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Grading (January
3, 2021) General Information A student’s final grade for the course will be based upon the
total number of points earned.
Students shall have the opportunity to earn a minimum of 1000 points
that are divided between those available via the lecture component of the
course and those through the laboratory component, The pertinent details are provided below. In brief, the lecture component is worth 80% of a student’s
course grade. The laboratory component
is worth 20% of a student’s course grade.
There are a few “built-in” opportunities to earn bonus points (see
below). However, a student’s final
course grade is based upon an absolute scale, i.e., there is no curving of
this scale. Moreover, a student’s
success in the laboratory must meet certain levels to receive a particular
final course grade. These details are
discussed in the relevant sections below. Students need to take note that all examinations, quizzes, and
other graded activities (e.g., SmartBook
assignments, Virtual Lab exercises, etc.) shall be administered via the CONNECT
learning platform, whereas certain laboratory reports shall be submitted via
a Blackboard specific to a
particular laboratory section. Lecture Grade Components Examinations. Dates for examinations have been
established (see Lecture/Laboratory
Schedule). These dates are subject
to change due to unforeseen circumstances.
Five examinations will be given throughout the semester. The first four are worth 100 points
each. The last exam, which shall be semi-comprehensive,
is worth 125 points. Collectively, all
five examinations are worth 525 points towards a student’s course grade. Please take note of the following regarding examinations: i)
All exams shall be administered electronically. Therefore, students must possess an
appropriate laptop computer to take this course or have access to a desktop
computer. ii)
Students may take an exam remotely (on- or off-campus) or in
the lecture hall, but the exam must be taken as scheduled. If taken remotely (off-campus), the student
is solely responsible for any interruptions (i.e., glitches, freezes, lost
connections, etc.) due to an unstable internet connection or any other reason. Though each instance will be considered on
a case-by-case basis, Dr. Cooper is not likely to be sympathetic to
adverse events taking place off campus during an examination quiz, etc. iii)
All examinations shall be electronically proctored using the
program Protorio. This will require students using the Chrome
browser to take exams. Except for the
occasionally proctored quiz (see below), other browsers can be used for other
CONNECT assignments. NOTE: for Proctorio support, go to https://proctorio.com/support. iv)
Exams I through IV shall begin promptly at 10:00 AM on the
dates assigned. Students have until
10:50 AM to complete the exam.
Students should expect to take 5 minutes of this time to properly
sign-in for the exam being administered, which shall include at a minimum
presentation of your identification. NOTE:
Students must possess their YSU ID to take any proctored exam/quiz. The ID will need to be recorded by Proctorio.. v)
Exam V shall begin promptly at 8:00 AM on May 7th
and end no later than 10:00 AM.
Students must begin Exam V before 8:15 AM. Scores earned by students beginning after
this time shall not be recorded. Also,
students should expect to take 5 minutes of this time to properly sign-in for
Exam V as previously noted. vi)
Due to the asinine policies of the YSU Bookstore, students
will have to pay for the Proctorio service ($15.00)
using a credit card since the cost was not included in the First Day Ready
package. However, once paid, the
proctoring service will be included in your CONNECT subscription for the
entire semester. vii)
Each student shall not have the same version of the
examination. Typically, examinations
shall be mainly comprised of multiple-choice questions, true/false
statements, and matching problems.
However, fill-in-the-blank type questions (YES, spelling does
count!) and short essay questions may be used as well. These examinations will focus solely on
material covered since the previous examination, yet current material often
builds upon that previously covered in the course. viii)
The last examination is semi-comprehensive mainly covering
recent material, but it will include a number of questions covering
previously presented information.
Note: you really can’t study for the
previously covered information since it is material that is generally
foundational to the entire course, e.g., what differences exist between
prokaryotes and eukaryotes? Either you
know it or you don’t. ix) Make-up
examinations will be given ONLY at Dr. Cooper’s discretion upon either
verification of an “excused absence” (see Attendance)
or an acceptable extenuating circumstance.
