K

Principles of Evolution
Nothing is easier than to admit in words the truth of the universal struggle for life, or more
difficult--at least I have found it so--than constantly to bear this conclusion in mind. Charles
Darwin, The Origin of Species
A syllabus & course schedule
Course Structure
In this section learn
about the purpose and
structure of the course,
the meeting times, the
instructor goals, and
the
breakdown of
our time.
Page 1

Learning Outcomes,
Dates, and Email
Make sure to review
each of the learning
outcomes. In addition
the important dates and
information about
Blackboard and
email are found
here.
Page 2

Course
Structure
The purpose of this course is to introduce
biology students to the fundamental
concepts that underlie the process of
evolution. Students will learn how this
discipline is relevant to all aspects of
biology from the level of the molecule to
the level of the ecosystem.
The theory of evolution is
outstandingly the most important
theory in biology and pervades every
aspect of scientific biological study.
This course will present the basic
principles of evolution in four main
components. Population genetics and
molecular evolution are the bases of
evolutionary fundamentals.
Adaptation and evolutionary
constraints are starting points for
discussing the mechanics of how
evolution proceeds. Biological
diversity and biogeography are the
BIOL A288 CRN 77275

Spring 2014
Instructor Contact
Information
The details about how
to get in touch with
your instructor and
expected response times
to emails.
Page 5

Textbook, Grading &

Assignments

Details
of the
course
assignments and
grading policy
Page 3

While we will
not meet at
the same
time each
week, we will
use
VoiceThread to
interact
asynchronously.

outcomes of evolution at several

scales, and speciation and extinction
are what structure the Tree of Life.
We will explore all of these areas in
detail.
Meeting times
While this course is asynchronous, it
is not self-paced. Each week you
should log-in to our Blackboard
course, attend lecture via
VoiceThread, and do a self-check
quiz. VoiceThread will serve as our
virtual classroom in which you will
be asked questions that you are
expected to answer. In addition, You
will also be spending time working
through evolutionary simulations to
help you learn concepts such as

Course & University

Policies
Attendance and late
policies, academic
integrity, accessibility
policies.
Page 4

Classroom
Expectations
This section will cover
additional classroom
expectations and the
materials necessary for
the course
Page 5

genetic drift and reconstructing

phylogenetic trees.
Instructor Goals
Explain the principle concepts and
processes important to understanding
the study of evolution.
Teach the application of evolutionary
theory to interpretation of biological
patterns and processes.
Breakdown of our time
The traditional 3 hours of lecture will
be delivered 100% asynchronously
via Blackboard and VoiceThread.
Remember that in a face-to-face
lecture class you spend 2 hour and 15
min session in the classroom.
Textbook reading and studying are
not part of this time. This course is
modeled after that system so you will
be spending more than just the lecture
time and quizzes to do well in the
course. Plan to spend at least 3 hours
each week for class and up to 6
additional hours for reading,
assignments, and studying.
"1

STUDENT LEARNING
OUTCOMES

Technology requirements
for this course:

Students who successfully master the

material in this course will be able to:

This is not an introductory course. You

must be comfortable using a computer
and working on the Internet. For this
course we will utilize Blackboard and
VoiceThread. Most importantly, you
must be willing to troubleshoot and
attempt to resolve any technical problems
that may arise. This will often include
calling the UAA IT Call Center at
877-633-3888 for
assistance. Remember the
UAA call center is open
from 7:00am - 10pm
weekdays and 10-2 on
weekends and can help
with passwords and
details of how to
accomplish tasks in Blackboard.

I.

Integrate core concepts of biological

sciences by investigating and
applying the fundamental
constructs of evolutionary theory.

II.

Articulate theory and processes of

natural selection, sexual selection,
models of speciation, and current
evolutionary thought.

III. Describe patterns of phylogeny and

evolution using molecular and
cladistic data sets.
IV. Model evolutionary processes using
simulations and computer-based
applications.

Prerequisites
BIOL A108 or BIOL A115/L and 116/
L or permission of the instructor

Important Dates
Students should be certain to familiarize
themselves with the academic dates and
deadlines each semester. They are provided
here for your convenience.
Labor Day (no classes): September 5
Drop/Audit Deadline: September 9
Withdraw Deadline: November 4
Withdrawal & drops: Students are
expected to withdraw from the class if
they cannot complete the course. The
instructor will not automatically
withdraw students who do not attend or
fall behind. Students who do not
successfully complete the class and do
not withdraw will receive an F. I
appreciate hearing from students who
drop or withdraw; your feedback can
sometimes make the course better for
others.

