Courses Wayne State University College of Lifelong Learning Interdisciplinary Studies Program Changing Life on Earth, GST 2020, 4 cr     Section 981 (face-to-face Wednesdays 6:00 - 8:30 PM in     222 Cohn on campus) and Section 990 (online) Health Concepts and Strategies, GST 2010, 3 cr     Section 981 (face-to-face, Wednesdays 8:40 - 10 PM in 222     Cohn on campus) and Section 990 (online) Health Concepts and Strategies for Elder Care, GST 1990    Section 981 (2 credits) and Section 982 (4 credits)	Instructor
	David R. Bowen 2311 A/AB Wayne State University Detroit, MI 48202 Schedule (link not working yet)	Daytime tel: (313) 577-1498 Evening tel: (248) 549-8518 At Ford: 313-390-2155 FAX: (313) 577-8585 Home Page:     http://www.cll.wayne.edu/isp/drbowen Email: d.r.bowen@wayne.edu

Health - GST 2010	Genetics theme GST2020 Evolution theme GST 2020	Back to course welcome page
		Policies, Assignments, Course Meetings	Online Tools	Information about the class and participants	Lectures and further information from other sources	General information

Last updated: 11/18/01
Assignment schedule updated for cancelled class

Syllabus for GST 2020
Changing Life on Earth

Topics

Changing Life on Earth, GST 2020, 4 cr, for Fall 2001 covers several of the life sciences. The main topics are:

1. Weeks 1 through 3: Cells and how they work
2. Weeks 4 through 7: Genetics and inheritance
3. Weeks 8 through 11: Evolution
4. Weeks 12 through 14: Diversity of life

As you will understand at the end, I hope, this is a progressive sequence of topics; that is, each new topic builds on and depends upon the previous ones. The result of this is that it is very important to get off to a good, fast start.

Also, after something approaching 150 years, the Theory of Evolution can still be a controversial topic for many; many people see it as conflicting with religious beliefs. This course will bypass that controversy. I will never require that you say or act as if you believe the Thoery of Evolution, but I will require you to know and be able to describe and use the Theory. For those who want to pursue the controversy, there will be an online computer-based conference on Science and Religion. This is optional and not-for-credit for this course, although if you are taking a Directed Study and choose a related topic, then participation in the online conference can be on a credit basis. But for this course, religious beliefs and the controversy about the Theory of Evolution will not be a topic. At least part of the reason for this is that I have no particular background or preparation for teaching religion (although I do teach Sunday School), and I do not feel that I am able to grade religious ideas or beliefs.

Formats

1. Section 981 is a normal ("face-to-face") class meeting weekly on Wednesdays from 6:00 to 8:30 PM in room 222 Cohn Building on the southwest corner of Cass and Palmer. There are fourteen class meetings and a final exam.
2. Section 990 is an online class with two required face-to-face meetings on
   1. Wednesday September 5, 6:00 to 8:30 PM PM
   2. Wednesday December 12, 6:00 to 8:30 PM PM
   3. Wednesday December 19, 6:00 to 8:30 PM (final exam)

   In place of class meetings, there will be extra work assigned for the online section.

No matter which section you have registered for, you can switch back and forth from week to week. If you are registered fopr the online section and you are having trouble with a section of the textbook, you might want to come to class for the discussion. If you are registered for the face-to-face section, you might want to try the online version to see what it is like. For each week that you switch out of the section you are registered for, you need to inform me that you are switching. There will be a form on the course web site for this purpose.

Additional information on course requirements, and changes to syllabus

There are usually changes to the course syllabus during the semester, and this course will not be any different. Here are some reasons for changes:

• Not all information that you will need to complete the course is in this syllabus. For example, there will be exams, on topics to be distributed later. You cannot study for the exams without knowing the topics.
• Although I try to be clear, some parts of the syllabus may be unclear. If you are confused by something, that is not my intention, so you should ask.
• Changes in the syllabus may be wanted or required (By mistake, I once scheduled an exam on Thanksgiving Day). If you have requirements in other courses that come at the same time, I will be willing to make changes in the schedule for this course, if you let me know.

Online students in particular should note the above paragraph.

Instructor: David R. Bowen

Office Hours:
* Wednesdays 3:30 to 5:30 PM in my office, 2311 A/AB (ISP building), on days when classes are in session
   Office phone: (313) 577-1498
But call or email anytime!

