TO DO Fall 2015

Preparing for next semester

Before semester starts

If the text is in a new edition update page #s

Delete old files & upload new ones
If there are major changes to syllabus be sure to also change
Start Here LM & Syll quiz
Send ALL students on waitlist an email that says I expect to
add you the first day. I will send an email on the first day of class.

Just prior to start of

semester:

Send email to students 1 week before semester starts

INCLUDE SYLLABUS!!!
Opening module should be ***start here***
Later change to notifications

1st week of semester

Drops / No shows on Wednesday

BB changes
Fixes after course copy

Fix menu
Delete all files & reattach each.

Learning modules

Change dates in description

All release at syllabus quiz 100%

Discussion

Delete old discussion posts (they come with copy)

Be sure to keep my intro in discussion 1 & Q&A
Fix dates (in both the discussion forum & the unit)
**Subscribe to Q&A and Community forums **

Check link rot

Put all links web links & assignment links in BB
o it will check rot for me

Web links
Assignment links

Survey

Change back to older survey

Add the textbook was helpful back in
Delete the comparison text/website question
What else do I want to know?

Course Support

Update Office Hours

Big changes
Intros

Make intros videos for each unit with audio & captioning

Change the assignments so students are writing more summaries (and less
short answers that they copy from the web sites)
o Something like: a friend asks you about Read this and write a short
summary for them
o Or add a bit where they are preparing research for discussion.

Assignments

Naming
convention

Discussions

Quizzes

Maybe rename
activities Understanding biological concepts (understanding in grades)
worksheets Applying biological concepts (application in grades)
textbook Study Skills
-Renaming should be easy
ALL should be
Item: Unit (example text: Scientific Method)

Ask students for ideas for discussion topics, maybe as part of a textbook
assignment

Set up quizzes so students have the option of either

o Times online quiz
o No time quiz at testing center (on campus or of their choice)
Give them feedback on what they missed.
o If possible have question state you may want to review the different
types of bonds
Consider adding question to quiz stating I will take this quiz on my own
research shows may help cheating.

Due dates

Change due date structure. Sunday is due date. Wed is disappears date. In
syllabus explain that the due date is Sunday, late work is accepted until Wed with
no loss in points, but not accepted after that. (original discussion post must be by
due date Sunday).
Consider my late policy. Give them 1 week past due date with 50% off?

Topics to Add

Figure out where to add disease, pathogens, antibiotic use, etc... (they really like
this sort of thing).
**Climate Change***

Citation

Make it clear that students must cite library articles, not just provide links. Give
them an example of how to cite (I think most library articles have a cut and paste
option).
Have them give BOTH link and citation.
Finding typos 1 pt per typo (up to 10 points)

EC

[In place] For turning things in early - Its in the syllabus and the ***start here***
module
Better chat option look up firehoze

Chat
Also try CCConfer option. Have this be a standard thing.

Rubrics

Online classes - All rubrics need to go to 0

Unit 0
Start Here Module

Make sure changes to syllabus are reflected here

Syllabus

Send copy to Cari

Create a shorter syllabus or syllabus the Cliff Notes

Check questions answers contain dates

Do not drop students
Do not have due date but unit 1 wont open until Syll is done &
explain that first due date is Wed.

Will I have to go to campus

o No, course is entirely asynchronous and online
Why is the due date Wed at 5 PM?
o Would have been the Sunday before at midnight but wanted
to give you a few extra days.
o Time for any glitches to be worked out. If anything happens to
BB no holidays so always someone to help you
o If you tend to procrastinate pretend its due Sunday.
See student advice saved document in Bio 9 folder
Use questions from previous discussion boards

Syllabus Quiz

NEW: FAQ document

(put in Q&A forum
? Can I stick this to stay
at the top of the forum?)

Unit 1

Scientific Method

Rename

Scientific Method Scientific Inquiry

Fix dates

Assignments
Quiz
Discussion
set grade center due dates
Recommended due dates in calendar

Schedule

Fix dates
Open all units upon 100% on syllabus quiz

Review
(Help) & Web Links

Intro

Skills

Need to explain about replicates

Consider adding
o More on difference between line and bar graphs
o Science / pseudoscience
Think about changing this discussion to be about netiquette and
why academic honesty matters.

Activity

Worksheet
Discussion
Specialty grading rubrics

Things to consider adding

o Outline experiment from Mythbusters
Move the last question to the discussion & ask students to
explain why they picked the choice they did.

Worksheet

More practice experiments

http://www.glencoe.com/sites/common_assets/science/virtual_labs/E16/E16.html
http://www.biologycorner.com/worksheets/scientific_method_plant_exp.html
http://school.discoveryeducation.com/sciencefaircentral/Science-Fair-Projects/Practice-Investigationwith-Virtual-Labs.html
List of online labs: http://www.jdenuno.com/TechConnect/OnLineLabs.htm
Other good experiments:
http://www.glencoe.com/sites/common_assets/science/virtual_labs/LS12/LS12.html

Unit 2

Macromolecules

Fix dates

Assignments
Quiz
Discussion
set grade center due dates
Recommended due dates in calendar

Schedule

Fix dates

Review
(Help) & Web
Links
Intro

Update web links

Document macromol lecture prep may have some good stuff to add to intro.
Make sure its not straight out of OLI (that would be redundant).

Skills
Activity

Tried online activity instead of lab howd it go?

