Core Biology web-site. These investigations require that each researcher
     
     • carry out some reading and
     • perform some research task.

   • Individual researchers are required to perform these experiments, collect data and develop an answer to the original question posed by Brother Gregory.

   • Students may seek help from other members of the course, the instructor, built in 'help' menus on the WWW, or any other reputable source.

   • Completed assignments are graded based on; participation in the e-mail dialog with instructor, and the quantity and quality of the work handed in.

3. - Individual researchers will carry out the assigment(s)
   by researching information, performing experiments, analyzing the results, and combining their reading and experimental work. Results and conclusions will be placed into a portfolio.
   • It is possible that the mid-term and final examinations will contain questions that are based on the skills learned during these investigations. Students should use each investigation module to
     
     • learn and understand the principles involved and
     • develop skills in carrying out a scientific investigation.

   • The examinations may contain questions that take the form of a simple experiment in which a question is asked, data is provided, results and conclusions must be drawn for a complete answer.

4. - Any written work and answers to questions
   are saved on computer disk, e-mailed to the instructor, and/or posted on newsgroup. Any graphs or other drawings are placed in portfolios.
   • There are three methods of delivering written work to the instructor,
     
     • e-mail. It expected that students will send certain types of answers directly to the instructor using e-mail.
     • electronically using a 'newsgroup' (Caucus) that is based on WWW technology, and (when necessary),
     • in printed form as part of the portfolios submitted at agreed intervals during the course.

   • In most (but not necessary all) cases, materials posted to the WWW will be considered as a 'first draft' and therefore not graded. The instructor, other participants in the course will read these 'drafts' and add their own comments.

   • Students should read the instructor comments (and any other serious suggestions) and incorporate them into their final portfolios.

   • Part of the grade for each assignment will be for participation in this process.

5. - Written answers to "Assignment Questions".

   Student are required to answer "assignment questions" that are either found at the beginning and end of every investigation, or are supplied by the individual instructors. Normally, answers will posted on newsgroup Web based pages (Caucus) in a timely manner.

   When and where required, these answers will also be included in the portfolio prepared for each investigation.

   • Normally, each investigation begins with a series of "Assignment Questions" that are intended to help the researcher develop full and complete answers to the major investigation question.

   • Answers to these questions should be saved on a computer disk for correction and later printing, however, answers can also be e-mailed to course instructors and other student members of the course for comment and help. Researchers are encouraged to work together in a collaborative manner when every possible or when required by the nature of the investigation.

Where to Begin?

1. Read this 'Introduction' carefully. Make sure you understand the structure of the course and what is expected from you.

2. Look at the schedule section of this Web Site. See when various assignments, answers to various questions, and readings are due to be finished. You should schedule your work so that completed assignments, answers to questions and conclusions to investigations are posted or handed in on time.

3. You should explore the Web Site and become comfortable using wordprocessing software, creating and saving text, and e-mailing text to other people.

4. You should be prepared and ready to use the newsgroup site called Caucus. Visit this site and make sure that you can use it to (a) see messages and text sent by other people, and (b) send (or 'post', as it is called) your own messages or text.

5. You should now be ready to begin the first 'Investigation'. Go to this part of the Web Site. See what you have to read, look at the questions and start the experiment(s).