Biology 399:
Capstone in Biological Science
Instructor:
Office:
Phone:
Office Hours:
Email:
Dr. Natalya Zinkevich
Rankin B02
262-524-7280
Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu 10:00-11:00AM B02
[email protected]
General Information
Class meeting time: 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Wednesdays
Location: Rankin 204A
This is a hybrid course with two hours of face-to-face class time and
2 hours of on-line instruction, plus additional work time out of class.
Capstone in Biological Science
4 credits
This course allows students to synthesize their understanding of biology through exploration of contemporary
issues in biology across multiple biological scales. Students will also explore case studies related to ethical practice
in science and develop skills necessary to transition to future careers in biology. Prerequisites: BIO 225 (beginning
spring 2013) and at least junior standing.
Course Objectives: By the end of this course, students should be able to:
Integrate and synthesize biological information relevant to a contemporary issue, across multiple levels of
biological analysis to create original insights (assessed via Biology Integration Assignments, Oral Exam)
Conduct library research for pertinent supportive evidence related to such an issue (assessed via Biology
Integration Assignments)
Effectively present scientific information related to such an issue (assessed via quizzes, Biology Integration
Assignments, oral exam)
Articulate a set of personally-appropriate career options in the biological sciences and outline an
individual development plan to work toward such career goals (assessed via Career Development
Assignments)
Prepare a formal resume and demonstrate interviewing skills appropriate for applying for a biologyrelated career or graduate program (assessed via Career Development Assignments)
Analyze research-based case studies to identify potential ethical concerns and develop an appropriate
course of action to avoid ethical lapses (assessed via Ethics Assignments)
Demonstrate effective time management, organizational, and team skills (Assessed throughout course)
Text: Pechenik, Jan. 2010. A Short Guide to Writing About Biology, 7th edition. Pearson.
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Tentative Schedule*
Date
F2F Topic
On-Line Topic
9/12
Introduction & Expectations
Contributing to on-line
discussions
Models of Biological Integration
Practice concept mapping
9/19
Founder’s Day Convocation (1112)
Opportunities for developing
research experience
Critique Concept Map
9/26
Resumes, Career Development,
Graduate and Professional
Schools
Discuss research strategies/value
of diverse databases
10/3
How to analyze an ethical case
Brainstorm issues related to
water and biology
Reading Quiz 1
Biological Integration
1) Contribute to concept map
2) Read and discuss Wake 2003
Ethics
1) Watch video
2) Read articles by/about Ioannidis
Biological Integration
1) Contribute to revised map
Ethics
1) Discuss articles by/about Ioannidis
Careers
1) Explore internship/research
opportunities
Biological Integration
1) Contribute to revised map
Ethics
1) Read and discuss "On Being a Scientist"
Careers
1) Explore pioneercareer.net
Biological Integration
1) Concept map development
2) Read and discuss Pigliucci 2003
Ethics
1) OREC: Ethical Issues in Research
Biological Integration
1) Concept map development
Ethics
1) OREC: Interpersonal Responsibility
Careers
1) Explore MCoW career web site
Biological Integration
1) Discuss: How has the field of
integrative biology progressed in the
past 10 years?
Ethics
1) OREC: Institutional Responsibility
Careers
1) Resource exploration
10/10
Resume draft peer review
Mapping Career Development
goals
10/17
What’s a wiki?
From concept map to Wiki
Group collaboration time
Assignment Due
Concept Map 1
Read Pechenik Ch. 1-5
Read Pechenik Ch. 1-5
Concept Map 2
Read Pechenik Ch. 1-5
Bring OREC certificate of
completion to class
Draft Resume (Two copies
to class, also submit to
pioneercareer.net)
Read Pechenik Ch.7,8,10,13
Concept Map 3
Bring OREC certificate of
completion to class
Read Pechenik Ch. 7, 8, 10,
13
* The instructor, the Biology faculty, and the University reserve the right to modify, amend, or change the
syllabus (schedule, course requirements, grading policy, etc.) as the curricula and/or programs require.
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10/24
Concept Plan poster session
Role playing – difficult ethical
conversations
Reading Quiz 2
11/7
Interviews
Writing for on-line audiences
Rubric Development for Wiki
Projects
11/14
Mock Interviews
Wiki groups meet with
reference librarian
11/21
Mock Interviews
Wiki groups meet with science
faculty
11/28
Peer editing
Where do original insights come
from??