Make-up examinations may take any form, including the use of oral or
essay questions. x)
Except for extreme extenuating circumstances, it
is unacceptable for a student to request to take an examination at a time
other than scheduled. Having a second examination, or even a third
examination, the day before, the day after, on the same day of the scheduled
microbiology examination is not even remotely a rational or valid reason to
request a change in the microbiology examination date. (Out of curiosity, did you ask the other
instructor to change the date of their examination?). Also, do not make vacation plans
that will result in your absence from an exam, quiz, laboratory experience,
etc. Dr. Cooper shall give no
consideration for vacation plans. Moreover,
a request to
take an examination earlier/later for vacation, holiday, or like purposes is entirely unacceptable. The latter is especially true of the final
examination. Do not make plans to
finish the semester earlier than 10:00 AM on May 7th. Requests to take Exam V on a different
day/time shall not be honored. SPECIAL NOTICE: Due to the online
educational environment we are experiencing, many instructors of other
courses often blithely give broad deadlines to their students for completing
an exam, task, quiz, etc. In the past,
these time frames have included on occasion the Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
10:00 AM – 10:50 AM period as well as established times that sections of BIOL
3702L meet. To be unequivocally
clear, students enrolled in BIOL 3702 and an accompanying BIOL 3702L section
must wholly reserve the times for which they have officially enrolled in this
course to attend to required activities, e.g., scheduled exams. If an instructor of another course assigns
an activity that conflicts with the time of a required BIOL 3702
lecture/laboratory activity, the student should immediately notify both that
instructor and Dr. Cooper. CONNECT
SmartBook Exercises. For each chapter covered, students should
complete an assigned SmartBook exercise via
CONNECT. The dates that these
exercises are opened and closed have been scheduled (see the table below and Lecture/Laboratory
Schedule). All
exercises will be open at 8:00 AM on the stated date and, except for Chapters
32-35 (see table below) close at 10:00 AM on the stated date. The deadlines are firm – there shall be no
extensions! Each exercise will
incur a significant amount of time to complete. Therefore, plan accordingly. Collectively, the exercises are worth 190
points towards a student’s course grade.
Partially completed exercises earn partial credit. Non-submission of an exercise for any
reasons will result in a score of “0” for that assignment. SmartBook
Assignments on CONNECT
Quizzes. Dates for eighteen (18) quizzes have been established (see Lecture/Laboratory
Schedule). The
deadlines are firm – there shall be no extensions! These quizzes are worth 5 points each. A missed/unsubmitted quiz will incur a
score of “0”. Overall, this grade component is worth
85 points towards a student’s total course score though there is the
opportunity to earn 90 points (or more due to bonus questions). Hence, if a student misses one quiz, no
real harm will occur to the student’s course grade. Missing more than one quiz may have an
impact upon the number of points a student can earn. Earning more than 85 points on these quizzes
shall be considered as earned bonus points. Each student in each lecture session may not have the same
version of the quiz. i)
Each quiz shall be mainly composed of multiple-choice
questions, true/false statements, and matching problems. However, fill-in-the-blank type questions (YES,
spelling does count!) and short essay questions may be used as well. ii)
Each quiz is timed – typically students shall have 5-7 minutes
to complete a quiz. iii)
Quizzes will focus solely on material assigned for that
particular chapter. iv)
Quizzes can never be “made up” regardless of reason. Extreme extenuating circumstances may be
considered by Dr. Cooper, but his decision is final. However, students need to be aware that
each quiz has a period of availability and “last minute” approaches to taking
a quiz should be avoided. Running out
of time to take a quiz shall never be considered as an extenuating
circumstance. Bonus Points.
