Biology 130 - Microbiology for Funeral Service

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Lecture: Tuesday/Thursday 3:00pm - 4:20 pm Rm. 702

Instructor: Lori A. Smith, Ph.D.

Course objectives:

At the end of the course, students will be able to demonstrate the following student learning outcomes:

• identify basic microbial morphology and describe basic microbial physiology.
   
• interpret the relationships and interactions between a host and a parasite.
   
• assess the effect of environmental disinfection and decontamination procedures.
   
• describe the fundamentals of the infectious disease process.
   
• categorize specific and nonspecific defense mechanisms against disease.
   
• distinguish between the various methods of transmission of infectious disease.
   
• differentiate between normal flora, true pathogens, and opportunistic pathogens.
   
• identify examples of human disease and corresponding infectious agents with special emphasis on control and prevention of disease.

Printed detailed learning objectives will accompany each chapter and will be passed out in class in a packet that includes the chapters bundled for a given exam.  You should use the learning objectives as a study guide as you read the text in preparation for lecture. (See Lori's Top Ten Study Tips handout.) I will not collect the completed learning objectives but students who complete the objectives and use them to study generally do better in the course. 
 

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Required materials:

1. Textbook:      Microbiology Fundamentals - A Clinical Approach Second Edition (2015)
Author:          Marjorie Kelly Cowan  

2. Connect access:  This is a digital learning site by McGraw Hill.  There will be homework assignments using this site.  The points from Connect homework assignments will account for 22% of your grade.  You will register for Connect through our D2L course site.  There is a free 14 day access but after 14 days you will have to have an access code or purchase access in order to complete your homework.

There is an all digital option available if you don't need a physical copy of the textbook.

Bookstore bundle: includes a loose leaf print copy of the text and a Connect access code for $145.80 plus tax.

Access codes can't be shared.  Once a student has registered with the code, the access can't be transferred to another student.
 

Prerequisite:   Chemistry 130 or equivalent.

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Grading:  

See the course schedule on the next page for the dates of exams.  Final grades will be calculated based upon the following break points:

900-828 points = A (100-92%)  
827.9-756 points = B (91.9-84%)
755.9-684  points = C (83.9-76%)
683.9-585   = D (75.9-65%)
below 585 points = F (below 65%)

Connect Homework: 
The Connect homework will be completed via the Connect website linked to our D2L course in the Content Area.  Due dates for homework will be assigned accordingly, listed in a separate handout, and announced in class.  These assignments will be online and once the due date has passed, the assignment will become available for rework.  No credit will be available for late work. 

LS (LearnSmart) assignments require you to read sections of the text and complete a set of questions correlated to that section of the text before coming to class.  The bank of questions must be completed before the due date for full credit. 

Chapter homework assignments will be due after we have covered the material in class.  Printing is not allowed and the questions are scored for accuracy.  You will be allowed a total of two attempts and you may check your work once per question.  After you complete the assignment, you will see your total score and after the due date you will be able to see the correct answers and feedback.

Quizzes:  
We will have a 6 point quiz at the beginning of class starting on August 30th.  If we have an exam scheduled, we won't have a quiz.  The quiz questions will be multiple choice and you will have about 15 minutes to answer 12 questions.  The majority of the questions will be from material covered in the previous class but a few questions will be from new material covered in the LearnSmart homework especially if we are starting a new unit.  All quizzes will be taken without notes and without the assistance of the text or each other. The use of electronic dictionaries, smart watches, and cell phones during the exam will not be allowed.  You must be present and on time to take the quiz.  Quizzes can't be made up.  However, a few quizzes will have an optional extra credit short answer question.

Exams:
Exams will be multiple choice, fill in (with choices) and short answer essay.   You will need a Scantronâ 882 (single strip - 100 questions) for all exams (5 total).   All exams will be taken without notes and without the assistance of the text or each other. The use of electronic dictionaries, smart watches, and cell phones during the exam will not be allowed. 

Fairness to students: Out of fairness to all Biology 130 students, I must adhere to the grading scheme outlined in the syllabus (described above).  All grades will be calculated the same way, regardless of extenuating circumstances you may have encountered.  I cannot selectively assign additional work to only a subset of students to increase their grades.  Grades will be kept up to date in D2L so you should know your current grade in the class based upon your current percentage.  Let me know if you need help calculating the points that you need to earn a particular grade.

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