Exhaustive Course Notes & Study Guide: BSC 2010 Biology I

Course Staff, Support, and Communication

  • Teaching Assistant (TA): Kayla provides student support, clarifies course material, and holds regular office hours via Zoom.
  • Lab Director/Professor: Michelle Yergain oversees all laboratory components and appears in lecture during the first week to detail lab onboarding procedures.
  • Instructional Approach: The teaching staff emphasizes student success, offering direct guidance, flexible communication via email, and scheduled virtual office hours.
  • Tutoring Services:
    • Free peer tutoring is standardly offered through the Student Resource Center (SRC) or Supplemental Instruction (SI).
    • If formal SRC or SI tutoring is unavailable, course TAs directly provide supplemental tutoring support.

Technical and System Requirements

  • Hardware Requirements for Lab:
    • Compatible systems: PC desktop/laptop or Apple Mac Laptop Pro Series 2 or higher, or a desktop computer equipped with a functional microphone.
    • Incompatible devices: Tablets, smartphones, basic MacBooks, Chromebooks, and Lenovo book-style tablets lack sufficient processing power and experience brownouts during lab execution.
    • Webcams are not required or monitored during lecture exams and quizzes.
  • Network and Bandwidth Specifications:
    • High-speed broadband internet is required; a hardwired Ethernet connection is strongly recommended over Wi-Fi.
    • Computer science majors and all students are cautioned that specific high-performance labs require substantial processing power and network bandwidth. Advance notifications are distributed prior to these intensive lab modules.
  • On-Campus Alternatives (UCF Tech Commons):
    • Students facing hardware or bandwidth constraints can utilize the dedicated Mac and PC computer labs at UCF Tech Commons.
    • Every computer at Tech Commons is pre-loaded with the Universal Lab software icon and Respondus LockDown Browser.
    • Proper student registration is required to access Tech Commons machines.
  • Campus Wi-Fi Configuration:
    • On-campus connection requires authenticating via the secure UCF WPA2 network. The UCF Guest network is unreliable for coursework.
    • New students and freshmen must have their devices properly configured by campus IT staff to prevent sudden connection drops.
  • Respondus LockDown Browser Installation & Operating System Protocol:
    • Mac and PC require distinct, school-specific installation packages. Generic or other university versions (e.g., Yale University's Respondus download) are incompatible.
    • Mac Installation Sequence: Navigate to the Applications folder, locate the installation package designated by a globe or box/present icon, pull down the menu, and execute the installer.
    • If technical glitches occur on macOS, students must immediately log a ticket with Respondus technical support and notify the course instructor.
    • LockDown Browser restricts background applications, tabs, and accessory software during active testing.
  • Multifactor Authentication (MFA):
    • UCF mandates active MFA on student mobile devices for account access.
    • Students must refrain from changing mobile devices immediately prior to exams or quizzes to prevent lockout issues.

Access Codes, Courseware, and Financial Aid

  • No Physical Textbook Required:
    • The course utilizes Open Educational Resources (OER), incorporating content adapted from OpenStax directly into the WebCourses modules. No external textbook purchase is necessary.
  • Required Course Purchases:
    1. Lab Access Code: Powers the UniVirtual / Universal lab simulation software. Costs approximately 127127 when purchased directly through the vendor link or approximately 133133 through the UCF Bookstore.
    2. Homework Access Code: Powers the Skillwell / Realizeit personalized learning system. Costs 19.9919.99 via direct link or higher when purchased through the UCF Bookstore.
  • Skillwell / Realizeit System Clarification:
    • Realizeit was acquired by Skillwell; support services retain the Realizeit name. It is designated in registration systems as "PAL personalized learning access."
  • 14-Day Free Trial Period:
    • Skillwell / Realizeit offers full temporary access without immediate payment from the start of term through September 7 to allow time for financial aid processing.
  • UCF First Day / Opt-In Program:
    • The Opt-In program provides an advance authorization line (typically up to 600600) allowing students to acquire required digital courseware through the UCF Bookstore before financial aid is disbursed.
    • Upon opting in via Student Self-Service in WebCourses, a confirmation email with shopping authorization is issued within 24 hours24\,\text{hours}.
    • Book charges are subsequently deducted directly from the student's financial aid disbursement.
    • Opting in once for a single course applies the authorization across all enrolled courses for that semester.