12/05
Reading Quiz 3
Preparing for oral exams
12/12
ETS Major Field Exam
12/19
Biological Integration
1) Wiki R&D
Ethics
1) OREC: Professional Responsibility
Careers
1) Resource exploration/Informational
Interviews
Biological Integration
1) Wiki R&D
Ethics
1) Plagiarism and Writing Integrity
(ori.hhs.gov)
Careers
1) Informational interviews
Biological Integration
1) Wiki R&D
Ethics
1) OREC: Animals in Research
Careers
1) Explore interview preparation web
resources
Biological Integration
1) Wiki R&D
Ethics
1) Research for “Ask the Ethicist”
Assignment
Biological Integration
1) Wiki Peer Review (by 10 p.m. on 4/15)
2) Wiki R&D
Ethics
1) OREC: Human Participation in
Research
Biological Integration
1) Wiki R&D
Ethics
1) Discussion: Consequences
Biological Integration
1) Wiki Peer Review (by 10:00 p.m., 4/29)
Ethics
1) Response Assignment
Wiki Concept Plan
Career Development Plan
and Final Resume (signed
by advisor/mentor)
Bring OREC certificate of
completion to class
Read Pechenik Ch.7, 8, 10, 13
Bring OREC certificate of
completion to class
Informational Interview
reflection report
Read Pechenik Ch. 6, 12,
Appendix A, B, E
Email 3 useful interview
preparation links to Sue
Read Pechenik Ch. 6, 12,
Appendix A, B, E
Wiki Part 1 due on 4/8/12 at
10:00 p.m.
Read Pechenik Ch. 6, 12,
Appendix A, B, E
Bring OREC certificate of
completion to class
“Ask the ethicist”
Assignment
Mock Interview SelfReflection
Read Pechenik Ch. 6, 12,
Appendix A, B, E
Read Pechenik Ch. 6, 12,
Appendix A, B, E
Bring OREC certificate of
completion to class
Wiki Part 2
Ethicist response assignment
Elevator Speech
Oral Exams
Final revisions to the Wiki and revised synthesis (Wiki Part 2) papers are due by 4 p.m. on December 19th.
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Grading
Attendance (see policy outlined below) and participation in all classes is expected. As can be seen from the point
breakdown below, your grade in this class will also be based upon the successful completion of all assignments on
time. Late assignments will be penalized 10% per day late. The grading scale in the table will determine grades.
Attendance (mandatory; potential loss of points): Attendance will be taken at every class meeting. Each student
may be absent two times (for whatever reason). A student will lose 50 points (5% of a student’s total possible
points) for each absence beyond the two permitted. There will be no exceptions to the attendance rule. If, for
any reason, a student is unable to attend class, she/he should email the instructor as soon as possible and explain
why she/he was unable to attend. The instructor reserves the right to waive a student absence under certain
circumstances (faculty judgment).
Point Distribution:
Unit
Ethics
Biological Integration
Career Development
Cross-Unit
Item/ Assignment
Contributions to Ethics Discussions
OREC Assignments (6@10 pts.)
“Ask the Ethicist” Assignment
Respondent Assignment
Concept Map 1
Concept Map 2
Concept Map 3
Wiki Contribution 1
Wiki Contribution 2
Peer Reviews (2@15 each)
Peer Editing Assessment
Contributions to Article Discussions
Draft Resume
Final Resume
Individual Development Plan
Informational Interview Reflection
Mock Interview Self-Evaluation
Elevator Speech
Miscellaneous short assignments
Quizzes (3 at 20 points each)
Oral Exam
Total
Point Value
40
60
75
50
20
40
60
75
100
30
20
25
20
40
50
50
50
10
25
60
100
1000
Grade Assignment:
Letter Grade
A
AB
B
BC
C
D
F
Points
910
890-909
810-889
790-809
700-789
600-699
<610
Percentage
91+
89-90.9
81-88.9
79-80.9
70-78.9
60-69.9
<61%
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Incompletes: Incompletes will only be considered in cases of unusual circumstances. No Incompletes will be
considered in this course unless arrangements have been made with the Instructor prior to December 5, 2012. In
most cases, the highest grade that a student taking an Incomplete may receive is a "B".
Students with documented disabilities who may need accommodation, or any student considering obtaining
documentation should make an appointment with Ms. Marty Bledsoe, Director of Services for Students with
Disabilities, no later than the first week of class. She can be reached by calling 524-7335 or contacting her via email at [email protected].
Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty
Plagiarism is using someone else’s ideas or work and presenting it as your own ideas or work. Plagiarism – in any
form – will not be tolerated in this course. For this course the sanction imposed by the instructor on a student
who plagiarizes will be 0 points for the assignment for the first offense and automatic failure of the course for the
second offense. If you copy more than three or four consecutive words from an author, then you are plagiarizing
that author.
To avoid plagiarizing an author, read the author’s writing, step away and reflect on the writing for several
moments, and then paraphrase the author using your own words. After you reread your writing and the author’s
writing, if there are more than a few words alike in a sentence, then you should find another way to convey the
idea in your own words. If there is any question in a student’s mind whether she/he might be inadvertently
plagiarizing an author’s work, then the student should contact the instructor and ask for clarification for that
particular instance. The penalties for plagiarism are severe, and no exceptions will be granted to any student who
plagiarizes.
Other forms of academic dishonesty (e.g., lying, preventing other students from accessing resources, etc.) are also
of particular concern in this course. Any potential infractions will be reviewed by the Biology faculty, who will also
decide upon appropriate sanctions. For more information on Carroll University’s policy and procedures on
plagiarism and student academic integrity, see the Student Handbook.
I am going to experiment with using TurnItIn.com this semester, not so much to monitor plagiarism (although I
will use it for that) but to provide you with resources that will help improve your writing (there is now a built in
grammar checker, for example). The information you need to submit your assignments using TurnItIn.com is
included below. You will need to create an account first, and you are encouraged to do this early in the semester.
You will turn in your Ask the Ethicist assignment and Response, as well as the final contribution to your Wiki, using
TurnItIn.com.
To enroll in this class, you will need both the enrollment password and the unique class ID generated by
Turnitin.com.
class ID: 4690842
enrollment password: Bio399
Note: Should you ever forget the class ID, it is the number to the left of the class name on your class list.
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Major Course Assignments
Biological Integration Assignments:
Concept Maps: The series of three concept maps will be discussed in detail in class.
Wiki Project: Over the course of the semester, you will investigate a biological issue with contemporary relevance
(e.g.: The ecological dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico). Your goal is to analyze contributions to our understanding
of this issue that come from cellular/molecular research, organismal research, and ecological research. The third
concept map assignment will develop the framework for your issue more fully. The final outcome of this project
will be a wiki project summarizing your main findings. During the semester, you will work in teams with people
who have diverse interests in biology to help develop your understanding of how the various levels of biological
analysis interact and support one another.
Wiki Assignment 1: This part of the wiki will be done collaboratively. Your team will create a wiki that: 1)
summarizes the issue you have selected, and 2) synthesizes contributions from the literature from diverse levels
of biological organization (e.g., cellular/molecular, organismal, ecological research, especially that conducted in
the past 10 years, has contributed; at least 8 primary sources integrated into each level). Your wiki should include
a literature cited page and you should use appropriate citations throughout. Note that a synthesis is different
from a summary. You should review the literature relevant at each level of organization, assess the strengths and
weaknesses of the studies (individually and collectively) and report on how this area of biology contributes to our
understanding of the issue. As a collaborative project, each member of the group will be assessed based on their
contributions to the project as well as their contributions to the formatting and editing of the wiki itself. More
details will be provided in class.
Wiki Assignment 2: A key component of the second wiki assignment will be to synthesize the various types of
research you have summarized to develop your own, original insights into the issue you are analyzing. This
component of the wiki will be completed independently, but each of you should have the support of your group
members.
Ethics Assignments:
Contributions to Ethics Discussions:
We will use the discussion forum on MyCourses to discuss a number of readings and issues related to the ethics of
biology and biology research (including undergraduate student research). You will be evaluated on both the
frequency and quality of your contributions to these forums. More information will be provided during the
semester.
OREC Assignments:
You will complete the six modules in the On-Line Research Ethics Course established by the University of Montana
(http://ori.hhs.gov/education/products/montana_round1/research_ethics.html). Each of the six course modules
has an end-of-module assessment (multiple choice quiz), that you can complete as often as needed. Once you
have achieved a score of 70% or better on the quiz, print out the resulting certificate and turn it in in class.
