BIOL1010 Syllabus Biotechnology

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BIOL 1010 - Syllabus

Biotechnology and Society

Summer 2018

BIOL 1010 Syllabus – Summer 2018 Biotechnology is changing our understanding of health, agriculture, ethics, the environment, and even what it means to be human.

Scientists are now editing human genomes using CRISPR, engineering crops to produce pharmaceuticals, and rapidly sequencing genomes. As the pace of advances in biotechnology continues to accelerate, we must ask and answer difficult questions, including: how do we determine which modifications of human and other life forms are safe and appropriate? Who should have access to your genetic information? How much of human behaviour is shaped by our genes? And more generally, how do new advances in biotechnology affect our understanding of ourselves, our relationships to each other and with the rest of nature?

The complexity of these issues demands that we approach biotechnology from several directions. In BIOL 1010 we explore the scientific, ethical, legal, social and political dimensions of biotechnology. We study the scientific foundations of biotechnology through lectures, readings, videos and Forum discussions. Students build a vocabulary and set of intellectual tools to understand and debate the future of biotechnology, including the roles of scientists, governments, patient groups, legal experts and citizens. Students who successfully complete this course will have the skills needed for life-long learning about the complex and rapidly evolving field of biotechnology.

Calendar Description BIOL 1010 [0.5 credit] Biotechnology and Society A course for students interested in the science behind recent advances in biotechnology. The different ways in which biotechnology is being applied in agriculture, health care, and the environment will be examined. Preclusion: credit will not be given if taken concurrently with, or after BIOL 2200 or BIOC 2200. Students in Biology and Biochemistry programs may only take this course as a free elective. Lectures three hours a week.

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BIOL 1010 - Syllabus

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Contact Information Professor: James J. Cheetham, Ph.D. Office: CTTC 4615 (Carleton Technology Training Centre) Office hours: By appointment for summer session.

Phone: 520‐2600 Ext. 3867 (email is best). email: james_cheetham@carleton.ca

Course Materials Lecture Playback Schedule: Tue 0830 – 1100 (Lecture 1 initial) Thu 0330 – 0600 (Lecture 1 repeat) Thu 0830 – 1100 (Lecture 2 initial) Sun 1330 – 1600 (Lecture 2 repeat) VOD: Video on demand (anytime).

Broadcast: Check the CUOL website for times. cuLearn: This course has lots of cuLearn content.

Textbook: Introduction to Biotechnology (Textbook website here) Thieman and Palladino, 3rd edition, 2012 Schedule: On the cuLearn page

Assessment Students are responsible for, and may be tested on, all the material discussed during lectures, as well as assigned reading materials, whether it was covered in lecture or not. There will be a total of 100 marks from the tests, final exam and assignments.

Assessment Activity Assignments (best 2 out of 3: 20% each) Tests (best 2 out of 3: 10% each) Final Exam Total

Percent 40% 20% 40% 100%

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Summer 2018

Assignments Format assignments using APA style as described in the APA Handbook, 7th edition. All assignments should be in Times New Roman, 12 pt. font doublespaced from top to bottom, with 1” margins all around. Properly formatting your assignment counts toward part of your mark.

IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT ASSIGNMENTS There are THREE assignments. I count your BEST TWO assignments. (20% each). There are no make-up assignments.

Assignments are submitted in cuLearn, so there is no "grace period" with respect to an assignment deadline – an assignment that is even one minute late will be rejected and will receive a mark of zero. Technical problems do not exempt you from this requirement. So if you wait until the last minute and then have issues with your internet connection, you will still receive a mark of zero.

Assignment details are posted well in advance of their due dates, “The Computer Does Not therefore, illness does not excuse a student from completing an Impose on Us the Ways It assignment. In the event of a prolonged illness an exemption Must Be Used” might be possible if, and only if, the student provides a Carleton - George Grant University Medical Certificate that has been completed and signed by a physician (http://carleton.ca/registrar/wp(Ahhh, yes it does.) content/uploads/med_cert.pdf), but the instructor must be notified at least 24 hours before the submission deadline. No extra credit assignments will be available under any circumstances, and no provision is made for missed assignments.

Consequently, you are advised to: • complete at least two assignments.

• periodically save your drafts on cuLearn.

• submit your assignment at least one hour before the due date and time.

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BIOL 1010 - Syllabus

Summer 2018

cuLearn Tests The tests during the term will be online using cuLearn, and will consist of multiple choice questions, with a few short answer, fill‐in‐the‐blanks, and matching questions. Students are expected to take the tests during the scheduled times. Each test will be available during a 24 hour window (from 12:01 am on the test day, until 11:59 pm on the test day). Once you start the test, you will have ONE HOUR to finish it. You do not get multiple attempts.

