BIOL2323-Fall2020 syllabus PDF

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BIOL 2323: GENERAL GENETICS - FALL 2020 SYLLABUS Class meets: MWF 2:00-2:50 PM. This course will use Zoom for synchronous (“real time”) class meetings. Class sessions will be recorded and posted on Blackboard for asynchronous access. Instructors:

Dr. Ines Pinto Office: SCEN 527 Email: [email protected] Dr. Tim Evans Office: SCEN 620 Email: [email protected]

Office hours: By appointment. Contact us by email and we will schedule a time to meet (please enter BIOL 2323 or General Genetics in subject line). For questions concerning specific course topics or exams, please contact the instructor responsible for the corresponding course section. Course web site: University of Arkansas Blackboard Learning System: https://learn.uark.edu/. The BIOL 2323 Blackboard site will contain information pertinent to this course including the course syllabus, lecture schedule, lecture recordings, and PowerPoint slide sets from class. Important announcements, including any class cancellations due to reasons other than inclement weather, will be announced on the class Blackboard site and sent to students’ email addresses as listed on Blackboard. Please make sure that the email address listed on Blackboard is one that you check regularly, or is forwarded to an account that you check regularly. Textbook: Concepts of Genetics, 12th Edition, by Klug, Cummings, Spencer, Palladino, & Killian, Pearson-Prentice Hall, 2015; ISBN 9780134604718 (including Student Handbook and Solutions Manual plus Student Companion Website; ISBN 9780134870083). The book is available at the University Bookstore, and from other sources. Note: Previous editions of Concepts of Genetics may be acceptable substitutes (for example, the 10th or 11th Editions); however, all chapter and page information and numbers of assigned practice problems given during the semester will refer to the 12th Edition, which may differ from earlier editions. Objectives: This course provides an introduction into both classical and molecular genetics. By the end of the course you should have a basic understanding of: • How genetic information is stored (physical nature of genetic information). • How genetic information is replicated, transmitted, and changed. • How genetic information is realized, i.e. how it determines the phenotype. • Classic and modern experimental approaches to genetic analysis. • Ways in which genetic analysis contributes to our understanding of basic biological processes including evolution, speciation and development.

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Remote lectures: This course will use Zoom for synchronous (“real time”) class meetings. Class sessions will be accessed through a link on the BIOL 2323 Blackboard page. Class sessions will be recorded and posted on Blackboard for asynchronous access. If you are unable to attend any of the synchronous class sessions, you should view the corresponding class session recording(s) that will be posted on Blackboard. Things to know about using Zoom for class meetings: • You may choose to use Zoom on your mobile device (phone or tablet). • Improper classroom behavior is not tolerated within Zoom sessions and may result in a referral to the Office of Student Conduct. • You can contact the Help Desk at help.uark.edu or 479-575-2905 if you have any technical issues accessing Zoom. Genetics is a challenging subject, and our lectures will provide verbal information and discussion that is essential for understanding the material, above and beyond that which is found in the textbook or on the lecture powerpoint slides. It is therefore in your best interest to attend every lecture. Changes in lecture topics, dates of exams, or specific reading assignments will be announced during lecture time. Readings for each class period should be done prior to the scheduled class session. Web access: All students in Remote Courses must have a device (laptop, desktop or tablet – not Chromebook) that: • uses Windows 10, MacOS 10.12 or iOS 11 • has a 5th generation or later processor (I-3 or better) 2.1 GHz or better • 8 Gigabytes of RAM • 64 Gigabytes of internal storage and 256 Gigabytes of total storage (cloud based or internal storage) • Wi-Fi connectivity using 802.11 ac or later standard • an internal or external webcam that supports both video and audio • A browser supported by Blackboard, can run Respondus Monitor and Respondus LockDown Browser • Access to a reliable internet connection that provides a minimum of 10 Mbps internet speed for both upload and download. Note: When taking exams using Respondus LockDown Browser and Respondus Monitor, it is recommended that a wired Ethernet connection of at least 10 Mbps be used to avoid issues of lost internet connections. Student IT support can be found at: https://its.uark.edu/get-started/#students Problem sets: Practice problems will be assigned periodically; these may include end-ofchapter problems from the textbook as well as instructor-devised questions. These are not to be turned in. However, it will be to your great advantage to solve the problems, as they will be similar to those in the exams. The solutions to the problems at the end of each chapter are in the Appendix to the textbook or in the Solutions Manual. Answers to non-textbook problems will be provided with the lecture slides on Blackboard. For best results, try to solve the problems before looking at the answers!

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Exams: Exams will be delivered remotely via Respondus Lockdown Browser with Monitor. Instructions for installing and using the Respondus Lockdown Browser can be found at: https://tips.uark.edu/student-instructions-respondus-lockdown-browser-with-monitor/. Please contact the instructor(s) in advance if you anticipate issues or difficulties with using the lockdown browser for remote exams. Exams will emphasize reasoning skills, problem solving, and comprehension of the basic concepts of genetics. There will be four midterm exams held during scheduled class hours throughout the semester. Each exam will emphasize information covered since the previous exam, but may include material from previous units. The format will be multiple-choice. In addition, there will be an optional comprehensive final exam held on Monday, December 14, 2020, from 3:00-5:00 PM during Final Examination Week. If you choose to take the optional final exam, the lowest grade among the five exams (Exams 1-4 plus the final) will be dropped at the end of the semester to calculate your final grade. If you choose not to take the final exam, your four midterm exam scores will be used to calculate your final grade. Make-up exams: There will be NO makeup examination(s) except in extreme emergencies, with a valid excuse and with prior arrangements made with the instructor. If you miss one of the non-comprehensive exams, you will receive a zero for that exam and you must take the optional final exam as a makeup. In the extreme case where two exams are missed, you MUST provide a document explaining the reason for both absences, for instance a doctor’s certificate. To be able to take a makeup exam, you must contact Dr. Evans or Dr. Pinto by e-mail or phone message prior to the start of the exam. Make-up exam formats are at the sole discretion of the instructor. All make-up exams will be offered on dead day.

Grading policy: There is no pre-determined grade distribution for this class; it is theoretically possible for all students to earn an A. For each exam, if the class average score is lower than 75%, all scores for that exam will be adjusted to bring the class average to 75%. No adjustment will be made to any scores if the exam average is 75% or higher. All exams will be weighted equally, and at the end of the course your final grade will be calculated as the average of your best four exam scores (including the optional final). As noted above, regular attendance and clicker participation can boost your final score an additional 2%. Letter grades will be assigned based on the following scale: A: 90-100%, B: 80-89%, C: 70-79%, D: 60-69%, and F...