Fundamentals of Ecology BSC1050
University of West Florida
INSTRUCTOR: DR. Alexis M. Janosik
OFFICE: BUILDING 58/ 060
EMAIL: ajanosik@uwf.edu
OFFICE HOURS: W 9-11am, or by appointment
TEXTBOOKS:
Essentials of Ecology. Miller & Spoolman. 6th Edition
Textbook companion website:
http://www.brookscole.com/cgiwadsworth/course_products_wp.pl?fid=M20b&product_isbn_iss
n=9780495125440&discipline_number=22
MISSION STATEMENT:
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course will give you a general overview of ecological principles
and how those principles influence the world around us. The viewpoint of the text, Essentials of
Ecology, is anthropocentric (human-centered) for the most part. That is discouraged in advanced
ecology courses, as study of ecology pertains mostly to organisms other than humans. The
author's perspective will serve you well, however, because the objectives of this course are both
you learning the basics of ecological theory and application, but also for you to think in an
ecological context about interactions you have with nature or your physical environment on a
daily basis.We will follow closely the outline of the book throughout the course. There may be a
few deviations, but for the most part the book will define the path of the class. We will cover
one chapter per week beginning in week 2 of the course. The text itself is divided into three
sections: humans and sustainability; environmental and ecological scientific principles and
concepts; and, sustaining biodiversity.
COURSE PARTICIPATION: Weekly assignments, discussions, and quizzes have been designed
in this course to keep you engaged throughout the semester. You will be expected to interact
with your classmates via weekly threaded discussion sessions on topics related to a given week's
subject matter. Weekly quizzes will test your knowledge of material covered in a given week
and three exams will test your overall knowledge of the subject material.
EVALUATION: Your performance will be graded based on homework assignments, discussion
participation, weekly quizzes, and exam.
Course material will be activated on the eLearning website weekly. This will include a
Chapter Overview that will layout reading, powerpoint assignment (if available), homework, and
discussion assignments. We will cover a new chapter each week. Weekly assignments will be
posted under chapter headings on the course website. You will be expected to read the
introductory narratives that introduce each chapter. You then will read that week's chapter,
participate in the threaded discussion during each week, and take weekly timed quizzes to test
your knowledge of the material covered. Every fifth week you will have an exam covering
material from the previous four weeks.
Weekly threaded discussion topics will be derived from critical thinking questions posted
in the discussion section of the eLearning website. Review the discussion material and join the
discussion each week. You may ask or answer questions on any other course-related topic
during weekly threaded discussions, but the critical thinking questions are designed for you to
consider practical applications of the material you learn in each chapter. Participation in
threaded discussions is mandatory and will constitute 10% of your final course grade.
Homework assignments for each will account for another 10% of your final course grade
Weekly quizzes will be derived from content presented in a given chapter. A quiz will
consist of multiple choice, true/false, or matching questions and you will be allowed 20 minutes
to complete it. Quizzes will be open book, but given the time restraints it will benefit you to
know the chapter material prior to beginning a quiz. Quizzes will be posted on the eLearning
site along with other chapter material. You may take a quiz anytime after it is activated and prior
to when it is due; see course calendar for due dates. DO NOT open a quiz file prior to when you
plan to take it because the eLearning software will allow you access to a quiz only once. Of the
11 quizzes, you will be permitted to drop the lowest grade. The average of the other 10 quizzes
will constitute 30% of your course grade.
The remaining 50% of your course grade will come from exams; see course calendar for
exam due dates. There will be three exams given during the semester. Exams will follow the
format of quizzes for the most part but will have three short answer questions in addition to 30
multiple choice, true/false, or matching questions. You will have 75 minutes to complete each
exam. Exams will be open note/open book, but you should not plan on being able to skim
through the book to find correct answers without having learned the material. Like quizzes,
timed exams will only allow you to access them a single time.
Course requirements/ Evaluation:
Exam 1= 100 points
Exam 2= 100 points
Exam 3= 100 points
Discussion= 100 points
Homework= 100 points
Quizzes= 300 points
Total= 800 points
90-100%=A
80-89%= B
70-79%= C
60-69%= D
59% & below= F
Course Goals and Student Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course you should be able to:
1. Describe human impact on nature.
2. Explain the underlying biological and chemical principles of ecology.
3. Define how energy and matter flow and cycle in our environment.
4. Use charts, figures, narrative descriptions and other appropriate technical writing and oral
communication tools when exploring and discussing ecological related information.
5. Recognize the source and derivation of ecological terminology.
6. Employ scientific processes when addressing everyday problems.
7. Place a greater emphasis on the processes used to conduct scientific investigations and the results of
these investigations.
8. Read and understand newspaper and television reports on current ecological research and
development and recognize the social/ethical issues associated with these advances in ecology.
9. Willingly contribute your ideas and understandings of ecology to current issues.
10. Justify personal decisions based upon information and ethics which are consistent with what is known
from ecology.
COMMUNICATION: Emails will be sent throughout the semester and materials will be posted to
the class eLearning webpage regularly.
UWF HONOR CODE: As Argonauts we act with integrity. We do not lie, cheat, steal or tolerate
those who do. VIOLATIONS OF THE UNIVERSITY ACADEMIC HONESTY CODE WILL BE
DEALT WITH AS OUTLINED IN THE CODE OF UNIVERSITY LAWS.
ACADEMIC ASSESSMENT: This course is designated as a General Studies course. The General
Studies curriculum at the University of West Florida is designed to provide a cohesive program
of study that promotes the development of a broadly educated person and provides the
knowledge and skills needed to succeed in university studies. This course has been approved as
meeting your requirement in the Natural Sciences area. The two major General Studies learning
outcomes for this course are analysis/evaluation and ethical reasoning.
All notes given in this class are protected by copyright laws and may NOT be distributed, posted
on the Internet, or commercialized.
If you are interested in a major in Biology, you should contact the Department of Biology at 850474-2077 or 2014. If you are undecided about your major, you should contact your academic
advisor or the Career Center at 850-474-2254.