There is a sample test on the Quiz Page in cuLearn. I suggest you do this sample test before the first REAL test to make sure you understand how the online tests work.

There are THREE cuLearn tests during the term. I count your BEST TWO tests. (10% each).

There are no make up tests. If you do not take the tests during the scheduled time, we will make your cumulative final exam worth more to cover the missing test mark. Remember, the tests are open book, the final exam is NOT open book. Also, if you don’t do the tests, you won’t be able to see the questions for review. I suggest you do the tests.

Final Exam The Final Exam is NOT online, and is scheduled during the regular Final Examination Period. There will be 100 multiple-choice questions. The Final Exam is NOT open-book. If you are a distance student, and live more than 100 km away from Carleton University, you will need to fill out a Distance Exam Application. The CUOL website explains how to set up a distance exam.

CUOL Website: http://www2.carleton.ca/cuol

The final exam is in the regular exam period and covers the whole course.

Electronic Communication cuLearn Use of cuLearn is required for BIOL 1010. Access the BIOL 1010 cuLearn course page to see: lecture slides, readings, tutorials, videos, class announcements, assignments, quizzes, the glossary, or view your grades. The Course Webpage will be updated as needed during the term.

You may need to download several plug‐ins so you can view the tutorials I have included in this course. For help and support, go to http://www.carleton.ca/culearnsupport/students. Any unresolved questions can be directed to Computing and Communication Services (CCS) by phone at 613-520-3700 or via email at ccs_service_desk@carleton.ca.

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email I get about many emails per day, so don’t despair if you don’t get a reply right away. I can usually reply with 24 hours. You all have Carleton email addresses (whether you use it or not) by virtue of enrolling at Carleton. If you do not use your Carleton email, then set it to automatically forward to your regular email. Any questions about grades, etc., must come from your Carleton account, this is university policy, so somebody, who is not you, cannot send an email from a Gmail account and find out your grades.

Please send me an email at: james_cheetham@carleton.ca and I will respond, so we know that electronic communication is working, and your emails are not going into my junk folder (it has happened in the past). This is also a way for me to check if you have read, at least this far, in the syllabus.

Academic Accommodation

http://www2.carleton.ca/equity/accommodation/academic You may need special arrangements to meet your academic obligations during the term. For an accommodation request the processes are as follows: Pregnancy obligation: write to me with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details visit the Equity Services website: http://www2.carleton.ca/equity Religious obligation: write to me with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details visit the Equity Services website: http://www2.carleton.ca/equity Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: The Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities (PMC) provides services to students with Learning Disabilities (LD), psychiatric/mental health disabilities, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), chronic medical conditions, and impairments in mobility, hearing, and vision. If you have a disability requiring academic accommodations in this course, please contact PMC at 613-520-6608 or pmc@carleton.ca for a formal evaluation. If you are already registered with the PMC, contact your PMC coordinator to send me your Letter of

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Accommodation at the beginning of the term, and no later than two weeks before the first inclass scheduled test or exam requiring accommodation (if applicable). After requesting accommodation from PMC, meet with me to ensure accommodation arrangements are made.

Please consult the PMC website for the deadline to request accommodations for the formallyscheduled exam (if applicable) at: http://www2.carleton.ca/pmc/new-and-current-students/dates-and-deadlines You can visit the Equity Services website to view the policies and to obtain more detailed information on academic accommodation at: http://www2.carleton.ca/equity

Academic Regulations http://calendar.carleton.ca/undergrad/regulations/academicregulationsoftheuniversity Carleton University is committed to ensuring fairness and consistency in the completion of assignments, and examinations. As part of this commitment, students are required to follow proper assignment and examination procedures. A student who commits a violation of this policy on an examination or assignment, or obtains or produces an answer or unfair advantage by deceit, fraud, or trickery, or by an act contrary to the rules of the assignment or examination are subject to the sanction under this Policy.

You are expected to follow the Academic Regulations of the University. In particular, pay attention to the section on Student Conduct.

If you are not sure about the definition of cheating, come and see me, and I will explain it to you in more detail.

Reading Materials Slides used in class and links to the required reading materials for the course are available on the cuLearn pages. You should scan the assigned material before the lectures, and then read it again, after the lectures. You will spend a lot of time reading. There are also amazing interactive tutorials to help you learn about biotechnology I suggest you use them, they will help you.

