Introduction to Syllabus. Complete Syllabus is Online, on reserve in Library, and available upon Request.
	Syllabus
	My job is to make "lectures" as loose, relaxed, effective, and productive as possible Your job is to remember that doing something you enjoy is always easier than doing something you hate; so lighten up, work hard, and learn to enjoy learning about life
	Stephen T. Abedon, Ph.D. The Ohio State University, 1680 University Dr. Mansfield, OH 44903, abedon.1@osu.edu
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	last updated Saturday, January 04, 2003

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statement of disability accommodation | teaching philosophy
Biology 113/114 | Is Biology 113 for you? | Microbiology 509

Two great ideas drive the biological sciences. The first is that the substance and functions of life are, without exception, obedient to the laws of physics and chemistry... the main occupation of biochemistry and molecular and cellular biology. The second driving idea is that all of life evolved - and chiefly by natural selection. Life has immensely complex diversity that can be understood and managed only by the understanding of its long genetic history...

attributed to "Harvard biology faculty" by Dominick A. Marocco (2000, Biology for the 21st century: The search for a core. The American Biology Teacher 62:565-569)

statement of disability accommodation ---

Anyone who feels they may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact me to arrange an appointment as soon as possible. At the appointment we can discuss the course format, anticipate your needs and explore potential adaptations to meet your needs. I rely on the Office of Disability Services for assistance in verifying the need for accomodations and developing accomodation strategies. If you have not previously contacted the Office for Disability Services, I encourage you to do so.

teaching philosophy ---

My primary teaching philosophy posits that the only advantage of having a live instructor in the classroom (e.g., as opposed to a canned course given by computer or video) is that only a live instructor is capable of real-time clarification and answering questions. Consequently, if you (the student) do not ask questions, one can very reasonably ask why you should even bother to attend a lecture rather than, for example, study a video of a lecture or simply read the textbook. For a given lecture, I will often hold you responsible for more material than I intend to explicitly discuss during a lecture. Much of the material not explicitly covered is of a type that is relatively straightforward or memory intensive. That is, why present orally a list of terms to be memorized when I can simply supply them as a hand out? However, some of the material that you will be held responsible for will not be straightforward but instead will involve concepts that are either difficult to understand or which are well suited to redundant presentation. I will attempt to identify some of those materials, but I will count on you to fully identify the rest. In that way we can use precious lecture time for going over concepts that you find most difficult. But to do this you must come to classes fully prepared to ask questions. This preparation should be in a psychological sense of being willing to publicly state that certain material is difficult (e.g., by asking a question). However, it should also be in the sense that you have taken the trouble to sit down and identify what material you find difficult, and then to formulate questions on that material before you come to class. For more on my personal teaching philosophy, click here: www.phage.org/homepage_teaching_philosophy.htm.

Biology 113/114 ---

"Biology 113 is a course which, together with Biology 114, is designed to give the student an in-depth experience in biological sciences. Science majors, including many health professionals, are the intended audience. The sequence will meet your General Education Curriculum (GEC) in the Natural Sciences. For those of you in the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Biology 113-114 will meet the ten hour sequence requirement. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A STRONG SCIENCE BACKGROUND OR INTEREST, YOU BELONG IN ANOTHER COURSE, NAMELY BIOLOGY 101-102." (quoted from the Gross/Fuerst syllabus employed Autumn Quarter, 1997, emphasis theirs)

Consider the following advice:

