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Course Orientation

PRE-A&P (BIO 095)

SCC Catalog Course Description

BIO 095   Pre-A&P Foundations in Science (1)

This course provides the foundations of scientific terminology and concepts useful for success in Anatomy & Physiology I (acceptable prerequisite for BIO 250A/250B). Topics include: scientific method, chemistry of life, cell biology, genetics, energetics, overview of human systems.  This course is graded on a Pass/Fail basis.   Offered online only.  This course does not count toward graduation.

Watch/Listen to an Introduction to Your Course Director

Read the Introduction to Your Course Director

I’m Kevin Patton and I designed this course to help you succeed in anatomy and physiology (A&P). A&P can be a challenging course. I know, I’ve been teaching it for decades. During that time, I’ve learned what biology concepts students really need to know before they start. And I also learned that most students coming into A&P don’t remember much from their previous biology experience—even if it was recent.

In this Pre-A&P course, I’m inviting you to join me in reviewing the concepts you need to remember before starting A&P. And doing it in a way that learning science shows works great for reviewing and reinforcing all those ideas stuck deep inside your brain.

I’ve been around SCC for a while. I was one of the original faculty! So I’ve been here literally forever. My wife and kids have been students here, too. And you know what? Even I have taken classes here myself.  Besides teaching A&P, I’ve also led Study Tours to the East African savannas, the Australian reef & outback, the Amazon jungle, and several European cities & countryside. Now retired from full-time teaching at SCC, I also teach part-time in a graduate program that trains A&P professors and I write textbooks for A&P courses. I even have an A&P podcast for A&P professors!

I live over in Weldon Spring with my wife, youngest of three children, two cats, and a dog. I’m a big circus fan (you know what? I used to be a lion tamer when I was younger) and also love theater (watching theater and acting–as a matter of fact, my very first role was as a science professor in St. Charles Community College’s very theater production, long before we had a theater building ).

As you’ll find out, helping students learn is really my main passion. And I’m eager to get started with you on that—so let’s go!

Watch/Listen to the Orientation

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IMPORTANT Notes:

  • BIO 095 is a PASS/FAIL course that is not for academic degree credit. It does, however, satisfy SCC’s prerequisite requirement for entry to A&P courses.
  • Please review the course Attendance & Student Behavior Policy before beginning the course

Read the Orientation

Welcome to BIO 095, PRE-A&P Foundations in Science. I’m Kevin Patton, the course director.

This course is intended as a quick “refresher” course to prepare you for successful entry into the anatomy and physiology course. Although it is a Pass/Fail course and there is no credit toward a degree given, successful completion of BIO 095 is a sufficient prerequisite for entry into A&P at SCC.

BIO 095 is for students who have already learned all or most of this material in their prior learning. This course therefore QUICKLY reviews the concepts that you’ll need to “bring with you” into A&P and get a good start in that course.

By using methods of repeated online testing, this course also strongly reinforces these essential concepts by using a technique called “spaced retrieval practice.” Learning experts have shown that even though it can feel frustrating when you have to repeatedly retake tests until you pass them, you are actually learning the material more solidly so that you can remember it quickly and easily later—when you really need to use it!

This course is a “self-directed” distance learning course which means that you are “on your own” to review the material and take your tests and exam at your own pace. This course is entirely online—you don’t have to attend any campus meetings or classes.

The course is taught within the college’s online learning system called CANVAS. To get into the system, go to the college website at stchas.edu and click the “quick link” for MySCC Portal or go directly to stchas.instructure.com. You’ll then be taken to information on how to login.

Once you’ve logged into our CANVAS platform, you need click the COURSE menu in the top navigation bar to find the correct term then find and select the BIO 095 course and click on it. You’ll then be taken to the course home page, where you’ll see a list of information and course modules running down the center of the page. There are also helpful menus and links in the margins of the page.

In the Getting Started section, you’ll find the syllabus and other course information that will fully explain how the course works. I’ll run through some of that with you right now, but do be sure to explore this information yourself for all the details.

First, let’s talk about a textbook. There is no required textbook for this course. But if you want a book to help you, a general Biology textbook or the first few chapters of an A&P textbook may be helpful. There are links to online textbooks and videos embedded in the Review Outlines of this course. The college library has a recommended book on reserve at the circulation desk and our librarians can assist you in finding other appropriate resources.

Next, let’s chat about How the Course Works

In a nutshell, you work your way through TEN online modules, each on a different topic, then take a comprehensive final exam that reviews all the topics.