Keep up with the reading. I cannot stress this enough.

See the LECTURE SCHEDULE PAGE for the detailed schedule of lectures, topics, readings, test dates, and assignment due dates.

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Prerequisites There are no prerequisites for this course, except curiosity and an open mind. However, knowing a bit of biology, (from a high school biology course, for example) will make your life (and probably mine) a bit easier.

Office Hours Official office hours for the summer session are by appointment. Feel free to send me questions by email or better yet, post them in the cuLearn Forum. You can also arrange an appointment by sending me an email.

About BIOL 1010 Biotechnology students often feel like they are learning a new language. Reading the text book and memorizing information will, at best, result in a mediocre, superficial and transient ability to understand the topic. The best way to learn complex disciplines is to become an active participant in them. How can that be achieved in this course? First of all, try teaching other people about what you learn and explain concepts out loud. The most satisfying proof of mastering a difficult topic is the ability to explain it to another person. It is expected that you will work with other students outside the classroom in preparation for lectures and examinations. Another way to become actively engaged in the study of biotechnology is to take full advantage of Discussion Forum.

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Learning Outcomes To support the teaching-learning process I clearly identify Learning Outcomes. The Learning Outcomes are designed to increase your understanding of biotechnology as an ever-developing body of knowledge, the provisional nature of scientific explanations, the complex relationship between evidence and ideas in science and the impact of biotechnology on society. Course material (lectures, tutorials, readings, etc.) and assessments (tests, assignments, final exam) will align with these learning outcomes. There are overall learning outcomes for course, and specific learning outcomes for each lecture.

Students who successfully complete this course will be able to: • Describe important historical events and people in the development of biotechnology.

• Acquire, integrate and use concepts, information and knowledge required to understand and evaluate biotechnologies.

• Effectively communicate about biotechnology in writing.

• Explain the provisional nature of scientific knowledge.

• Describe important theories and methods in biotechnology.

• Identify and discuss controversies and ethical issues in biotechnology.

• Contribute to discussions of current scientific news to develop an awareness of science.

• Develop individual interests, through assignments, that engage a biotechnology controversy, policy problem, genetic disease, or application.

• Explain why your genotype does not equal your phenotype.

• Recognize the impact of biotechnology on your own life, the lives of others, the environment, society and our planet.

There are also learning outcomes associated with each lecture.

So, I find that teaching and the students keep life going, and I would never accept any position in which somebody has invented a happy situation for me where I don't have to teach. Never. ― Richard P. Feynman

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What I Expect from You I expect you to extend your study of biotechnology outside the classroom. For example, the assignments will not only test your knowledge of the factual data presented in lecture, but also your synthesis of the information into a logical whole – the big picture. I expect you to consider biotechnology in your other courses and to discover how the concepts presented during the semester impact your health, the environment, and the biological world as a whole. Your success as a student depends upon your ability to think creatively and critically. Therefore, I intend to foster and expand the creative intellect already resident in your everyday thoughts and expect you to be open to new ways of thinking and to challenge old ways of thinking.

What You Can Expect from Me Learning is the responsibility of the student (I cannot force you to learn). My role is to facilitate learning (by lecturing, answering questions, etc.) and to assess if learning has occurred (quizzes, assignments, exams, etc.). Remember that you are doing this work for yourself (to prepare for your future endeavours), not for the instructor. You can expect me to be prepared for class with both knowledge and enthusiasm. You can expect patient and thoughtful teaching, and help both within and outside our scheduled time together. You can expect that I will utilize all reasonable resources to help you succeed in this class. Don't be afraid to seek help when needed. I am here to help you learn the material in this course and to provide an impartial assessment of your performance. It’s tough sometimes, but it’s OK to ask questions in lecture, or in the Discussion Forum. Come to office hours, or make an appointment, if you have more detailed questions. Use the cuLearn Forums to post questions. Send me an email.

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General Course Policies 1. Your experience in this course (and in life) will be more enjoyable if you treat your classmates and your instructor with courtesy and respect (Google “Wheaton’s Law”).

2. If you come to class, be on time, and be prepared. If you are unavoidably late, enter the room quietly and choose a seat as quickly as possible. Do not invite your friends in to chat in this class. Disruptions in class make me very unhappy. And unhappy professors write really, really hard final exam questions. You can also watch the lectures on television, or on Video on Demand (VOD).

3. Once in class, stay for the duration. If you must leave early, give me advance warning. You will not be allowed to meander in and out of the classroom. This is disruptive and unfair to your fellow students, and also makes me unhappy (see comment #2 above). Take care of your personal needs before class.