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2

In order to get full credit for lecture

workshops, you will need to have the
ability to video yourself, using either a
plug-in webcam or a built-in computer
camera. In addition, the audio you record
should be free of background noise and
should sound clear. I recommend that
you review all of your audio/video
responses. Prepare accordingly and make
sure you have the necessary equipment
by September 5.
Back-up Computer Plan:
It is a fact of life that hardware and
software breaks down when you least
desire or expect it. Successful online
students are individuals who recognize
this inevitability and plan for it. Make
sure you have a plan to access a back-up
computer. A broken
computer is not
sufficient reason for
you to not attend
class.
Lets face it:
technology breaks. servers go down,
transfers time out, files become corrupt.
The list goes on and on. These are not
considered emergencies. They are part of
the normal production process. An issue
you may have with technology is no

excuse for late work. You need to protect

yourself by managing your time and
backing up your work.

University email
All students on all campuses at the
University of Alaska have a
yourname@alaska.edu email account. The
University will use this e-mail to
communicate with all students on many
important matters (financial aid, student
account, emergency alerts). You are
responsible for knowing and, when
appropriate, acting on the contents of all
university communications sent to your
official UA e-mail accounts. Many
students either forward their other email
account into this Google-based account or
they forward their university email into
their personal email account.
A primary mode of communication in
this course (outside of class time) will be
email. It is your responsibility to check
your email regularly for messages. At the
beginning of the semester, check to be
sure UAA Blackboard emails are not
collecting in your junk email folder. If this
does happen, open the email and select
the option to mark as an approved/safe
sender. I recommend that you either
forward the UA e-mail into an account
that you check regularly or simply check
your UA email.

Proctoring of
Exams
I have signed our
class up to pilot a new
version of proctoring where you can take
your exams from home and not have to
go to a test proctoring center. I havent yet
heard the details of this and will revert to
regular test proctoring if it is not set up in
time for our first midterm.
Traditionally you sign up for proctoring
by visiting the following site and filling
out the information: https://
www.uaa.alaska.edu/academics/
institutional-effectiveness/departments/
academic-innovations-elearning/
elearning/students/proctored-exams/
index.cshtml
BIOL A288 CRN 77275

Textbook and
Materials

First Midterm

15%

Second Midterm

20%

I have chosen an evolution textbook that I

find is one of the more
readable evolution
textbooks without
compromising on
content. I hope you find
it both readable and
useful for your studies.

Final Exam

25%

Bergstrom, C.T, and

Dugatkin, L.A. (2012) Evolution.
W.W. Norton and Co. New York, NY.
ISBN: 9780393925920

Purchasing Options
1. You can purchase one through the
Kodiak College Bookstore (with this
option you can use your student
account) $86.50 - $115
2. You can purchase or rent one through
amazon $28.99 or Chegg.com $28.49

Simulation Exercises 15%

If you receive a 50 on the first exam
and a 90 on the 2nd exam, I will
average the two grades and replace
your first exam score with the
average. In this case it would be a 70.
Please note that the higher score must
be higher by at least 10 points.
Incomplete I grades: will only be
given if the student has successfully
completed a majority of the class and
has some emergency or extenuating
circumstance, which makes it
impossible for them to complete the
course this semester. An Incomplete
grade will not be given to students
who have simply fallen behind on the
assignments or students who wish to
get a better grade by turning in
assignments after the course deadline.

3. If you want an eBook then you can

purchase one through the publisher for **Please note that a grade of A will not be
awarded if the final exam is not taken**
$55

Grading
Grades will be based upon the percentage
of points earned out of the total points
possible during the semester. The
breakdown of available points is given
below:
Self-Check Quizzes

5%

Lecture Workshops

20%

BIOL A288 CRN 77275

Explanations of
Assignments
Self-check Quizzes

between mid-term exams can help

determine what you may need to study
more closely.

Lecture Workshops
Class participation is an important
expectation of this course. Students are
expected to offer comments, questions,
and replies to the discussion questions
that have been posed in the VoiceThread
lecture workshops. Students are expected
to actively participate in each lecture
workshop. I will be reading/listening to
all responses and I will participate in the
discussion as appropriate. I use a rubric
to grade these assignments. It i

Midterm and Final Exams

Your midterm and final exams will be
essay questions drawn from lecture
workshops, simulation exercises, and
textbook reading. You will each need
to set up an exam proctoring location.
Please see the testing locations in
Blackboard.

Simulation Exercises
Two times this semester you will
engage in computer simulations that
will help elucidate phylogenetic
reconstruction and genetic drift. You
will have the opportunity to collect
data, analyze data and challenge your
assumptions.

In each weekly unit you may take a quiz

that will pose a mixture of fact based
questions and short answer responses. I
provide these self-check quizzes so that
you may gauge your understanding of
the material. Having this opportunity
"3

Course and University Policies

Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge: it is those who know little, not
those who know much, who so positively assert that this or that problem will never be solved by
science. Charles Darwin, The Descent of Man

Attendance & Late Policy

Academic Integrity

Students Requiring Accommodations

No late work will be accepted in this course.