Course Structure, Grading Scale, and Assessment Policies

  • Course Designations:
    • Designated as an "S" class (Synchronous online delivered live via Zoom).
    • Course Key: BSC 2010 (4 credit hours combined composite lecture and lab grade).
  • Course Grade Weighting Distribution:
    • Exams 1 through 5 (Lowest score dropped): 48%48\% (4×12%4 \times 12\% each)
    • Comprehensive Final Exam: 12%12\%
    • Quizzes: 10%10\%
    • Homework (Skillwell / Realizeit): 8%8\%
    • Total Lecture Component: 70%70\%
    • Total Laboratory Component: 22%22\%
    • Total Overall Course Grade: 100%100\%
  • Standard Grading Scale:
    • 90 to 100%=A90\,\text{to } 100\% = A
    • 80 to 89%=B80\,\text{to } 89\% = B
    • Standard traditional boundaries apply without elevated cutoffs (e.g., an AA does not require a 95%95\%).
  • International Extra Credit Quizzes:
    • Three optional extra credit opportunities are offered, worth up to a combined 3%3\% total course grade boost.
    • Extra credit points are purely additive; missing or incorrect answers do not lower the grade.
    • Note on WebCourses display: WebCourses incorrectly displays extra credit as lowering the current grade until the final calculation is executed following the final exam.
  • Laboratory Penalties and Attendance Rules:
    • Accumulating 55 unexcused lab absences results in an automatic grade of F0F_0 for the entire 4-credit course.
    • Failure to complete any lab assignments by September 25 results in an automatic FF grade for the laboratory portion, forfeiting 22%22\% of the total course grade.

Exam, Quiz, and Assignment Mechanics

  • Exams 1 through 5 Parameters:
    • Structure: 30 questions30\,\text{questions} with a time limit of 40 minutes40\,\text{minutes}.
    • Testing Window: Exams open at 12:01 AM12:01\,\text{AM} and close at 11:59 PM11:59\,\text{PM} on scheduled exam days (a total window of 23 hours and 59 minutes23\,\text{hours and } 59\,\text{minutes}).
    • Execution: Single entry, single exit. Once initiated, the 40 minute40\,\text{minute} timer runs continuously.
    • No live lecture class is held on scheduled exam days.
  • Comprehensive Final Exam Parameters:
    • Structure: 50 questions50\,\text{questions} with a time limit of 60 minutes60\,\text{minutes}.
  • Quiz Parameters:
    • Structure: 15 questions15\,\text{questions} with a time limit of 20 minutes20\,\text{minutes}, single attempt.
  • Homework (Skillwell / Realizeit) Mechanics:
    • Grades do not sync to the WebCourses gradebook until the assignment officially closes.
    • Real-time progress is indicated within Skillwell by a green circular "Composite Score" display upon submission.
  • Exam & Quiz Review Rules:
    • Students may request an individual score review via email within 7 calendar days7\,\text{calendar days} of an exam or quiz administration.
    • Review of quizzes preceding an exam is deferred until the corresponding exam window has officially closed.

