Syllabus


 * Ecology**


 * Instructor: Stephen Thomas**
 * Office:** 25 Natural Science
 * Phone:** 353-2262
 * E-mail address:** thoma549@msu.edu
 * Teaching Assistants:**
 * Virtual Office Hours:** Mon. (10-11 a.m.), Weds. (5-6 p.m.), and Fri. from(1-2 p.m.), (additional times may be scheduled at the request of a student). At these times, the professor or TA will be available to instant message using a link that can be found under the “Lessons” tab.


 * Students with Disabilities:** For students needing accommodations for disabilities, please contact your instructor and The Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities at Michigan State University at 353-9642.
 * READ THIS INFORMATION CAREFULLY. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS IN THIS HANDOUT.**

Students will develop an ecological knowledge base to allow them to understand how the living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) components of our ecosystem work. Many examples will be given throughout the course; however, students will be asked to apply the underlying principles to simulations and exercises. This design is to allow students to manipulate and think about the underlying principles so that they leave the course with more than a list of ecological examples and case studies, but an integrated framework that allows them to interpret new situations and to make changes in their understanding of the natural world. As a seven-week summer course, the expectation of time commitment is high. Students are expected to spend 10-12 hours each week on course materials.
 * __Course Description:__**

The successful student will be able to: **1.** Demonstrate comprehension of basic ecological processes. 2. Apply ecological principles and research to novel situations. 3. Predict anthropogenic effects and their consequences on natural systems.
 * __Course Objectives:__**

This course is completely online. There is no face-to-face component. Each week the class will typically proceed through the following items: 1. Video – A brief video introduction to the week and possible announcements. 2. Printable Checklist – A list to keep you on track for what is due when. 3. Reading 4. Lecture –focuses on some of the important concepts in the reading. 5. Digital Case Study –podcast, video clip, and discussion forum requiring students to pull together concepts. 6. Virtual Simulation – An Ecobeaker simulation meant to explore aspects of the theory and information you covered in the reading and lecture. 7. Capstone exercise– Exercises that culminate in a final project the last week of class. 8. Evaluation – Your chance to provide feedback on the course. **This is your only opportunity for bonus points.** 9. Assessment – Weekly, 30-minute assessments.
 * __Course Outline:__**

**__Course Timing:__** Each week’s materials will be made available at 12:01 A.M. Eastern Time, Monday morning. **ALL MATERIALS FOR A WEEK ARE DUE BY THE END OF THAT WEEK (SUNDAY 11:59 P.M. Eastern Time).**

**Late Assignments:** Because of the tight schedule we have for this 7-week course, late assignments are frowned upon. One day late is an automatic loss of 25%; two days late is an automatic loss of 50%, and nothing is accepted later than 2 days.

**__Textbook:__** **For this course you have the option of buying a hard copy of the text or purchasing an electronic version, which can be downloaded to your computer. The electronic version is a cheaper option, but may be more difficult for some people to use effectively. You are responsible for choosing the option that works best for you and your situation.** **Hardcopy:** Molles, C.M. Ecology: Concepts and Application. Fifth edition. McGraw Hill. 2008. []
 * or**
 * E-book:** Go to the following website and look up the book reference above:


 * __Virtual Simulations:__** **To give you hands on experience with many of the concepts we will be discussing you are required to purchase a simulation pack from Simbio. The link to purchase and download the simulations will be posted in the course once it has opened.**

Students should be aware that disruptive behavior that impedes the teaching/learning process will not be tolerated. An instructor may withdraw a student for disruptive behavior that is interfering with the instructional process.
 * Withdrawal for behavior that Interferes with the Instructional Process:**

Open adds end 5/19/10. The last day to drop with refund is 5/27/10. The last day for withdrawal and dropping courses with no grade is 6/09/10. If you decide to drop or add, you should immediately make a copy of your amended schedule to verify you have added or dropped this course.
 * Drops and Adds:**

5/17-5/23 || Natural History || Ch. 2,3,4 || Limiting Nutrients || 5/24-5/30 || Adaptation to Environment || Ch. 5,6,7,8 || Barnacles || 5/31-6/6 || Population Ecology || Ch. 9,10,11,12 || Butterflies || 6/7-6/13 || Interactions || Ch. 13,14,15 || Competition Varieties || 6/14-6/20 || Communities and ecosystems || Ch. 16,17,18,19,20 || Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis || 6/21-6/27 || Large-Scale Ecology || Ch. 21,22,23 || Island Biogeography || 6/28-7/2 || **Synthesis Projects** || Project || Project ||
 * Week || Topics || Readings || Simulation ||
 * **1**
 * **2**
 * **3**
 * **4**
 * **5**
 * **6**
 * **7**

Regardless of how much we prepare, or how good we are with technology, problems will arise. The University provides assistance with technical questions or problems come-up**. Please call the technology 24 hour help line for assistance, and keep this number close by at all times:** **1**-**800-500-1554 or locally (517)-355-2345.** **Along these lines, it is recommended that for any assignment, assessment, or discussion forum that you do not type directly in ANGEL. Instead, you should create a file using a word processor where you can compose your answers and then cut and paste them into ANGEL. Then SAVE this file. This will give you a record of your submissions (you can keep them all in the same file). In the case of technical difficulties, you will be able to resubmit without a problem.**
 * __Activities:__**