• ATTEND CLASS AND TAKE NOTES
• MASTER THE MATERIAL BEFORE MOVING ON TO NEW MATERIAL
• DO THE OUTSIDE WORK ASAP
• STAY MOTIVATED (transcripts are forever)
• FIND A SERIOUS STUDY PARTNER
• YOU NEED AT LEAST AN 84 AVERAGE (a B) TO GET TO THE BIG TIME (MED / DENT / PHARM / VET SCHOOLS)
• READ THE TEXT AS ASSIGNED
• ALERT YOUR PROFESSOR TO CONCERNS BEFORE THEY TURN INTO PROBLEMS
• TAKE LAB VERY SERIOUSLY AND SLOWLY
• JOBS AND EXTRACURRICULARS TAKE TIME!
• GET ENOUGH SLEEP AND EAT RIGHT
• DEVELOP A CONFIDENT ATTITUDE
• STUDY EVERY DAY, SIX DAYS A WEEK
• REALIZE THAT HALF OF EVERY WEEKEND IS TO STUDY
• REALIZE THAT THIS IS NOT HIGH SCHOOL
• RELAX, SLOW DOWN AND FOLLOW DIRECTIONS
• IMPROVE BY ADAPTING AS THE WEEKS GO BY
• UNDERSTAND THAT FACULTY WANT YOU TO MAKE IT
• UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE

Here's more, this time directly from me:

• Cramming usually doesn't work - only for the very best and only for the very short term will cramming succeed
  
  
• Take your chemistry very seriously - stopping with chemistry 101 (or even chemistry 121) is a short-term easy way of conforming to your chemistry prerequisite and not an optimal beginning to a career in biology
  
  
• Study for the first exam as hard as you have ever studied for an exam, and start your studying for this exam on the first day of the term
  
  
• Memorize the material and you will be able to understand exam questions; understand the material and you should also be able to answer exam questions
  
  
• Grades are an indicator; if you are not doing well on quizzes (e.g., earning at least 50% of available points) or on exams (e.g., earning at least 70% of available points) you should reassess your approaches to studying
  

You can find various materials of relevance to taking biology 113/114 at:

• www.phage.org/biology.htm (index of course)
• www.phage.org/bio_113_schedule.htm (on-line schedule plus links to on-line notes)
• www.phage.org/bio_114_schedule.htm (on-line schedule plus links to on-line notes)
• www.phage.org/sta5202.htm (biology 113 and 114 FAQs)
• www.phage.org/sta5008.htm (introduction to majors' biology)
• www.phage.org/sta5002.htm (how to succeed at science)

Is Biology 113 for you? ---

Biology 113 considers the biology of organisms approximately at or below the level of the cell. It has been my experience that 30 to 60 percent of the students in a given year who take Biology 113 will either drop the course because they are failing it or because they are unwilling to put in the effort necessary to do well in the course, or will not drop the course but will nevertheless earn a grade of less than a C-. It is my assumption that students who sign up for Biology 113 do so with the intention of learning biology and then passing the course with a reasonable grade (e.g., >D+). The following questions (and answers) are my attempt to help students to self identify themselves as likely successful versus likely unsuccessful Biology 113 students.

Have you ever taken a majors science or math course?

Non-science majors who have not yet voluntarily exposed themselves to real science courses typically are not aware of the great divide that separates science (or math) courses for majors from all other especially introductory courses offered on a college campus, even between majors science courses and non-majors science courses. Majors science courses are hard and can take sometimes incredible commitment. Doing well in a majors science course is not compatible with extremely heavy course loads (e.g., >15) nor extremely heavy work loads (e.g., >10 hours a week) nor extremely heavy "social-life loads" except for the very capable or very experienced. If Biology 113 is your first introduction to a real science course, you may not be prepared for the rigor expected of you to pass this course. Minimally, then, you should not undertake Biology 113 unless you have a strong background in biology, chemistry, and mathematics at the introductory, non-majors level, e.g., a B or higher in non-majors chemistry, a B or higher in a rigorous high school biology course or a rigorous introductory non-majors college biology course, and a B or higher in a college algebra. If you have not yet achieved reasonable mastery of these three subjects at the non-majors level, and have not yet taken a majors science course, you probably will not pass Biology 113. Furthermore, note that simply doing well in non-majors biology courses is no substitute for an extreme commitment to doing what it takes to learn the material in Biology 113.

How is your understanding of chemistry?