Quiz

Fix dates
Give feedback: you may want to review
Add more question alternatives

Worksheet

Macromolecule question set in bio 2 is better replace this

Discussion

Unit 3

The Cell

Fix dates

Schedule

Assignments
Quiz
Discussion
set grade center due dates
Recommended due dates in calendar
Fix dates
Open all units upon 100% on syllabus quiz

Review
(Help) & Web Links
Intro
Skills
Activity

Quiz

Worksheet

Fix dates
Give feedback: you may want to review
Add more question alternatives
There are a couple of questions still with no alternatives
o Plasma membrane proteins make this about membranes in
general?
o Set of 2 cell cycle questions that need to be separated

Discussion

I. Current Events: Cancer http://science.education.nih.gov/supplements/nih1/cancer/default.htm

If need more
http://outreach.mcb.harvard.edu/animations/biochem.swf

(Unit 5)
pretty good pro and con case study scenarios for GM
http://www.ncbe.reading.ac.uk/NCBE/GMFOOD/casestudies.html
http://www.bioethics.iastate.edu/forum/plant_biotech99.html
http://www.oup.co.uk/best.textbooks/biosciences/slater/cases/general/

Unit 4

Fix dates

Schedule

Inheritance

Assignments
Quiz
Discussion
set grade center due dates
Recommended due dates in calendar
Fix dates
Is this unit too much information???
Open all units upon 100% on syllabus quiz

Review
(Help) & Web Links
Add a bit about how to do genetic detective work if the final result
ends up unkown. Use the dogs & end with E-Bb (or something).
Intro

Make an animation for this have outline of what I want to cover in

folder.
Maybe a video of my lecture for this done over the summer
Add more examples of multi-gene & X-linked

Skills

Activity

Quiz

Worksheet

I think this takes too long think about taking out a few examples
of the Punnet Squares. (skip multi-gene?)
If I do add incompletely dominant
Fix dates
Give feedback: you may want to review
Add more question alternatives
o not sure how to do alternative parts on a quiz
Ask them how long this took

Discussion

stem cell links

detailed: http://stemcells.nih.gov/index.asp
excellent video really more for activity than discussion
http://www.sumanasinc.com/scienceinfocus/sif_stemcells.html
to look at: http://www.genome.gov/10004765
arguments on both side of debate - http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/3209/04.html
student links for punnet squares
http://www.lessonplansinc.com/biology_lesson_plans_meiosis_and_genetics.php
http://biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio105/geneprob.htm

Unit 5

Fix dates

Schedule
Review
(Help) & Web
Links
Intro
Skills

DNA

Assignments
Quiz
Discussion
set grade center due dates
Recommended due dates in calendar
THIS UNIT IS TOO MUCH INFORMATION!!!
Fix dates
Open all units upon 100% on syllabus quiz

Add demonstration of how to use the codon table.

Activity

Quiz

Worksheet

Fix dates
Give feedback: you may want to review
Add more question alternatives not sure how this would work for the last
question
Consider a lab??
Try:
http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/
http://geneed.nlm.nih.gov/specialty.php?spageID=1
http://www.jdenuno.com/APBiology/APBIO.htm
http://highered.mheducation.com/sites/0072919183/student_view0/biolabs.html

Discussion

Make it clear that they should respond to the sources they find in some way.

Specialty
grading rubric

Activity

Good tutorials etc

http://geneed.nlm.nih.gov/specialty.php?spageID=1

Unit 6

Fix dates

Schedule

Evolution

Assignments
Quiz
Discussion
set grade center due dates
Recommended due dates in calendar
Fix dates
This unit is a bit short can add more core content here.
Open all units upon 100% on syllabus quiz

Review
(Help) & Web
Links
Intro
Skills
Activity

Quiz

Worksheet

Maybe something more interesting? (see links below)

NEED MORE CONTENT Quiz is too short
Consider moving all (most) Berkley stuff to the activity and making the WS a
lab
Fix dates
Give feedback: you may want to review
Add more question alternatives
Need more overall questions questions should not be worth 2 pts
Consider trying labs for the worksheet (or activity)
Try:
http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/
http://geneed.nlm.nih.gov/specialty.php?spageID=1
http://www.mhhe.com/biosci/genbio/virtual_labs_2K8/index.htm
http://www.jdenuno.com/APBiology/APBIO.htm
http://highered.mheducation.com/sites/0072919183/student_view0/biolabs.html

Discussion

Maybe this should be the discussion of what is science - dont have it

anywhere in this class!!
o Make sure they dont get to statements like cooking is both an art
and a science
o See resources if folder for unit 1
See honors discussion

Unit 7

Fix dates

Schedule
Review
(Help) &
Web Links
Intro
Skills
Activity

Quiz

Worksheet

Metabolism

Assignments
Quiz
Discussion
set grade center due dates
Recommended due dates in calendar
Fix dates
Add discussion specifics
Open all units upon 100% on syllabus quiz

Find good thermodynamics links

Add climate change

Alternative lab sources:

http://www.jdenuno.com/APBiology/APBIO.htm
http://highered.mheducation.com/sites/0072919183/student_view0/biolabs.html
Give feedback: you may want to review
Fix dates
Add more question alternatives
Need a better eutrophication link
Or do something with climate change

Discussion
If a plant is sad do the other plants photosympathize with it? unknown

Good web link: http://bcs.whfreeman.com/thelifewire/content/chp03/0302002.html

Unit 8

Fix dates

Schedule

Ecology

Assignments
Quiz
Discussion
set grade center due dates
Recommended due dates in calendar
Fix dates
Add discussion specifics
Shopping list if for worksheet not activity
Open all units upon 100% on syllabus quiz

Review
(Help) & Web Links

Need to add more web links (see student input)

Intro

Finish the last bit of the introduction

Skills
Activity

Quiz

Fix dates
Give feedback: you may want to review
Add more question alternatives

Worksheet

This activity needs lots of work.

Maybe I should just write my own.

Discussion

Either most interesting thing you leared or summarize the class

in 1 sentence.

Nice link for soil types: http://pedosphere.ca/resources/bulkdensity/worktable.cfm