This exercise is meant to focus your attention on the important aspects of your reading. Rarely do experts in the field read every single word of an article. There are certain things that they look for. Following that philosophy, many of the studies in your book do not need to be read in the same detail you would read a novel. The provided chart asks you to identify the researcher/year/and organism of a study, the question that was asked, and any conclusions that were reached. This should not only speed up your reading, but this type of skimming and extracting detail should be a skill that you obtain. In addition, rarely are we asked to come up with answers without access to other materials. This chart can be used during your tests and assignments, to allow you to answer questions with more efficiency.
 * Charting (Not graded, but can be used during tests and assignments).**

This course is not meant to be about the memorization and regurgitation of facts. Instead it hopefully allows you to apply theoretical ideas to new situations. After reading the chapters and going through the lecture materials, you will be participating in activities (i.e. videos, simulations, discussion forums, podcasts, etc.). These activities are meant to have you synthesize the material in the context of your surroundings.
 * Weekly Synthetic Application**.

**Digital Case Studies.** Each week you will view video clips and podcasts showing different aspects of the reading. You will be asked to draw upon your observations and the information you’ve been presented with to come to conclusions. Your conclusions will be displayed in a discussion forum and you will be asked to comment on other students’ conclusions as well. These are worth 25 points each. (150 points total)

**Simulations.** In educational theory it is believed that learning requires students to test and manipulate the ideas that are presented. We will use EcoBeaker simulations to allow you to manipulate the variables we talk about in class. The EcoBeaker simulations will allow you to manipulate an artificial environment to determine how different variables interact. You will be completing six of these total (each week except the last). Before you start a simulation, be sure to read the online directions to see which questions in the simulation material you need to answer. These are worth 25 points each. (150 points total)

At the beginning of each week you will receive approximately 10 short answer/essay questions. You will be asked to answer 3 of these questions randomly selected for you by the end of Sunday of that week. You will have 40 minutes to answer and post your questions. This assessment will be worth 30 points each week for the first 6 weeks (180 points total). Friendly Suggestion: Feel free to answer all of the questions ahead of time. You can write and save your answers in a word processing program and then cut and paste your answers into the ANGEL quiz. After the first week, you may be asked to provide references from the book with your answers. These references are evidence for your statements. You don’t need to give the bibliographic information, just simply the researcher’s last name and year of the study you are referencing. An example might be: “Another example of abiotic conditions affecting population distribution is with cold temperatures and penguins (Wilkens, 2002).” If you filled out your charting sheet for each week’s reading, referencing should be easy.
 * Exams (weekly assessment).**

The capstone project is designed as an authentic assessment (meaning it is a way to assess you as an ecologist without using tests). You will be asked to find a natural area in your vicinity. You will visit this location multiple times over the seven weeks to take pictures, observe the relationships, and apply things you have learned in the class. These will then be uploaded to the internet and you will discuss them in your group. The capstone exercises are individual exercises that are due each week. The final project is a written assignment where you combine your work over the first six weeks and incorporate the work of others.
 * Capstone Exercises and Project:**
 * Password for the Course Orientations is “Zoology”**


 * Evaluation / Bonus.** This is a 4-5 question quiz you will be asked to fill out at the end of each week. This feedback will be used to try and improve the course for future classes, as well as the class you are currently taking. It is not mandatory, but each evaluation can earn you up to 3 bonus points (21 points total), and it represents the only opportunity for bonus. There are no other extra credit options (i.e. there is no substitute for learning the material required for this class by the required times). These evaluations are needed for me to get constructive criticism for what is working and what isn’t. You should feel free to be positive or negative as long as it is constructive. (i.e. “This is great.” or “This sucks.” doesn’t tell me anything. “Lectures helped me understand . . .” and “I wasn’t interested in the podcast topic because . . .” does).

Grade Breakdown Exams 180 (30 pts. each week for first 6 weeks) Synthesis and application exercises Ecobeaker Simulation 150 (25 pts. each week for first 6 weeks) Digital Case Study 150 (25 pts. each week for first 6 weeks) Capstone Exercises 60 (10 pts. each week first 6 weeks) Project 140 (all in the last week) Total: 680 pts. Bonus (optional evaluations) 21 (3 pts. each week)

Grading Standards: 4.0 = 91-100% = 615 points 3.5 = 86-90% = 581 points 3.0 = 81-85% = 547 points 2.5 = 76-80% = 513 points 2.0 = 71-75% = 479 points 1.5 = 66-70% = 445 points 1.0 = 60-65% = 405 points


 * There is a no tolerance policy for cheating. Those students who have been caught cheating or have been determined to have cheated will receive a zero on the assignment/test and may receive a zero for the class. In some assignments I will be using anti-plagiarism software. If you are unsure of what plagiarism is, an optional presentation and quiz have been provided in the “How to’s” folder under the “Lessons” tab. For further information on academic dishonesty, please consult** [|**www.msu.edu/unit/ombud/honestylinks.html**]