PDAP Home Page Faculty Course Objectives & Policies Lecture Syllabus Supplemental Reading Lab Syllabus NSF CCLI Grading Student Papers Human Physiology Site Evaluation

Student learning objectives and course policies Click here to download a pdf of this page Student Learning Objectives: Upon successful completion of the lecture portion of Biology 244, Physiological Dynamics in Animals and Plants, students will know: How higher animals and land plants have evolved to grow to the adult forms that exist today; How form is related to physiological function in animals and plants; How animals and plants exchanges gases, including water vapor, with the surrounding atmosphere; How animals and plants capture, convert, and use energy from external sources to support their physiological functions; How animals and plants extract minerals from their surroundings; and How cells, tissue, organs, and organ systems communicate through chemical cell signaling. Students will be able to describe and explain similarities and differences between major physiological mechanisms of animals and plants at the cell, tissue, organ, and organ system levels. Upon successful completion of the laboratory students will be able to: Formulate testable, question-driven scientific hypotheses about physiological phenomena; Design experiments with appropriate experimental controls to test their hypotheses; Troubleshoot experimental designs and technical problems as experiments are being conducted; Analyze and interpret experimental data; Draw reasoned conclusions as to whether the data do or do not support hypotheses; Present data orally and in writing in formats suitable for scientific conferences and publications. What you can expect from your professors: We will challenge you to a high standard of scholarship, writing, and research We believe that all of us learn by failure and appreciate mistakes and learning-blips We will be available to consult with you on how to concentrate and study so that you can understand the field of physiology We will be organized and on time Your professors expect you to: accept intellectual challenge as a scholar develop the broad skill base of a researcher and citizen develop a sophisticated knowledge base, language, and understanding of physiology take responsibility for your learning and scholarship hand in material on time be on time to class and labs abide by the honor code: no cheating, no plagiarism, show respect for fellow citizens (see notes below) ask questions - about the subject, the process of science, as well as the process of PDAP as a class. Contacting Dr. Coddington for guidance: Drop in during open office hours or make an appointment. The best method of contact is via email (ecodding@willamette.edu). Contacting Dr. Tallman for guidance: In addition to teaching and conducting grant-funded research, Dr. Tallman is the Director of the Office for Faculty Research and Resources, which requires him to work by appointment. He is happy to see you, but is seldom available for walk-in conversation. If you want to be assured of time for consultation, please make an appointment by phone (X6611) or e-mail (gtallman@willamette.edu). E-mail etiquette: Both of your professors respond well to e-mail, BUT you should not expect rapid responses to e-mails sent after business hours. Please plan ahead to avoid trying to resolve any urgent problems at the last minute by late-night or early-morning e-mails. Attendance: Lectures - All lecture material and readings are examinable. Lectures in which exams occur are mandatory (see exam formats and policies below). Labs - You are required to attend all labs to receive credit for the course Examinations - You must complete all examinations to receive credit for the course. Examinations and grading: What you will be expected to do - memorize facts about animal and plant physiology at all levels: cell, tissue, organ, and organ system; analyze problems based on your comprehension of the concepts that are described the facts you have memorized; based on your comprehension, synthesize answers to questions and formulate solutions to problems; write clear, concise, and cogent descriptions of your answers and solutions Format of examinations - Question Format-Coddington and Tallman: Most questions will require you to apply your newly learned knowledge to novel scenarios. Some questions will require you to be able to read and interpret graphs and/or images. Mid-semester Exam Format-Tallman: Comprehension of plant physiology will be examined in three separate 1 hr exams during the regular lecture hour. See the syllabus for specific dates. Mid-semester Exam Format-Coddington: Dr. Coddington's exams will comprise a series of unannounced quizzes of one or two questions per quiz administered at the beginning of the lecture period for a minimum of 10 minutes and no more than 15 minutes, depending on the nature of the quiz. Quizzes will be comprehensive from the beginning of the course in the sense that answering quiz questions and solving quiz problems may require the use of knowledge learned earlier in the course. Grades on quizzes prior to each Tallman exam will be accumulated to create a composite exam grade for Dr. Coddington's lectures. For the material that Dr. Coddington tests in each section of the course preceding a Tallman exam, the student's lowest quiz grade will be dropped in the calculation of the exam grade for that section of the course. If a student misses a quiz, that grade will automatically become the quiz dropped. There will be no make-up quizzes administered. Final Exam Format-Coddington and Tallman: The final will be a 3 hr exam with 50% of the questions being integrative and/or combining plant and animal physiology concepts. Student grading expectations - We grade with the expectation that you have memorized the basic facts; can integrate and use the language of physiology; and can apply this knowledge to novel questions. We challenge you to respond with articulate, well-reasoned and composed answers. Full point value is assigned if the answer is correct. A correct answer provides supporting evidence from lecture and reading material, the language is sophisticated (i.e., the correct scientific terminology has been used), and the answer is well composed, concise and precise. For certain questions there may be more than one correct answer to the question. Students should avoid writing rambling essays that summarize everything they have memorized in the hope that the professor will find the correct answer somewhere in the essay and assign credit. Answers should stay on topic and be concise; in short, students should address questions as directly and succinctly as possible.   Late assignments: Won't be graded.   Cheating and plagiarism: Students found cheating on exams will receive an F for the class. Students found plagiarizing their reports will receive a zero for that paper. Repeated offenses on lab reports will result in an F for the class. According to the Willamette University Plagiarism Policy "Cheating is any form of intellectual dishonesty or misrepresentation of one's knowledge. Plagiarism, a form of cheating, consists of representing someone else's work as one's own." Willamette University's academic policies, including cheating and plagiarism, are found at the following website: http://www.willamette.edu/cla/catalog/2007/resources/policies/#plag. A definition of plagiarism and cheating is detailed on the following website: http://willamette.edu/wits/help/plagiarism/Plagiarism.html.