More about Eddie Lunsford’s BIO 110 Class

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Students from a wide variety of programs take this class. In Arts & Sciences, it may be used to partially fulfill the natural sciences requirement or used as an elective. In many ways this is my favorite course. It was designed for the non science major. Yet, I have had students to take the class and go on to do very well in advanced classes. Some, in fact, decide to major in biology. This class has a wide variety of biology content but assumes no prior knowledge. It is very similar to the General Biology I (BIO 111) but more general in scope and designed to span only one semester in duration. BIO 111 is designed as the first course of a two part sequence. Topics are treated in much more detail in that course. Students can not use both BIO 110 and BIO 111 in completion of their A&S degree or core requirements.

This class explores topics like how science is done, classification of organisms, evolutionary theory, genetics, cells, ecology, energy, food and chemistry as it relates to biology. At SCC this class is sometimes offered in a traditional classroom setting. More often, though, it is taught on-line in a distance learning format. Regardless of the format, the average successful student should expect to spend around six hours per week in actual class participation as well as about 12 hours per week of additional study and preparation time. Reading the textbook material and reviewing regularly are essential. There is a heavy emphasis on group work and collaborative learning. Even on-line, students are often expected to work together and cooperate.

Evaluation is slightly different in the on-line version than in the traditional version. In the traditional version, there are five unit tests and a comprehensive final. In the on-line version, there are two take home tests (designed to be more challenging than regular tests since students have access to class materials) as well as a mid term and final examination that are more conventional in nature. Weekly lab grades are taken in both versions of the class. The labs done in the on-line version differ only slightly from those in the in-class version. They often use simpler materials that students may have in their homes. In both cases there are labs based around library and internet research. In the in-class version, students usually complete a written project in which they summarize biographical information about several biologists of their choice. Smaller scale projects are typical of the on-line version. In each case, good library and internet research skills are helpful.

Superior time management skills and the ability to work without constant supervision are important in both versions of BIO 110. This is particularly true for the on-line version of the class. Students taking the on-line class should also have basic computer skills and regular access to the internet and to a computer. Not everyone has a home computer. Computers found at schools or libraries will work fine for the on-line version of the class.