You are responsible for the material even if
you miss the assignment.

You are expected to do your own academic

work and cite sources as necessary. Failing to
do so is scholastic dishonesty. Scholastic
dishonesty means plagiarizing; cheating on
assignments or examinations; engaging in
unauthorized collaboration on academic
work; taking, acquiring, or using test materials
without faculty permission; acting alone or in
cooperation with another to falsify records or
to obtain dishonestly grades, honors, or
awards, or fabricating or falsifying data,
research procedures, or data analysis. Of
particular concern, do NOT copy and paste
anything from the internet without putting
quotation marks around it AND citing the
source. This is tempting with all that we have
on our plates and with all that is available
online. However, it is usually quite clear
when this has occurred. Instructors have
access to the same search engines that you do.
Penalties in my courses:
If it is determined that a student has cheated,
he or she may be given an "F" for the course,
and may face additional sanctions from the
University.

The provision of equal opportunities for

students who experience disabilities is a
campus-wide responsibility and commitment.

If a serious, acute situation arises that causes

you to miss an assignment, please
communicate with me so that you do not get
behind. Often times in these circumstances
you and I can work out an accommodation
schedule. The more you communicate with
me, the better. I can help you keep on track.
Your rights and responsibilities are spelled out
in the UAA student code of conduct. Please
see the UAA student code of conduct. https://
catalog.uaa.alaska.edu/handbook/
Any continued form of disruption from a
student will result in an instructor-initiated
withdrawal. At the first instance, I will let you
know that the behavior isnt appropriate for
class. At the second instance, I will ask that
you leave class for that day. On the third
instance you will be withdrawn from the
course. Please note that this involves losing
the cost of the course and potentially financial
aid for the semester.

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If you believe you require special

accommodation to complete the requirements
and expectations of this course because of a
learning or physical disability, please make
your needs known to me.
Disability Support Services (DSS) is the
designated UAA department responsible for
coordinating academic support services for
individuals who experience disabilities.
If you need disability-related
accommodations, please notify DSS at UAA
(907-786-4530). Our local point of contact for
DSS is our Kodiak College academic counselor
Barbara Brown 486-1211.

All suspected offenses will be brought to the

Dean of Students for evaluation by the Judicial
Review Board.

BIOL A288 CRN 77275

Classroom Expectations
Each of us brings to the classroom different ideas, attitudes, experiences, and beliefs. All are
valuable, and each new idea or thought gives us the opportunity to learn something new. To
make it possible for all to share, it is important that we treat one another with mutual respect.
Log-in on the first day
that each new learning
module is available,
review due dates and
assignments for the
module and
schedule your
study time to
ensure due dates
are met. Have
regular access to a
reliable, high
speed internet
connection
through the
duration of this
class.

As you enter the

VoiceThread lectures
each week you will
likely be more
successful if you avoid

multi-tasking. Do take
breaks when needed.
After you answer
questions in the
VoiceThread, please

Electronic Office Hours

Office Location: 109 Vocational Technology Building
on Kodiak College campus. As this is a distance
course, I also hold office hours via Google Hangouts.
Office Hours: via email or Hangouts Tuesdays 5pm
-7pm (you must set your appointment up before 5pm
so that I will know to be available)

via email only Wednesdays 10am - noon

Most distance students communicate with me via
email. In this course, I will follow this convention, but have set up specific
times as office hours during which I will answer email as soon as we
receive it. Instant messaging via Google chat is also a possibility if you use
your google.alaska.edu account. If you'd rather send a text message, please
do, but be sure to indicate who you are in your text message, after you
have texted once I will add your name to your number. Response Times:

review your response

and ensure that you can
be clearly heard. The VT
should not be a one way
street. I will be listening

to your responses and

questions and
answering them as you
post. Finally, we should
all seek to make the
classroom a safe, fun,
and interactive place
to learn. Questions
and comments in
class should be
relevant to the topic
at hand.

Instructor Contact Info

Email and Hangouts citrussell@alaska.edu
Phone & Text 603-259-1533
To utilize any of these channels, we will need to set up an
appointment so we know where and when to meet each other.

Resources you should know

about
Each campus has a library, computer lab, and often
a writing or tutoring center. As a student enrolled
in a UAA/Kodiak College course, you may use the
on campus resources at any site.
In addition, since this course is delivered from
Kodiak College, we offer online tutoring as well.
Visit: http://www.koc.alaska.edu/learningcenter/index.cshtml

Aside from during office hours, I will attempt to respond to email

communications within 24 hours. I will let you know if I will be out of
town over a weekend and unable to respond as quickly.

BIOL A288 CRN 77275

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