4. Turn off the sound on communications devices. This includes cell phones, personal entertainment (TV, music, etc.) devices or anything else that will disturb your classmates. Students with special circumstances need to speak with me right away. Do not talk on your cell phone while I am lecturing. (see comment #2 above about unhappy professors and hard exam questions).

5. No chit‐chat or unnecessary noise during class. This is a big class, and if everyone is making noise, no one can hear anything. Stay focused on the material under consideration during lecture. You are paying a lot of money to be in this class. If somebody is talking near you, he or she is disrupting your learning experience, and essentially stealing your tuition money. You are not paying tuition to listen to buddy talk about his very nutritious breakfast (save that for Twitter). I suggest you ask them to shut up.

6. Academic dishonesty is not tolerated. If you are unclear about what is dishonest, please see the Undergraduate Calendar for clarification. If you are still unsure about specific instructions, ask me. The study of biotechnology is a collaborative endeavor. Therefore, you are encouraged to work together as much as possible. However, exams are not collaborative and must be completed without the assistance of other people.

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Forum Discussion Guidelines Source: Howard Gabennesch, the Teaching Professor, 1992, 6(9).

1. Try to make comments that connect ideas from the course with phenomena outside the classroom, and between ideas in one part of the course and those in a different part.

2. Avoid war stories, rambling speeches heavily punctuated with the word "I," and raw opinions that we could just as easily get from the average patron at the nearest tavern who has never heard of this course and its assigned reading.

3. Realize that when our emotions are aroused our brain wants to take orders from them.

It is essential; therefore, to be willing to disconnect one's brain from one’s gut long enough to render due process to ideas, particularly those that are unpopular or personally distasteful. This is an unnatural act, and requires courage. You will probably find it easier to join lynch mobs from time to time.

4. Understand that the right to have an opinion does not include the right to have it taken seriously by others. Nor is having an opinion necessarily laudable in itself. An opinion is only as good as the evidence, theory, and logic on which it is based.

5. Be careful about basing your opinions uncritically on the testimony of experts. Experts are subject to error and bias. They often disagree with other experts. All of this applies to the authors of your texts and your professors.

6. Beware of the tendency to view questions in dichotomous terms, such as either-or, all-or-none.

The world is a complex, messy place where absolute answers are hard to find, gray is more common than black and white and contradictory things are often in the same package. (Watch the Jacob Bronowski video).

Philosophy in Action: Students engaged in a dialectical discourse for the purpose of determining the truth and avoiding error.

7. Value tentativeness. It's OK to admit you're unsure. It's OK to change your mind. (Watch the Jacob Bronowski video, again).

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Summer 2018 – Important Dates and Deadlines Date

Activity

July 3, 2018

Late summer courses begin.

Full summer courses resume.

Late charges take effect at 12:00 a.m. (midnight) for students registering only in late summer courses (July-August courses). Payment of fees is due by the posted deadlines.

July 10, 2018

Last day for registration and course changes (including auditing) for late summer courses.

July 20-22, 2018

Early summer term deferred final examinations to be held.

July 23, 2018

Last day for a full fee adjustment when withdrawing from late summer courses (financial withdrawal).

Last day to request Formal Examination Accommodation Forms for August examinations to the Paul Mention Centre for Students with Disabilities. Note that it may not be possible to fulfill accommodation requests received after the specified deadlines.

August 1, 2018

Last day for graduate students to submit their supervisor-approved thesis, in examinable form to the department.

August 6, 2018

Civic holiday. University closed.

August 8, 2018

Last day for summative or final examinations for late summer and full summer courses before the official examination period (see Examination Regulations in the Academic Regulations of the University section of the Undergraduate Calendar).

August 15, 2018

Summer term financial holds preventing access to grades through Carleton Central and the release of official documents will be applied to accounts with an outstanding balance.

Last day of late summer and full summer classes.

Classes follow a Monday schedule.

Last day for academic withdrawal from late summer and full summer courses and and other courses that end this term.

Last day for handing in term assignments, subject to any earlier course deadline.

August 18-24, 2018

Final examinations in late summer and full summer courses may be held.

Examinations are normally held all seven days of the week.

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Date

Activity

August 24, 2018

All take home examinations are due on this day, with the exception of those conforming to the Examinations regulations in the Academic Regulations of the University section of the Undergraduate Calendar/General Regulations of the Graduate Calendar.

September 14-16, 2018 Late summer and full summer term deferred final examinations will be held.

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