Approximately half of Biology 113 covers material that is very much based in chemistry. For individuals who take introductory chemistry concurrently with Biology 113, Biology 113 will introduce chemical concepts that have not yet been covered in their chemistry class. For students with an interest in biology at any level except for the very highest, it is always a good idea to get as good and as strong a background in chemistry as is possible, e.g., completing an entire introductory majors chemistry sequence. However, doing so before taking Biology 113 is not always possible or practical. Therefore, minimally students should enter into Biology 113 only following reasonable success in their chemistry prerequisite. In other words, if you struggled through an introductory non-majors chemistry course and only obtained a C, you will probably struggle through Biology 113, and may not be so lucky as to receive a C. PLEASE, TAKE YOUR CHEMISTRY PREREQUISITE SERIOUSLY AND WORK VERY HARD AT MASTERING THIS SUBJECT TO THE EXTENT REQUIRED BY YOUR CHEMISTRY INSTRUCTOR BEFORE TAKING ON BIOLOGY 113.

How is your understanding of biology?

It is the sad truth that high school biology can vary extensively from school system to school system, and school systems do not always do a service to their students. If your high school biology course did not do a good job of introducing the molecular basis of life, genetics, or, for that matter, evolution, then you probably do not have a good background in biology. If you do not have a good background in biology before taking Biology 113, then Biology 113 can be very challenging simply due to the enormous number of new concepts that will be covered. If many of these concepts are new to you, you may not succeed at the class simply because there is only so much completely new information that an individual can cram into their brain over a ten-week period. I recommend to anybody who has an interest in biology after taking their high school biology course that they then go on to take the AP biology course if one is offered at their high school. Alternatively, consider taking the introductory non-majors biology course offered at the college level. If nothing else, you will have no idea whether you are interested in studying biology as a career until you have been exposed to what biology is all about, and, sadly, such an exposure does not always, or even rarely occurs at the high school level.

Are you an education major?

I have had a number of individuals who have attempted to broaden their education training by taking Biology 113. Often this occurs late in their college career, after they have taken many of their education courses. Please note, however, that almost to a person these individuals have done extremely poorly in Biology 113. Often this is because of the various reasons listed above: Have never taken a majors science course, have a very poor background in chemistry, have a very poor background in biology, and work too many hours outside of school. However, an additional consideration should be that Biology 113 is likely much, much harder than any education course that an education major has taken. Having never taken an education course, I must rely to some extent on anecdotal evidence for this conclusion, but among science majors common experiences are that there are two kinds of college students in this world, those that can play Frisbee on the lawn during warm spring days, and those who must be content to watch from a library window students playing Frisbee on the lawn during warm spring days. Though certainly cliché, note that it is the science majors that typically would be found in the library pouring over their texts day and night just to gain a small understanding of their subject areas, while it is non-science majors that can afford to take the time to recreate. Another anecdote came from a science major who happened to be taking a course with their non-science major dormitory roommate one term. For the science major the shared course was their easy, "blow off" course for the term. For the non-science major the shared course was the "hardest course" that student had ever taken. That is, the level of rigor a science major is typically exposed to in their courses can be enormously greater than the level of rigor a non-science major is typically exposed. MINIMALLY, IF YOU ARE SERIOUS ABOUT LEARNING BIOLOGY AND DO NOT YET HAVE A STRONG SCIENCE BACKGROUND, YOU SHOULD NOT EVEN CONSIDER TAKING MAJORS BIOLOGY WITHOUT FIRST TAKING AND THEN DOING WELL IN A NON-MAJORS INTRODUCTORY BIOLOGY COURSE. Don't let yourself be lulled into a false sense of security that your upper-level non-science or non-majors curriculum has somehow prepared you for taking a majors science course.

How well do you read?