Office Location: 2311 A/AB Building
(ISP offices, 5700 Cass at the northeast corner of Palmer and Cass)
Wayne State University
Detroit, MI 48202

Work Phone (ISP office): 313-577-1498
ISP FAX: 313-577-8585
Home Phone: 248-549-8518
At Ford: 313-390-2155
E-mail: d.r.bowen@wayne.edu

Textbooks (will be at campus Barnes and Noble bookstore, or can be bought or ordered through other sources of your choice):

1. Cell Biology and Genetics by Starr/Taggart, with CD
2. Evolution of Life by Starr/Taggart
3. Diversity of Life by Starr/Taggert (not yet ordered)

Course Web Site

The course web site is at http://www.cll.wayne.edu/isp/drbowen/gewf01. This is on the public Internet, accessible with any web browser, such as Netscape Communicator, Internet Explorer or AOL. If you try to access it from work, and your employer has an Internet firewall, you will need to get a firewall account through your employer. The course web site will be updated continuously throughout the semester. All major course materials, aside from the textbook, will be available through the course web site.

For the online section, the course web site will be the central starting point for most course work. Even for face-to-face students, the course web site is the place to go if you loose a handout.

Grading

In this course, I am here giving you advance permission to turn in or to redo course work after it is due, in some cases up to one calendar year after the end of the course.

Assignments (updated for cancelled class):

Online Postings (online students only)

Basically, for online students, the course computer conference is an alternate form of the classroom discussion in the face-to-face students, and participation in the course computer conference plays a parallel role in the course grade. Online postings will use the course computer conference. There is a link to this conference from the course web site. There is  an online guide for this system available through a link off of the Instructor's web site. The URLs (web addresses) of both the course and Instructor web sites are at the top of this page, and at the top of all pages for this course. Here are the requirements for conference postings:

• Average of three per week, all due before the end of the semester
• Must be in the "F01 Changing Life on Earth (Bowen)" computer conference, not the computer conference for some other course.
• Must make a page reference to the textbook (for example, "on pg 12 of the textbook").
• Between a minimum of five lines and a maximum twenty-five lines as seen on the computer screen after posting.
• Can be an original posting or a response to another posting. If it is a response, must include the relevant part of the original posting, and only the relevant part (edit out any other parts).
• Can be in many forms, including, but not limited to:
  • Comment on a point of interest or significance
  • Apply course information to your own situation, or of someone else that you know
  • Compare or contrast with other information on personal health
  • Point out how something suggested can be done, or why it is difficult to do
  • Bring in current events or news stories

Weekly Progress Reports (online students only)

There will be a form on the course web site (see URL at the top of this and all course materials) for weekly course reports. I have found these to be useful to me in identifying situations before they become serious, and in keeping online students involved in the course, reducing the number that drop out unofficially. You will not be graded on the content of the reports, but just on the fact of having made them. If you have to stop working on the course for awhile, that can happen to anybody, but there is no excuse for not taking the five minutes required for filing a weekly course report.

For the purposes of counting reports, weeks will be taken as ending on Fridays. You do not need to file a weekly course report during which the course does not meet.

PLAGIARISM

Putting this topic at the end does not imply that I do not think it is important, but instead that I think it applies to everything in this course. In academic work, plagiarism is treated as a serious breaking of the rules. Plagiarism basically means passing off someone else's work as your own. It does not matter whether this is done on purpose or by accident, by commission or omission, from one source or from many sources; it is still plagiarism, and it is still serious. The most obvious form of plagiarism is "copying" - using another author's words, without a hint that they are not yours. Changing one or two words in a sentence still results in plagiarism. On the other hand, using quotation marks and a reference to the source is OK, since you are not passing off the work as yours. Such references can even add to an impression that you have read the assignments!  References to opinions can also be used to strengthen your arguments, since a reference makes clear that someone else feels the same way that you do.

In this course, work that contains any plagiarism will be ignored, as if it were never turned in. In order to receive credit for the assignment, another topic must be chosen, and the work completely rewritten. The assignment will also be counted as late. Note that at the end of the course, there may not be enough time to redo the work, or even to notify you, before grades are due. Therefore, plagiarism near the end of the semester can have a particularly serious effect on your grade.

If you have any doubt about what plagiarism is, make sure to ask the instructor. To be safe, make sure that you give credit to any authors you borrow from.

NOTE: During quizzes and exams, the phrase "in your own words" is an explicit reminder that plagiarism is not acceptable.