General Course Objectives:

Science has a vocabulary of its own. New terms will be introduced throughout this course. To develop a working vocabulary, make a list of these new terms and their definitions.

The skills of science can greatly benefit your life. Science and good thinking go hand in hand. The Scientific Method can be viewed as a way of using critical and creative thinking to learn about the world. These same thinking skills are important to the study of all subject areas. Developing your skills in this course should also enhance your success in all other courses.

This course is one in which writing assignments focus on understanding content, problem solving, and critical thinking, while introducing current issues of importance in the fields of Parasitology, bacteriology, virology, mycology, and entomology,(study of parasites, bacteria, viruses, fungi, and insects). The structure, metabolic activities and genetics of the organisms of both medical and commercial importance will be explored and will form the core of this course. This will be discussed as it applies to humans, the enviroment, homeostatic inbalance, and the biodiversity. This course will not have a laboratory component, and the assignments will be based on applying the most modern research tools, involving the internet, library reviews, surveys, and personal interviews.

Attendance:

Consistant attendance is advisable. It is your responsibility to obtain materials handed out during your absense.

You are expexted to be punctual, but if you are late to class, please be courteous to the rest of the class by quietly sitting in a rear desk. If you choose to withdraw from the course, you are responsible for completing all necessary paperwork to remove your name from the class roster prior to this day. Failure to do so could earn a grade of an F for the semester.

Lecture Behavior:

Each and every student is expected to behave in ways which promote a teaching and learning atmosphere. Students have the right to learn; however, they do not have the right to interfere with the freedom of the faculty to teach, or the rights of other students to learn. Students will be treated respectfully in return for respectful behavior.

All in-class discussions should be carried out in a way that keeps the classroom environment respectful of the rights of others. This means that, for example, students should not interrupt someone else who is talking, regardless of whether that person is the instructor or another student. Students should not monopolize class time by repeatedly interrupting and asking questions in a manner which hinders the learning process of others. Students are also expected to conduct themselves which create a safe, learning, and teaching environment, that is free from such things as violence, intimidation, harassment.

Please make sure that you obtain and read a copy of the current Student Handbook, which contains the Student Code of Conduct.

Exam Format:

You are responsible for taking your exams on time. Each lecture exam will consist of multiple choice, definitions, matching, fill-in-the-blank, and essay questions. Four lecture exams will be valued at 100 points each.

Consult the lecture schedules for the dates and times of each exam. Occasionally, unforseen circumstances require a change in an exam’s date or coverage. If this happens, you will receive adequate warning for study purposes.

Exam Policy:

It is YOUR responsibilty to take each exam at the scheduled time, and submit your term paper when due. When you miss an exam due to a serious and unavoidable circumstance, you may, at my discretion, be permitted to take a make-up exam. If you have not made prior arrangements, you must contact me immediately upon your return following the missed exam to discuss the possibility of a make-up exam. You will NOT be permitted to make-up more than one exam.

Make-up exams, when given, are entirely essay-covering the topics within the missed exam.

Term Papers:

The writing assignments are structured as term papers. A total of 2, 5-page practice papers and 1, 10-15-page final paper with presentations using power point, will be expected from the students. The practice papers must demonstrate specific skills like format and description, while final papers must demonstrate format, description, and content. The two practice papers will be valued at 50 points each, for a total of 100 points, and the two final papers will be valued at 100 points each, for a total of 200 points. The papers are designed to reinforce classroom concepts and assess comprehension. You are required to complete these assignments before the end of the semester.

The structure and format are outlined as follows:

Term papers may involve mastering a skill or procedure or understanding a particular concept. The papers must be designed to be investigative, and each should begin with a section of course objectives, which lists skills or concepts to be mastered in that exercise. The objectives can be used to test mastery of the material after completing the paper. You are expected to refer to a textbook for more detailed explanations of the concepts to be used in the writing assignments. If you violate the specified directions, your paper will be voided and you will not receive any points, and there will be no make-ups. It is ti your advantage to familiarize yourself with the rules and formats for the successful completion of these assignments.

Web Site Information:

The lecture notes and occassional announcements will be posted on the course web site.

Self Assessments:

There would be several pathways to assessment built into this course. Question at the end of each chapter asks students to recall what they have learned, to synthesize the ideas covered in the text. After each topic, students are presented with a summary paragraph, drawing together the lessons of the topic. The summary also includes review question or directs students to the course web site. Each web-module will include a self-test section, allowing students to evaluate their progress as they work through the materials.

A case study will be added to each topic discussed. These are designed to be engaging, accessible narratives that focus on health issues, environment problems, new technologies, current events, and scientific achievements. These case studies also typically raise some questions or issues that are then resolved in class discussions. Group activities have been added to each chapter. These exercises encourage students to work out interesting problems in small groups and thereby become active participants in the learning process.
 

Power Point Presentations:

Each student is expected to present each completed assignment to the rest of the class. Each presentation is worth 25 points, for a total of 100 points for four presentations.

Breakdown:

Academic Dishonesty and Misconduct:

Allied Health Professionals deal with patient lives, therefore, honesty and reliability are paramount. All students are expected to achieve their goals with academic honesty. Montgomery College and Professor Otigbuo are committed to imposing appropriate sanctions for breaches of academic honesty. The Student Code of Conduct in the Student Handbook includes the following on cheating:

Students are expected to present their own work in all examinations. Some examples of cheating as it might occur in examination are as follows:

• Copying the work of another student during and examination;
• Permitting another student to copy one’s work during an examination;
• Using unauthorized notes, crib sheets, additional sources of information, or other material during an examination;
• Writing the answer on an exam question outside of class, and submitting that answer as part of an in-class exam;
• Taking an exam for another student;
• Having an examination taken by a second party;
• Altering of falsilying examination results after they have been evaluated by the instructor and returned to the student.

Support Services:

A student who may need an accomodation due to a disability, should make an appointment to see me during office hours. A letter from Disability Support Services (DSS), authorizing your accomodations, will be needed. The DSS office is located in the Student Services Building, near the Admissions Office, and may be reached at (240)-567-1475.