Academic Integrity, Absences, and University Policies

  • Academic Conduct and Golden Rule:
    • UCF strictly enforces the Golden Rule. Cheating on any assessment results in immediate disciplinary procedures.
    • UCF utilizes advanced digital forensic capabilities to track system access, group interactions, IP footprints, and individual activity logs.
    • Z-Grades: The university Disciplinary Committee (composed of faculty and peers) can assign a permanent "Z-Grade" indicating academic dishonesty, resulting in a mark of zero and permanent transcript notation that disqualifies students from graduate, medical, or professional program admissions.
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy:
    • The use of AI tools is strictly prohibited during exams, quizzes, lecture attendance, video sessions, and office hours.
  • Absence and Makeup Protocols:
    • Quizzes and Homework: Missed assessments require written documentation sent to the instructor within 48 hours48\,\text{hours} of the missed deadline. Authorized makeups must be completed within 1 week1\,\text{week}.
    • Exams 1 through 5: Missed exams require notification within 48 hours48\,\text{hours}. Approved makeup exams are administered online after the completion of the final exam period.
    • Final Exam: Missed final exams require immediate notification within 24 hours24\,\text{hours} regardless of weekends or holidays, with makeups completed within 24 hours24\,\text{hours}.
    • Documentation Standards: Formal documentation must state the student's name, specific dates, and official signature on institutional letterhead. Detailed medical discharge records or specific diagnoses are prohibited for privacy reasons.
    • Unexcused Absences: Oversleeping, forgetting, or generic non-documented excuses receive no credit and no makeups.
  • Religious Holidays:
    • Students must notify the instructor of intended absences for religious observances within the first 10 days10\,\text{days} of the semester. No formal proof or invasive explanation is required.
  • Important Academic Dates:
    • Drop/Add Deadline: Friday of the first week of class.
    • Course Withdrawal Deadline ("Escape Hatch"): October 30. (Students must consult financial aid prior to dropping below minimum credit hour thresholds).
    • Mandatory Academic Activity / Syllabus Quiz: Must be submitted by Friday of the first week to comply with federal financial aid reporting rules.

Course Content Overview and Unit Progression

  • Chapter 2 & Chapter 4 (Chemistry & pH): Basic atomic structure, chemical bonds, aqueous solutions, and pH scales. Serves as foundational material; difficulty varies depending on prior chemistry exposure.
  • Chapter 3, Chapter 5, & Chapter 7 (Cellular Structure & Function): Organization of eukaryotic/prokaryotic cells, membrane transport, and membrane-bound organelles. Generally manageable concepts.
  • Chapter 8 & Chapter 9 (Enzymes & Cellular Metabolism): Enzyme kinetics, bioenergetics, cellular respiration, and metabolic pathways. Highly conceptual and quantitative unit.
  • Cell Division & Genetics (Mitosis, Meiosis, & Mendelian Genetics): Chromosomal segregation, cell cycles, genetic crosses, and word problems. Increases in analytical complexity.
  • Chapter 16 & Chapter 17 (DNA Structure, Gene Expression, & Molecular Biology): Molecular structure of DNA, replication mechanisms, transcription, and translation details.

Student Support Services and Campus Resources

  • Student Accessibility Services (SAS):
    • Located in Ferrell Commons, Room 185.
    • Coordinates accommodations including extended exam testing time (1.5×1.5\times or 2.0×2.0\times), attendance considerations, physical adaptations, and speech-to-text tools (e.g., JAWS).
    • High school accommodation plans (such as 504 plans or IEPs) do not automatically transfer; students must explicitly register with SAS to issue official accommodation letters to instructors.
  • UCF Cares:
    • Free, confidential service providing licensed social workers for students aged 18 and older facing severe distress, housing insecurity, financial hardship, or sudden crises.
  • Office of Institutional Equity (OIE):
    • Manages accommodations for pregnancy, childbirth, and parental care.
    • Services include reserved campus parking spaces, temporary medical leave allowances, and access to private on-campus lactation rooms.
  • UCF Card Services:
    • Located on the 2nd floor of the Student Union for purchasing and picking up physical UCF Student ID cards.

WebCourses Navigation and Logistics

  • Modules Section: Serves as the primary portal for all course components, containing:
    • Skillwell / Realizeit homework links.
    • Respondus LockDown Browser troubleshooting guides.
    • Required lecture readings and supplementary downloadable PowerPoint decks.
    • Optional practice problem sets and un-graded practice quizzes.
    • Pre-exam review topic sheets.
    • Recorded lecture links (hosted via automatically embedded YouTube videos).
  • First-Week Lab Schedule:
    • No physical or virtual lab sections meet during the first week of the semester.
    • Lab orientation is conducted during the regular lecture Zoom session on Wednesday by Michelle Yergain.
    • Official virtual lab sessions begin during assigned lab times starting in Week 2 via the UniVirtual software interface.