Course Orientation

BIO 095

Course Syllabus • Tests & Exams • Outlines

You can listen to the course orientation or you can read it here.

Listen to the Orientation

	This orientation is about 10 min long. Right click the podcast icon to download the mp3 file to your PC or portable device.

 

Use the button to go directly to WebCT

 

Read the Orientation

Welcome to BIO 095, Foundations in Science for Health Careers.  I’m Kevin Patton, the course director.

This course is intended as a quick "refresher" course to prepare you for successful entry in to an anatomy and physiology course. Although there is no academic credit given for this course, successful completion of BIO 095 is a sufficient prerequisite for entry into A&P at SCC.

BIO 095 is for students who have already learned all or most of this material in their prior learning. This course therefore QUICKLY reviews the concepts that you'll need to "bring with you" into A&P and get a good start in that course.

The course is a "self-directed" distance learning course which means that you are "on your own" to review the material and take your tests and exam at your own pace. The course is entirely online.

The course is taught within the college’s online learning system called WebCT.  To get into the system, go to the college website at www.stchas.edu and click on the WebCT button.  You’ll then be taken to information on how to login.

Once you’ve logged into our WebCT platform, you need to select the BIO 095 course and click on it.  You’ll then be taken to the home page, where you’ll see a menu along the left side of the screen and some icons in the middle of the screen.  You can use either the icons or the menu links to select the Getting Started section of the course.

In the Getting Started section, you’ll find the syllabus and other course information that will fully explain how the course works.   I’ll run through some of that with you right now, but do be sure to explore this information yourself for all the details.

First, let’s talk about a textbook.  There is no required textbook for this course.  But if you want a book to help you, the first several chapters of the Anatomy & Physiology book available at the college bookstore is a good choice.  This is the book that you'll be using in A&P (BIO 240) later, anyway, so it won’t be any extra expense to get it now.  If you have a general Biology textbook or Human Biology textbook, that may work just as well for you.

Next, let’s chat about How the Course Works

In a nutshell, you work your way through TEN online modules, each on a different topic, then take a comprehensive final exam that reviews all the topics.

The topics are:

• Science Basics
• Introductory Chemistry
• Biological Chemistry
• Introduction to Cells
• Cell Transport
• Getting Energy
• Making Proteins
• Introductory Genetics
• Tissues
• The Human Body

Each module consists of an online test. If you feel confident, you can take the test right away and hopefully you'll pass it.

If don't feel all that confident, or you don't pass it the first time, then you may want to review the Learning Outline provided in the module. Each review outline summarizes some of the main points and helps you find what you need in a textbook to get ready for the test.

When you pass the test in the first module, the test in the second module is "unlocked" and you can now take that test. You cannot skip ahead . . . you must pass each module test to get to the next one. When you pass the last module test, the final exam will be "unlocked" and you are ready to finish the course!

If you fail to reach the final exam and pass it, then you have failed the course and must re-enroll.

You can go at our own pace, of course. The final exam cannot be taken earlier than the midpoint of the semester or session in which you are enrolled. So the soonest you can finish the course is the "half-way” point on the academic calendar.

All the tests and the exam involve objective items formatted as multiple choice, multiple response, matching, true-false, and short fill-in items.  You may take each online test or exam as many times as you need to in order to pass it. 

When taking an Online Test or exam you may use your notes, textbook, online resources, discussions with other students, and previous attempts, but your answers must be your own and entered into the program only by you (you may receive direct help using the computer or WebCT program if you need it). 

Each online test presents questions one at a time, just as with professional licensing exams and college-level testing services. That is, you must answer each item and save the answer before moving to the next item. You may not "go back" to any previously answered item.

When the test is finished and you have "submitted" the test for grading, you will know your score immediately and you can go back and look at the entire test. Items are marked as to whether they are correct or incorrect, but correct answers are not given (you must find those yourself).

You must earn a score of 75% or better to pass.

Each test on a single topic is generated individually from a large test bank and thus each attempt is different. Online tests are available only during the scheduled semester/session dates. Any attempts to take an online test after the designated time will be unsuccessful. Therefore, do not wait until the last minute to take your tests and final exam! If you don't finish by the last day of the semester/session, then you will fail the course and you'll have to re-enroll and start over.

If you get stuck, or need any kind of help, you can contact me at any time.

If you have any problems with logging on or accessing a WebCT course or online test, call 636-922-8555 for assistance or go to the Computer Help Desk in the SCC Library. 

Computers with high-speed internet access are available to ALL students in the ACE Center and LRC. Laptops with wireless access may also be checked out and used in the LRC. If you do not have home access to these resources, please make time to be on campus to use them.

It is your responsibility to keep track of your progress in the course. Grades will be posted in My Grades at the WebCT site for this course. Grades cannot be given out over the phone or by email in most circumstances.

If you decide to drop the course, you must officially withdraw at the registration office by the posted drop date to receive a "W" grade. If you never participate or just stop participating without officially withdrawing, you will receive the "F" grade.

This course is founded on the principle that all who participate will do so with the honesty befitting adult, professional studies. Without integrity of all students, the integrity of the course, this school, and your own credentials all suffer. This means that all students are expected to submit only their own work on online tests or any other component of this course. Thus, students may not receive inappropriate help nor give inappropriate help to other students. 

One last thing:

You are required to complete the Student Understanding, which outlines your responsibilities as a learner, on WebCT (under "Getting Started") as soon as possible. You will not be allowed to take the WebCT online tests until you complete the Student Understanding, which is in the form of an online quiz, by checking "I understand" for each of the items. 

Well, that’s enough to get us started . . . please read through the course information in WebCT next.  Then if you have any questions, email me through WebCT or call me at 636-922-8338

Have fun!