There is
no inherent right for “bonus points”. Bonus points are only a courtesy that may be extended to students. Please take note of the following: ·
The availability of “bonus points” is wholly at Dr. Cooper’s
discretion. Usually, examinations and
the occasional quiz include one or more bonus points. ·
Students MUST NOT ask for bonus points or special
projects to earn bonus points. Such
requests will be denied. ·
Bonus point opportunities are never able
to be “made up”. If a student misses
them by being tardy, absent, or otherwise, the opportunity is gone. ·
Known “bonus point” opportunities include the following: o
Assessment Quiz. Students cannot study for this in
class quiz to be given during the first week of classes (see Lecture/Laboratory
Schedule). This quiz is intended
to assess a student’s current knowledge in microbiology. Students cannot study for it, so just take
it. There will be no extensions or
“make ups” granted if the quiz is not submitted by the stated deadline. This assessment is worth 10 bonus points,
or 1% of the course grade o
Proctorio
Practice Quiz.
This
exercise is worth 10 bonus points – 1% of the course grade. It is intended for students to become
comfortable with the Proctorio proctoring
program. See the Lecture/Laboratory
Schedule for the availability and the submission deadline. This is a firm deadline with no possible
extensions. o
Syllabus Acknowledgement and Liability
Waiver. Submission of these two elements by the stated
deadlines will earn a student one (1) bonus point each. See the “Miscellaneous Quizzes/Assignments”
file in CONNECT to complete these requirements. BIOL 3702L Laboratory Grade Components For all BIOL
3702L assignments, be sure to check the Lecture/Laboratory
Schedule for deadlines. NOTE: Because Spring Break has
been divided into separate “days off” instead of one continuous week, the
scheduling of laboratory assignments differs among several of the laboratory sections
at particular times. Be sure to review the Lecture/Laboratory
Schedule in
detail. General Laboratory Grade Information. As a reminder, the laboratory section of this course is worth 20% of the overall BIOL 3702 course grade, or 200 points. However, the grade components for BIOL 3702L, as detailed below, comprise various opportunities to earn 300 points. Therefore, the total number points earned by a student in BIOL 3702L will be normalized (i.e., proportionally converted) to represent 20% of the course grade. Safety Quiz. This quiz, worth 15 points towards a
student’s overall laboratory score, will cover those important safety items
and rules as presented by the laboratory instructor. Please refer to the web page BIOL 3702L
Laboratory Safety Rules and Procedures.
This quiz can be found in the “Miscellaneous Quizzes/Assignments” file
in your CONNECT subscription. IMPORTANT NOTE: Any
student not scoring at least 12 points on the safety quiz shall not be
permitted to participate in any laboratory activity. The student must repeat taking the quiz (a
different version) until a minimum score of 12 or better is achieved. Pre-Lab Quizzes. Ten (10) scheduled
pre-lab quizzes (meaning before attending a laboratory
session), worth 5 points each, have been scheduled. The scores of these quizzes will be counted
for a total of 50 points towards a student’s overall laboratory grade. The quizzes will cover the material
provided in the laboratory instructions for the exercise(s) performed or to
be performed that day/week. The
deadlines are firm – there shall be no extensions! These pre-lab quizzes must be taken
prior a scheduled laboratory period in which the student is enrolled and has
been assigned. Quizzes will be
available via CONNECT as noted in the Lecture/Laboratory
Schedule. Laboratory Reports.
These reports are worth a total of 120
points towards a student’s overall laboratory grade. The deadlines for these reports have been
established (Lecture/Laboratory
Schedule). These
reports will be submitted in a paperless manner via Blackboard for each specific
laboratory section. Your laboratory
instructor shall provide the relevant details. Regardless, unless otherwise noted by the
laboratory instructor, laboratory reports submitted after the time stated by
the instructor shall not be accepted and a score of “0” shall be recorded. The deadlines are firm – there shall be no
extensions! Skills Tests. These exercises, worth a total of 45 points
towards the overall laboratory grade, are designed to assess a student’s
mastery of particular microbiological skills.
The particular instructions for these Skill Tests shall described in
handouts provided as links in the Lecture/Laboratory
Schedule web page.
