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Spring 2007 This Distance Learning course is based on a series of 12 video programs produced by the BBC and narrated by celebrated British science filmmaker Sir David Attenborough. Attenborough travels the planet. Description of the course content (from the Study Guide): “Living Planet is an overview of world ecology. Over the course of the semester, you will be introduced to several ecosystems, such as deserts, grasslands and mountain peaks. David Attenborough, the narrator, discusses where these ecosystems are found and the features of each. He also examines the plants and animals that are found there and discusses any special adaptations that allow them to be successful.” Course Materials The videos are available in all ACC’s libraries, with some checkout copies. They are also broadcast on ACC’s cable channel, but what students like the best is that a DVD of all 12 programs can be found online for under $50, far less than the price of a typical science textbook. Then they can watch whenever it is convenient for them. It is available on amazon.com, or one could Google “ living planet david attenborough dvd” and find many other places that sell it at various prices. Students simply need to make sure that they do not get DVDs produced in the UK, because American DVD players cannot play them. Three ACC Biology Department faculty members have written a Study Guide for the course, which updates Attenborough’s information and has detailed questions about the video episodes to direct students to the important information. The Study Guide serves as the textbook for the course, and is essential for passing BIOL 2306. It can be purchased at the Rio Grande bookstore for under $15, or it can be downloaded for free from ACC’s Biology Department website. To take a look at it, go to: http://www.austincc.edu/biology/labmanuals/23068th/ind23068th.html Attenborough wrote a companion book called The Living Planet. It is out of print, but we have copies at most ACC libraries, and it can sometimes be found used. It is excellent, but it is in no way required as course material for BIOL 2306, The Living Planet Course Organization This course is comprised of six units, each covering two video episodes. Students can go to any of ACC’s Central Texas Testing Centers to be tested. Exam deadlines are spaced evenly throughout the semester, and are firm deadlines, which means if a deadline is missed, the student receives a zero on that exam. Any student who misses two exam deadlines is automatically dropped from the course. However, there is an optional (makeup) comprehensive final that replaces the lowest grade, even if the lowest grade is a zero. The exam format is objective, meaning multiple-choice and true/false questions. Each exam contains 50 2-point questions and is worth 100 points. Exams are scored as soon as they are turned in, so students know immediately how they did. There is a written component people say that they enjoy doing, which involves students’ choosing an animal or plant from the series that they would like to observe personally. There are several options for this observation within Austin’s city limits, and others are nearby. Students go to visit that species at the Austin Zoo, Zilker Botanical Garden, the Austin Nature Center, San Antonio Zoo, Sea World, etc. URLs for the websites of these locations are given, so that student can choose which to visit. A written report answering questions about their observations is submitted online. That is worth 20 points. OSD students who have submitted prior letters of accommodation have an alternate written component. Grading The course grade is made up of the following: Each exam is worth 100 points—the top 6 exam grades are counted A: 558—626 Students all submit contracts agreeing to the policies of the course. Summary Many people who have taken this course say that it gave them an in-depth appreciation for our beautiful planet, and encouraged them to see as much of it as possible for themselves. |
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