Graduate Curriculum Committee Course Proposal Form
for Courses Numbered 6000 and Higher
Note: Before completing this form, please carefully read the accompanying instructions.
Submission guidelines are posted to the GCC Web site: http://www.ecu.edu/cs-acad/gcc/index.cfm
1. Course prefix and number:
BIOL7310
2. Date:
2/16/16
3. Requested action:
X New Course
Revision of Active Course
Revision & Unbanking of a Banked Course
Renumbering of an Existing Course from
from
to
#
Required
X
#
Elective
4. Method(s) of delivery (check all boxes that apply for both current/proposed and expected
future delivery methods within the next three years):
Current or
Proposed Delivery
Method(s):
X
On-campus (face to face)
Expected
Future Delivery
Method(s):
X
Distance Course (face to face off campus)
Online (delivery of 50% or more of the instruction is offered online)
5. Justification (must cite accreditation and/or assessment by the graduate faculty) for new course
or course revision or course renumbering:
The Biology Graduate Committee determined and approved that instruction in
computer simulation modeling would fill an important void in the Department’s
curriculum. Computer simulation modeling has become an extremely important
tool in environmental and ecological research. In fact, it is becoming increasingly
evident that environmental research proposals are less likely to be funded if the
research does not have a modeling component. Computer simulation modeling
is an important skill for any graduate student working in ecological or
environmental fields, and for many graduate students working in laboratoryoriented biological fields. This course is designed for both masters and doctoral
students, and will cover the basic concepts, principles, and methods of ecological
modeling. It is geared towards ecologists, system biologists and related
professionals, coastal resource managers and environmental scientists.
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6. Course description exactly as it should appear in the next catalog:
BIOL 7310. Ecological Modeling and Simulation (3) P: BIOL 2250, 2251 or
equivalent; or consent of instructor. Dynamic computer models of ecological
systems. Focus on the development of algorithms and numerical solutions to
ecological processes at diverse hierarchical scales.
7. If this is a course revision, briefly describe the requested change:
8. Course credit:
Lecture Hours
3
3
Weekly
OR
Per Term
Credit Hours
Lab
Weekly
OR
Per Term
Credit Hours
s.h.
Studio
Weekly
OR
Per Term
Credit Hours
s.h.
Practicum
Weekly
OR
Per Term
Credit Hours
s.h.
Internship
Weekly
OR
Per Term
Credit Hours
s.h.
Other (e.g., independent study) Please explain.
s.h.
s.h.
3
Total Credit Hours
s.h.
15
9. Anticipated annual student enrollment:
10. Changes in degree hours of your programs:
Degree(s)/Program(s)
Changes in Degree Hours
NA
11. Affected degrees or academic programs, other than your programs:
Degree(s)/Program(s)
Changes in Degree Hours
PhD IDPBS
Ph D CRM
NA
NA
12. Overlapping or duplication with affected units or programs:
X Not applicable
Documentation of notification to the affected academic degree programs is
attached.
13. Council for Teacher Education (CTE) approval (for courses affecting teacher education):
X Not applicable
Applicable and CTE has given their approval.
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14. University Service-Learning Committee (USLC) approval:
X Not applicable
Applicable and USLC has given their approval.
15. Statements of support:
a. Staff
Current staff is adequate
X
Additional staff is needed (describe needs in the box below):
b. Facilities
X Current facilities are adequate
Additional facilities are needed (describe needs in the box below):
c. Library
X
Initial library resources are adequate
Initial resources are needed (in the box below, give a brief explanation and an
estimate for the cost of acquisition of required initial resources):
d. Unit computer resources
X
Unit computer resources are adequate
Additional unit computer resources are needed (in the box below, give a brief
explanation and an estimate for the cost of acquisition):
e. ITCS resources
X
ITCS resources are not needed
The following ITCS resources are needed (put a check beside each need):
Mainframe computer system
Statistical services
Network connections
Computer lab for students
Software
Approval from the Director of ITCS attached
16. Course information (see: Graduate Curriculum and Program Development Manual for
instructions):
a. Textbook(s) and/or readings: author(s), name, publication date, publisher, and
city/state/country. Include ISBN (when applicable).
William E. Grant, Todd M. Swannack. Ecological Modeling: A Common-Sense
Approach to Theory and Practice. 2008. Wiley-Blackwell. 176 pages. ISBN:
978-1-4051-6168-8
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b. Course objectives for the course (student – centered, behavioral focus)
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
• Identify key modeling terminology in an environmental modeling context;
• Analyze and design critical elements of an environmental model including
energy cycles, natural and human impacts (forcing functions) and, energy and
material processes;
• Evaluate and review research and simulation models pertaining to
populations, communities and ecosystems.
c. Course topic outline
1. General review of important ecological and chemical concepts
2. Ecosystem theory, energy dynamics, the Laws of Thermodynamics
3. Ecological organization and hierarchy theory
4. Cybernetics and emergent properties
5. Biogeochemistry and elemental cycling, aquatic vs. terrestrial ecosystems
6. Estuarine and wetland ecosystems
7. Landscape ecology, management of ecosystems
8. Energy flow, trophic efficiencies, conceptual modeling
9. Basic mathematics and calculus of modeling
10. Calibration, validation, and sensitivity analysis
11. Modeling case studies, spatial simulation modeling, GIS, remote sensing
12. Computer lab exercises, application of simulation modeling to the students'
research
d. List of course assignments, weighting of each assignment, and grading/evaluation system
for determining a grade
This course focuses on 1) the basic concepts of simulation and modeling as
they pertain to environmental systems, 2) the theory and mechanics of
computer modeling and simulation of environmental processes, and 3) learning
how to create, apply, and interpret models to research through hands-on work.
Classes will combine lectures and computer laboratory practices. The course
lectures will consist of a textbook and a collection of primary literature articles.
The course will be a combination of lectures and a computer lab. All lectures
will be Socratic in nature, and will involve student discussion of a collection of
papers pertinent to that day's topic. By reading, critiquing, and researching
various environmental concepts, models and simulations, and future research
trends, students are expected to assess the strengths and weaknesses of
various models, relating them to each other and real-life case studies. Each
student will be responsible for the following; attending each class, complete the
required readings, and computer exercises.
Assigned readings and general participation (40% of final grade):
Students are expected to attend class, complete the readings assigned, and
finish class assignments in a timely manner. There will be in-class discussions
on assigned readings, lectures, and ideas. All students are expected to take
part in these discussions and contribute to the class, and will be graded on this
participation. In addition, several peer-review papers will be available for
download for each class. Students are expected to read these articles and
engage ingroup discussions of content, interpretations, and conclusions of the
assigned papers during each class session. Students will be required to submit
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4 written critiques (2-3 pages each). Articles to be reviewed should be chosen
from the suggested reading categories. Reviews should include a synopsis of
the paper, a synthesis and critiques of the main ideas, and a personal
evaluation of the work. Peer-review article reviews should follow the format of
the assigned critique.
Mid-term exam (20% of final grade):
Covers all material from the first half of the course. Mid-term exam will include
practical and theoretical questions.
Final Research Paper (40% of final grade):
The final research paper should be 10-15 pages in length. The purpose of this
paper is to allow you to research the application of an environmental topic of
your particular interest.
Topics can include case studies or implemented programs applied to the
solution of a specific environmental problem.
Grading Scale
A = 90-100%
B = 80-89%
C= 70-79%
F ≤ 69%
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