Part of college is learning how to learn while you are reading. For many courses it is necessary only to show up for a class to gain a sufficient understanding of the subject to pass the course. This is not the case for a majors science class. In the sciences there is some expectation that individuals are going to gain a strong understanding of the material presented in their textbook. Often this means that students will be expected both to read and to learn from their textbooks. I have had struggling students come to me who have told me that it takes them an entire day to read a chapter in their biology textbook, or that the textbook is written so far over their heads that they cannot possible learn anything from it, or that they read the text but that this does not translate into much or any understanding of the material. This, however, is totally unacceptable. If you do not have a sufficient mastery of reading or of biology to learn from your biology text, you probably will not do well in Biology 113 unless you make a serious effort to counter this problem through attempts to increase your reading skills, to increase your background in biology, and to decrease your external commitments (e.g., to other classes, to work, or to your social life) so that you have the time to concentrate on your biology. It should not come as too great a surprise that it may take you two or three or more hours to read a chapter in your textbook in preparation for a lecture. However, if it takes much longer or you are not learning the material as you read it, then you are definitely in trouble vis-à-vis your success in Biology 113.

How well do you memorize?

One of the ways that introductory biology differs from introductory courses in chemistry, physics, or mathematics is the large emphasis in biology on memorization, and you will be expected to learn a vast amount of information in Biology 113. If you are not a good memorizer, then Biology 113 will be a challenge. What is a good-enough memorizing ability to do well in Biology 113? Let's say a given exam has 240 terms and concepts that you will be responsible for and covers six chapters and eight lectures. It should be possible for you to learn those terms and concepts over the course of three weeks and approximately 24 to 40 hours of reading and studying plus the eight or so hours of attending lectures (e.g., one to two hours a day, seven days a week for three weeks, plus 10-15 hours of studying for the actual exam). If after that kind of effort you fail to obtain a strong grasp of the material, then either your biology background is insufficient, your ability to memorize is insufficient, or the techniques you employ to learn the material are not satisfactory. The bottom line, however, is that Biology 113 will require a significant amount of memorization and if you are not used to making a strong commitment to learning material, then you will not do well in Biology 113.

How well do you think?

To do well in Biology 113 you must be a reasonably good thinker. Memorizing, no matter the effort required, will only get you to the point where you can read exam questions intelligently. To actually answer exam questions often also will require thinking. The ability to think is necessary to do well in the sciences. In a very real sense all the memorization in the world is all but useless unless you can apply that information, and application requires thinking. I am not certain how to address the issue of thinking except to note that you probably are a good thinker if you enjoy playing intellectual games (e.g., playing word games, reading mystery novels, diagnosing difficult automotive problems, etc.). Learning to think can take years of training. It begins with a tendency to be excited rather than offended by challenging problems, and then is honed by practice, practice, practice, and more practice. It does not happen through giving up after a few minute's effort, looking up answers in the back of a book, and then moving on. If you are put off by intellectual challenges, Biology 113 may not be for you.

How much time do you have?

Let's say that you are not exceptionally talented at learning biology and performing on biology exams (or, for that matter, microbiology exams), or that you are struggling with the material but want to earn a grade of a C- or greater. How much time should you expect to put into courses such as Biology 113, Biology 114, or Microbiology 509? I'd say about 20 hours per week, plus whatever additional time you put into actually studying for exams. 20 hours a week? Yes, 20 hours a week assuming that your goal is to actually learn biology as a solid foundation for a subsequent career in applied or basic biology. Let's break this down into specifics so that you will understand what I mean:

• Time spent in lectures: 3 hrs/wk
• Time spent in recitations or exams: 1 hr/wk
• Time spent in labs/working on laboratory material: 3 hrs/wk
• Time spent reading a chapter at ~2 hrs/chapter for two chapters/week: 4 hrs/wk
• Time spent studying notes before attending lectures or recitations at ~1 hour per lecture/recitation: 4 hrs/wk
• Time spent studying notes/organizing material after attending lectures at ~1 hour per lecture/recitation: 4 hrs/wk