The topics are:

  1. Science Basics
  2. Introductory Chemistry
  3. Biologoical Chemistry
  4. Introduction to Cells
  5. Cell Transport
  6. Getting Energy
  7. Making Proteins
  8. Introductory Genetics
  9. Tissues
  10. The Human Body

Each module consists of an online test. If you feel confident, you can take the test right away and hopefully you’ll pass it.

If you don’t feel all that confident, or you don’t pass it the first time, then you may want to review the Review Outline provided in the module. Each Review Outline summarizes some of the main points and helps you find what you need to get ready for the test.

There are embedded links to online “open textbook” selections and tutorial videos in the Review Outlines. Our course also provides Audio Summaries for each topic, which can be downloaded to your device—or you can listen to them online.

When you pass the test in the first module, the test in the second module is “unlocked” and you can now take that test. You cannot skip ahead . . . you must pass each module test to get to the next one. When you pass the last module test, the final exam will be “unlocked” and you are ready to finish the course!

If you fail to reach the final exam and pass it, then you have failed the course and must re-enroll.

You can go at your own pace, of course. However, attendance is reported to the registrar early in each term, so try to get at least one attempt of an online test completed right away.

The final exam cannot be taken earlier than the midpoint of the semester or session in which you are enrolled. So the soonest you can finish the course is the “half-way” point on the academic calendar.

All the tests and the exam involve objective items formatted as multiple choice, multiple response, matching, true-false, and short fill-in items. You may take each online test or exam as many times as you need to in order to pass it.

When taking an Online Test or exam you may use your notes, books, online resources, discussions with tutors or other students, and previous attempts. But your answers must be your own and entered into the program only by you. You may receive direct help using the computer or CANVAS system if you need it.

Each online test presents questions one at a time, just as with professional licensing exams and college-level testing services. That is, you must answer each item and save the answer before moving to the next item.

When the test is finished and you have “submitted” the test for grading, you will know your score immediately and you can go back and look at the entire test. Items are marked as to whether they are correct or incorrect, but correct answers are not given. By finding the correct answers yourself, you will reinforce your learning—a process called “formative testing.”

You must earn a percentage of 85% or better to pass.

Each test on a single topic is generated individually from a large test bank and thus each attempt is different. Online tests are available only during the scheduled semester/session dates. Any attempts to take an online test after the designated time will be unsuccessful. Therefore, do not wait until the last minute to take your tests and final exam! If you don’t finish by the last day of the semester/session, then you will fail the course and you’ll have to re-enroll and start over.

If you get stuck, or need any kind of help, you can contact me at any time. I’m not available 24 hours a day but I do strive to respond as soon as possible.

If you have any problems with logging on or accessing a CANVAS course or an online test, call 636-922-8555 for assistance or go to the Computer Help Desk in the SCC Library.

Computers with high-speed internet access are available to ALL students in the ACE Center and LRC. Laptops with wireless access may also be checked out and used in the LRC. If you do not have home access to these resources, please make time to be on campus to use them.

It is your responsibility to keep track of your progress in the course. Grades will be posted in the gradebook of our CANVAS course. Grades cannot be given out over the phone or by personal email in most circumstances.

If you decide to drop the course, you must officially withdraw at the registration office by the posted drop date to receive a “W” grade. If you never participate or just stop participating without officially withdrawing, you will receive the “F” grade.

This course is based on the principle that all who participate will do so with the honesty befitting adult, professional studies. Without integrity of all students, the integrity of the course, this school, and your own credentials all suffer. This means that all students are expected to submit only their own work on online tests or any other component of this course. Thus, students may not receive inappropriate help nor give inappropriate help to other students.

One last thing:

You are required to complete the Student Understanding, which outlines your responsibilities as a learner, in CANVAS (under “Getting Started”) as soon as possible. You will not be allowed to take the CANVAS online tests until you complete the Student Understanding, which is in the form of an online quiz, by checking “I understand” for each of the items.

Well, that’s enough to get us started . . . please read through the course information in the syllabus next. Then if you have any questions, email me through CANVAS or call me at 636-486-4185.

Have fun!

Quick Orientation to CANVAS

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Quick Orientation to Lion Den

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For news and updates, please check the CANVAS announcements and select the appropriate NOTIFICATION in your CANVAS profile so that you’ll receive an email or text or tweet or whatever when announcements and changes are made.

Last updated: July 17, 2023 at 15:44 pm