The Skill Tests to be performed this semester and their point values
are as follows: Microscopy (5 points); Streak Plate (5 points); Gram Stain (5
points); and Bacterial Unknowns (30 points). Skills Tests results will be submitted
in a paperless manner via Blackboard
for each specific laboratory section.
Your laboratory instructor shall provide the relevant details. Moreover, unless otherwise noted by the
laboratory instructor, laboratory reports submitted after the time stated by
the instructor shall not be accepted and a score of “0” shall be
recorded. The deadlines are firm – there
shall be no extensions! Virtual Lab Exercises. Students are to complete nine (9) Virtual
Lab Exercises throughout the semester as indicated by their availability in
the Lecture/Laboratory
Schedule. The
deadlines are firm – there shall be no extensions! Eight of the nine exercises are worth 5
points each, including a tutorial exercise that is counted as bonus
points). The ninth exercise, to be
assigned to each individual student, is worth 15 points. Collectively, not counting the tutorial,
this component is worth 50 points towards a student’s laboratory score. Points earned by completing the tutorial
shall be considered as bonus points. The
dates that these exercises are open and closed have been scheduled (see Lecture/Laboratory
Schedule). These
exercises will incur a significant amount of effort on a student’s part. Therefore, students should plan
accordingly. Partially completed
exercises will earn partial credit. An
exercise not submitted on time will incur a score of “0”. Laboratory
Etiquette/Citizenship.
This grade element, worth a total of 20 points towards the overall laboratory
grade, represents a subjective assessment by the laboratory instructor
regarding a student’s demeanor in the lab, including collegiality, ability to
follow instructions, cooperation in keeping the lab neat and clean, following
instructions (especially safety guidelines), etc. Bonus Points.
There is
there an inherent right for bonus points. At the discretion of the laboratory
instructor, bonus points may be
made available. Students MUST NOT
ask for bonus points or special projects to earn bonus points. In addition, bonus point
opportunities are never able to be “made up”.
If a student misses them by being tardy, absent, or otherwise, the
opportunity is gone. Laboratory Grade Policy.
Laboratory Grades Matter! Regardless of the number of points a student
has accumulated in this course, the following policy applies to a student’s
final course grade. ·
Students who earn 140-159 normalized points (equivalent to a “C”) in
the laboratory section of this course shall not be eligible for a final
course grade of “A”. ·
Students who earn 120-139 normalized points (equivalent to a “D”) in
the laboratory section of this course shall not be eligible for a final
course grade of “B” or better. ·
Students who earn 100-119 normalized points (equivalent to a “F”) in
the laboratory section of this course shall not be eligible for a final
course grade of “C” or better. Determination of Final
Course Grade With consideration of the laboratory grade policy noted above,
the following unconditional grading scale will be used to determine a
student’s final grade in this course: ·
Grade of A = 900 or more total points earned ·
Grade of B = 800 – 899 total points earned ·
Grade of C = 700 – 799 total points earned ·
Grade of D = 600 – 699 total points earned ·
Grade of F = 599 or less total points earned This grading scale is absolute! For example, a grade of “B” will be given
to a student who earns 899 points. NO EXCEPTIONS! My reasoning is simple – at a minimum, every student in this
course has the opportunity to earn 3% or more of the total course points as
bonus points. Students should realize
the following: a good grade is not an entitlement; it is
an earned honor. Please
report any “broken” links to Dr.
Cooper |
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Laboratory
Videos |
ASM
Recommended (PDF) |
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Laboratory
Exercises |
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Around the Micro Lab (under
development) |
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Instructor’s Manual (under
development) |
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Youngstown State University
does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex,
sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, disability, age,
religion or veteran/military status in its programs or activities. Please visit the EIT Home Page for contact information for persons designated to
handle questions about this policy. It is possible that portions of
this web page are not wholly in accord with the American with
Disabilities Act. If this is the case,
a student currently enrolled in this course should contact Dr. Cooper (crcooper01@ysu.edu; 330.941.1361) and
compliant material shall be provided as soon as practical. |
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