3 + 1 + 3 + 4 + 4 + 4 = 19 = ~20 hours per week. In other words, four days a week an hour a day reading your text, an hour a day studying handed-out notes, an hour a day attending class, and an hour a day organizing your notes after class (with time put toward specific efforts varying from day to day), plus approximately three hours per week devoted to your laboratory. Of course, this effort can be spread over 7 days rather than four (though some of these efforts, e.g., going over material after class, are better off done with material still-fresh in your mind rather than being put off until later), but if you are serious about learning biology, then you should expect to put in approximately 4+ hours a day, four days a week into the effort. If this amount of time is simply not available to you, then you are probably not going to do as well in biology as you would like to. Also, if you have no intention (e.g., never have before) put this much time into a course, you also likely will not do as well in biology as you would like to. Furthermore, if you are really struggling in the course, you may have to put even more time into your effort, though you in fact may be pleasantly surprised that actually putting forth this minimum may be sufficient. Finally, all of the above assumes that you are really working at learning biology during all of the hours listed rather than procrastinating, letting your mind wander, or otherwise not making efficient use of your time. To those who may consider the above discussion insane, all I can say is "good luck." Either you are sufficiently talented that none of the above applies (to which I say, "How wonderful!"), or you will be in trouble in biology even before you walk through the door for the first day of the term.

How disciplined are you?

The biggest problem students encounter in Biology 113, typically, is that by the time they have figured out what it takes to get on top of and then stay on top of the material, it is already too late for them to ever claw their way back from the abyss. People, this material builds on top of previous material, and if you fail to master the simpler, earlier stuff, you are really going to suffer when things start to get a little bit complicated. If you are not sufficiently motivated to start out your quarters at the top of your game, you probably shouldn't even think about attempting Biology 113. Afterall, if you can't hack the effort when your are fresh, then how are you possibly going to hack it after you're burned out on the quarter?

What does "taking on a challenge" mean to you?

Finally, let me note that after reading all of the above, I still have a surprising number of students who take all of the above as a challenge, which is great, so long as they have a clue as to what taking on a challenge actually means. Let me note first of all what taking on a challenge does not mean. It does mean that you take on an effort and then just assume that things will sort of work out in the end. It also does not mean that you will set aside a certain degree of effort that you think you are willing to make, and then fail to adjust to inaccuracies in your original assessment. No, taking on a challenge means being responsible for your own efforts, doing what it takes to perform even if what that takes is more effort than you would prefer to put forth, and, in short, making the actual taking on of the challenge a priority in your life. (definition of priority: "the quality or state of coming in first in time"; definition of challenge: "something which tests a person's qualities") In other words, deciding to take on challenges is an easy, almost meaningless expression of intent and in no way serves as a substitute for the actual work that is typically necessary for significant success in one's endeavors.

Microbiology 509 ---

Microbiology 509 is a less difficult course than either biology 113 or 114 (introductions to majors' biology), but still is not exactly what I would describe as easy. Much of the difficulty in microbiology 509 involves the memorization of numerous facts. Microbiology is a broad field and medical microbiology is a well-studied subdiscipline. Microbiology 509 is aimed at individuals interested careers in medical areas and thus will emphasize those aspects of microbiology relevant to health care. Many aspects of training toward health-care professions are similarly memory intensive so this aspect of Microbiology 509 should come as no surprise. The two caveats other than the memorization emphasis of this course are the following: (i) A prior, reasonable understanding of cell physiology will be extremely helpful and (ii) exams will be designed to test the degree to which you have learned the material; all else held constant, the better you know and understand the material presented, the better you will do in this course.

legal accountability for actions; a message to nursing students

Much of the foundation of your nursing career will be found in your microbiology course. It is important that you learn the material in this course well. In particular, keep in mind throughout this course, during your subsequent training, and in your future work that the actions of nurses are not absolved by the following of doctor's orders. Instead, nurses are legally accountable for their actions, even in situations where others make the incorrect decisions that were subsequently followed. This legally expected ability to second-guess the decisions of others is only possible given sufficient knowledge of medicine, and now, in school, is where you will be building this necessary foundation of knowledge. Don't blow the opportunity.

links to more on legal accountability

• State of Ohio Board of Nursing
• American Nurses Association
• Nursing Malpractice: Liability and Risk Management (a book)

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I value communication by e-mail. My e-mail address is abedon.1@osu.edu. If you have any question, comments, concerns, or criticisms, please feel free to e-mail me, or contact me by other means. I encourage the asking of routine questions via e-mail (abedon.1@osu.edu).