Ethics Case Study:
“Ask the Ethicist” Assignment: Each of you will receive and respond to an ethical question posed by a fictitious
researcher. The question will come with some suggested readings, which you may reference in your response
(you must reference at least three readings, they do not have to come from the suggested readings list). Your
response should be at least 1500 words long, and you should articulate: 1) the ethical issue(s) that are central to
the question, 2) the best course of action for the researcher, and 3) strategies that might have been effective in
avoiding the issue in the first place. Remember that ethical issues are not cut and dried. The intent of the
assignment is to explore and fully develop responses, not to give simplistic explanations like “they should have
had better communication.” Your response will be evaluated by both the instructor and another student.
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Respondent Assignment: Following the “Ask the Ethicist” Assignment, each of you will be given the opportunity
to respond to one of your classmate’s essays. You will also be given a response to a very similar situation, written
by an expert ethicist. In an essay of at least 800 words, you will compare the student’s response to the expert’s
response, noting areas of agreement and areas of disagreement. You will also evaluate the depth and
completeness of the student’s response, following a rubric which will be provided. Your response will be
evaluated by both the instructor and the student to whom you are responding.
Career Preparation Assignments:
Individual Development Plan: Modified from the Medical College of Wisconsin’s Virtual Career Center, with my
changes in [brackets]:
“The IDP maps out the general path you want to take and helps match skills and strengths to your career choices. It is
a changing document, since needs and goals will almost certainly evolve over time as [undergraduate and recent
graduate]. The aim is to build upon current strengths and skills by identifying areas for development and providing a
way to address these. The specific objectives of a typical IDP are to:
Establish effective dates for the duration of your [undergraduate program].
Identify specific skills and strengths that you need to develop (based on discussions with your mentor).
Define the approaches to obtain the specific skills and strengths (e.g., courses, technical skills, [research],
and supervision) together with anticipated time frames.
Discuss your draft IDP with your mentor[/advisor].
Revise the IDP as appropriate.”
Using the resources of the virtual career center, (http://www.mcw.edu/VirtualCareerCenter.htm), map out an
Individual Development Plan for the career you are most likely to pursue. This should include a description of the
career, an assessment of the skills you have and those you need to develop to be successful in that career, and a
plan for how you will develop those skills over the next 1-3 years. You should discuss the plan with your academic
advisor or with another mentor (approved in advance) and have that person sign the final version of the plan.
Informational Interview: Identify a professional working in your chosen career area. Request the opportunity to
interview that person, ideally face to face, but if necessary via Skype, e-mail, or some other way. The interview
should not take more than 15-20 minutes of their time. The purpose of the interview is NOT to seek a
job/internship/etc. It is to gather information about the career that will be useful as you continue to refine your
Individual Development Plan. After the interview has taken place, write up a 1 page reflection on what you
learned and turn this in. You can conduct this interview any time during the first half of the semester, before
March 21st.
Draft and Final Resume: To assist with your career or graduate school preparation, you will prepare a resume
that will be reviewed by peers, your advisor or mentor, and the staff of the Carroll career center. More details will
be discussed in class.
Mock Interview Self Evaluation: Each of you will participate in a 20-minute mock interview, as if you were
interviewing for a job or graduate/professional school placement. Following the interview, you will write a 1 page
self-evaluation of your interviewing strengths and the areas in which you need to improve.
Elevator speech: Using the resources on the Medical College of Wisconsin’s virtual career center, prepare an
“Elevator Speech” and turn in a written draft in class.
http://www.mcw.edu/VirtualCareerCenter/JobSearchPlan/CoreMessageStatementElevatorPitch.htm
You will use this elevator speech during your oral exam.
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Quizzes and Exams:
Reading Quizzes: Three quizzes will cover the main points in the assigned reading up to that point (they are not
cumulative). Each will be taken both independently and in a group, with your score being a combination of the
two scores.
Major Field Exam: Every student is required to take the ETS Major Field Exam in Biology during the assigned final
exam period for BIO 399. Any student who does not take the exam or who demonstrates evidence of not taking
the exam seriously will automatically lose 100 class points.
Oral Exam: The final exam for the course will be a 20 minute oral exam on Wednesday, December 19th, between
11 a.m. and 2 p.m. The exam will be in three parts. First, you will introduce yourself using your prepared (and
memorized) elevator speech, then you will explain your wiki project to the examiner and s/he will ask you some
questions about the project. Second, you and the examiner will discuss your career development plan. Finally,
the examiner will ask you about various topics or issues in Biology. You should not bring any notecards or other
materials to the oral exam. Oral exams will not be able to be rescheduled.
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