Course guidelines for Ecology

EcologyOnline.net - Guided Independent Learning in Ecology

General information

General guidelines

Registration procedures

Guided independent learning

Examination and grading

Copyright considerations

Contact with professor

 

Ecology (NR 321, 3 credits, fall, spring, and summer semesters)
Advisory - Computer system requirements
Instructions for interactive lessons

General Information  Students enrolled in this online course on ecology will follow the course syllabus, readings, and examinations shown in the course syllabus.  Instead of conventional lectures or lectures sent via compressed video, students will learn independently through a combination of interactive audio lecture slide presentations and interactive lessons. Although these interactive lessons will assist students in mastering the material, a thorough understanding of the textbook material is essential.
 
Summary of course guidelines
All University of Idaho regulations and calendar deadlines regarding courses apply. This includes dates for changing sections, and dropping or withdrawing from the course. Students must complete all requirements for the course on time in order to receive a completion grade.

Students enrolled in ecology online can only consult on course material via email or video conferencing (i.e., with some exceptions, no regular in-office consultation on course materials).

Students in this online course on ecology are expected to study and master the course material with limited personal contact and supervision from the instructor. A three-credit semester-long course means that students should be able to commit at least nine hours per week of study outside of class – students taking this accelerated online course require considerably more study time per week.

The examination schedule and course completion time are specified in the syllabus. Off-campus students should take the examinations on the target dates posted in the syllabus. On-campus students must take the examinations on the target dates posted in the syllabus. All course assessments administered and supervised by your approved proctor a controlled environment at your local area.

Students are responsible for configuring their computer systems to access the course materials. Review the computer system requirements described in the Advisory section.

 

 Registration procedures  (Summary) Students who are interested in enrolling in ecology can register for the course through the normal university procedures for registration. Non-University of Idaho students should register for the "non-degree" option. After registering for the course, students should contact the Professor to confirm email contact and to receive introductory information for Ecology (NR 321).

All University of Idaho regulations and calendar deadlines regarding courses apply. This includes dates for changing sections, and dropping or withdrawing from the course. Students must complete all requirements for the course on time in order to receive a completion grade.

Students are responsible for conducting themselves in an honorable manner in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct.

Follow normal course registration procedures for the University of Idaho.

Register for: Ecology NR 321
Summer (CRN 84179)
Fall (CRN 39417)
Spring (CRN 71808)
 

All enrolled students will receive an introductory email by the first day of the semester. This email will include a request for the following: (1) completion of a student information form and (2) the name and complete address of the person who will be authorized to proctor your examinations (e.g., a school principal, supervisor, librarian, testing center supervisor, university professor; no family members or friends).

Note. You will receive the access codes for the course material only after the professor has received the three items listed above.
Guided independent learning Online ecology is designed for highly motivated students who can learn independently with a minimum of supervision. Interactive audio lecture slide presentations, interactive lessons with testing, and the textbooks comprise the essential elements of the course. Students are encouraged to frequently review the interactive lecture material throughout the course. The interactive lessons contain summaries of several major topics in the science of ecology. Each lesson includes testing to help students master the course material. To master the course material, students should practice these interactive lessons and games repeatedly until a score of 100% is consistently achieved. Sample examination questions are provided prior to each of the three examinations.

Learning tips

The interactive lessons require a good working knowledge of Windows-based computer systems, including the Internet browser, Internet Explorer (version 8 or higher). In addition, there are specific computer system requirements (see Advisory).

When the course is taken under the independent study option, students learn the material at their own pace - anytime and place. The only constraints are the target (for off-campus students) and fixed (for on-campus students) dates for the three written examinations, and that the course must be completed within the scheduled semester.

Contact with professor Students enrolled in online ecology can correspond with the professor electronically via video conferencing on Skype or Zoom by appointment. Correspondence via email can occur anytime, with a response from the professor generally within 24 h. Because of email filtering software at the University of Idaho, be sure to identify the course name and number in the subject line e.g., "Ecology online (NR 321)," of your email note. Assistance via telephone is also available (clearly state your name and call-back telephone number if you leave telephone message).

Examination and grading The course assessments (quizzes and examinations) will be administered with the Blackboard Learn courseware system. Students will take 16 quizzes (the 10 top scores will be used in your course grade) and three examinations administered at your branch campus,  learning center, or in your local area by your authorized proctor. The quizzes can be taken on a schedule that is mutually convenient to student and proctor, but each of the three sets of quizzes should be completed by the learning achievement dates posted in the syllabus. The first two examinations are equivalent to two, one-hour written examinations. The third examination is equivalent to a two-hour final examination. Students can take extra time on all examinations.

Students should must take the examinations on the target dates posted in the syllabus section.
All course assessments administered and supervised by your approved proctor a controlled environment at your local area.

For on-campus students, your quizzes and examinations will be proctored by the professor, by appointment.

Copyright considerations  This course contains copyrighted original and adapted material. Students can access these course materials while enrolled in the course.  No material can be copied, saved, transmitted, or adapted in any way without written permission from Professor Robberecht.

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General guidelines: Please carefully review the following guidelines for the course

Students are responsible for conducting themselves in an honorable manner in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct.

 

Furthermore, students are expected to conduct themselves in a professional and courteous manner in all aspects of the course, including during examinations and in any correspondence.

 
All University of Idaho regulations and calendar deadlines regarding courses apply. This includes dates for changing sections, and dropping or withdrawing from the course. Students must complete all requirements for the course on time in order to receive a completion grade.

 

With the exception of medical and family emergencies, and official university events (e.g., course field trips, job interviews, and professional meetings) there will be no excused absences from the examination days. For medical and family emergencies, written notice stating the reason for the absence from the examination day must be provided to the professor as soon as possible before or after the emergency regarding the nature of the absence and arrangements for an alternate examination date. For official university events, written notice must be submitted to the professor for consideration at least two weeks prior to the examination date. Students are on their honor not to discuss the examination in any way if an alternative examination date is approved. An unapproved absence from an examination date will be recorded as a failing grade for the examination.

 

It is the student's responsibility to keep current with the course material and announcements. It is highly recommended that students find a colleague with whom to discuss and review the course material. The ability to orally explain terms and concepts in ecology in a succinct and technically correct manner is an excellent way to measure your mastery of the course material.

 
Additional considerations
This course in ecology has elements of guided independent learning. Interactive audio lecture slide presentations, interactive lessons with testing, and the textbooks comprise the essential elements of the course. Students are encouraged to frequently review the interactive lessons throughout the course. The interactive lessons contain summaries of several major topics in the science of ecology. The study questions in each interactive lesson are designed to guide students toward mastery of the course material. For interactive lessons and games, students should practice explaining the study questions orally - as if teaching the topic - until mastery of each topic is achieved. Sample examination questions will be provided about two weeks prior to each of the three examinations.

The interactive lessons require a good working knowledge of Windows-based computer systems, including the Internet browser, Internet Explorer (version 9 or higher). In addition, there are specific computer system requirements (see Advisory).

 
Students are responsible for configuring their own computer systems to access the course materials. Review the computer system requirements described in the Advisory section. The University of Idaho Student Computer Lab machines have been configured to run all course materials.

 

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