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Remember that Laboratory Periods are also Recitation Periods!

office address:

My office address is 299 Bromfield.

teaching schedule:

period	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
7:50-8:50	open	open	open	open	open
9:00-10:00	open	open	open	open	bio 113
10:10-11:10	bio 113	bio 113	bio 113	bio 113	bio 113
11:20-12:20	open	open	open	open	bio 113
12:30-1:30	micro 509	open	micro 509	open	open
1:40-2:40	micro 509	open	micro 509	open	open
2:50-4:20	micro 509	open	micro 509	open	open
4:20-4:50	micro 509	open	micro 509	open	open
5:00-onward	open	open	open	open	open

office hours:

I am generally available for consultation whenever I am present on campus, except when I am teaching, preparing for a lecture, preparing for a laboratory, in the middle of an experiment, or currently interacting with others. You may also find me at the Physical Activity Center. The surest way to pin me down is to make an appointment. If you have a very short question, please feel free to bug me at any time. Even if you think your question is a difficult one, don't hesitate to ask for help any time I am around. The worst that can happen is that I will request that you try again at some later time. Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays I will be doing science. I cannot guarantee that I will be on campus but please feel free to stop on by if you are. However, if I am in the middle of an experiment I may ask you to try again later.

If you are aware of a time that you are interested in consistently meeting with me, it may be possible to turn that time into an office hour.

please ask for help:

The time to ask for help is not at the end of the term. If you do not understand a concept, or are unsure of where things are heading, please feel free to ask for clarification. You may do so prior to class, following class, during laboratory, outside of the classroom, or during class. Biology is a difficult subject. You may need help from time to time to understand the material. Not only do I want to personally encourage you to seek help when you need it, I also want to assure you that I would never punish you in any way for seeking help.

It is my job to teach you the material that I present. If you are not understanding the material, then it is my business as much as it is yours that you let me know this. If you don't let me know so that I may provide help, then you are not just letting yourself down, you are letting me down as well. To the extent grades are important to you, you are far better off coming to me for help before examinations, rather than afterward. This means that the onus is on you to study the material far enough in advance that you leave yourself time to ask questions before exam time.

If you have access to a computer, please just e-mail me your questions (to abedon.1@osu.edu). If you are in any way computer literate, you may be surprised at how wonderful a resource e-mail can be for clarifying ideas and concepts.

Fall, 1999:

Office hours during the Fall term will be limited to by-appointment and drop-ins. My teaching schedule is limited to approximately 6 to 9:30 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. If you know of a time when you would be interested in consistently meeting with me, it may be possible to turn that time into a week-to-week available office hour.

Winter, 1999:

Winter term is an extremely busy one for me so the times I am available for office hours are few. Office hours during the Winter term will be by walk-in or by-appointment and will include immediately after Biology 113 on Tuesdays and Thursday (i.e., ~11:10), except when I have conflicting appointments, and immediately after either class or labs for Microbiology 509. If there is a time that you are available when you would like me to be present on a regular basis, let me know (abedon.1@osu.edu). For the most part I would prefer that these times be in the afternoons, i.e., following class, rather than in the morning (i.e., before class), but I can be as flexible as is necessary. Let me know if you would like me to be on campus during the mornings prior to exams. Note that, as always, I will be available to answer questions during laboratory periods.

Spring, 2000:

I will establish these some time prior to Spring quarter.

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Contact Dr. Abedon (abedon.1@osu.edu) with suggestions, criticisms,
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