Instructor Information
Instructor Name: Julie J. Murphree
Science and Mathematics Faculty
College of Letters and Sciences
Arizona State University Polytechnic Campus
Contact Information
Office: 101E Wanner Hall
Email Address: Julie.Murphree@asu.edu
Course Description
Environmental policy and ethics in the practice of biology. The course covers ethical reasoning,
policy formulation, and regulatory agencies using examples from biotechnology and the
environment.
*This course is offered by the College of Integrative Sciences and Arts For more information
about the college, visit our website: https://cls.asu.edu/ . If you have questions or concerns,
please send your inquiry to cls@asu.edu. ”
Course Level Objectives
At the completion of this course students will be able to identify issues currently being addressed in
Applied biology, understand basic environmental framework that currently guides our policies, and
develop an appreciation for the ethical questions facing our citizens as they relate to biology and the
environment.
Course Textbook and Materials
All readings and assignments will be posted on MY ASU Blackboard. There are no required
textbooks for this course.
Email and Internet
Students must have an active ASU e-mail account and access to the Internet. All instructor
correspondences will be either posted on the Blackboard Announcement board or sent to student’s
ASU e-mail account. Students should plan on checking the course Blackboard website or the
MyASU Blackboard site regularly for course related messages.
Course Attendance/Participation
ABS 302: Ethical and Policy Issues in Biology
Preparation for class means reading the assigned readings and reviewing all information required for
that module. Attendance in an online course means logging into blackboard on a regular basis and
participating in all of the activities that are posted in the course.
Studying and Preparation Time
The course requires students to spend time preparing and completing assignments. A two-credit
course requires 90 hours of student work. Therefore expect to spend approximately 5-6 hours a week
preparing for and actively participating in this course.
Course Format
This is an icourse consisting of four modules on different aspects of ethics and policy issues in
biology. Past semesters have covered GMOs, cloning, stem cell research, transhumanism, end of life
decisions, ethics of the environment and animal rights. The core of the class consists of instructional
programs that are available on MyASU Blackboard. Each module consists of a series of readings
and presentations related to the module content topic that are organized so that students can
efficiently complete the activities and quizzes for each module within the time allotted. This course
requires students to have access to a computer that has high speed access to the Internet.
Course Overview and point structure
1. ABS 302 is divided into four topical modules.
○ Each module is worth 100 points and consists of a mixture of readings, video
presentations from relevant topics relating to ethical and policy issues in biology today,
and short assignments requiring students to form ethical opinions or defend a position.
○Each module is accompanied by a study guide which will guide students through their
online experience.
○Modules will be delivered sequentially over the course of the semester and will be
available for approximately 10 days. Students should paste the deadline dates in a
convenient area to ensure proper time to finish each module.
2. To begin the online course experience ,
○Click on "Introduction" tab. View the introduction video, read the syllabus and take the
online syllabus quiz. (Not counted towards grade).
○Click on the "Content" tab and select the appropriate module (1-4) that is currently
available
○Click on "study guides" and select the study guide which accompanies the appropriate
module.
○Readings and videos for each module are available directly through study guides or under
the "Content tab"
1. Study guides are available for each module (under "Study Guides " in blackboard)
○Include all reading and internet links for the selected module.
(Material will also be available separately in the "content" tab within the "Readings" and "Videos" section
of each module.)
o Provide instructions for completion of essay questions, blogs or other writing assignments (if
required).
○It is strongly recommended that students complete the study guide before they attempt the
quiz as most of the quiz questions will be taken directly from this document.
1. Completion of module:
○All modules will require completion of the end of module quiz on assigned readings and
videos.
○ Some modules may require that students complete a short essay question, conduct an
internet search, conduct an interview or other short activity or contribute and respond to
blogs.
○ Points will be accumulated based on student input on both the quiz and associated
activities.
○ By the end of each module deadline, students will be expected to have completed the
module content and associated activities.
Point Structure:
1. Discussion: Post opinion on a particular topic and/or respond to other students blogs. (5-15
points)
§ This may not be required for every module.
§ This exercise provides students with the opportunity to state their own opinion and debate issues.
§ All comments made must be respectful in nature. The student may lose up to 50 points for
disrespectful behavior and may be required to drop the class if rude or inappropriate behavior is
displayed. Courtesy and respect are the key ingredients! J
2. Blog or Essay Response: ( 15-25 points)
§ This may not be required on every module.
§ Blogs will be posted under the “Tools” tab in “Blogs”. To submit your blog, click on “Tools”,
then on “blogs” . upload your essay or article
§ Topic may involve student's assessment of case studies or a reflection on assigned readings or videos
§ Blogs or Essays will be brief in nature and will provide students with the opportunity to search for
facts, debate issues and come to an ethical decision
§ Specific directions for Blog/essay responses will be posted under the module content section as well as
a detailed rubric. For full points, students must address questions associated with the rubric.
§ Length: keep it brief. 2-3 pages (double spaced). Site 2-3 sources at end of document. I will primarily
be concerned with your thoughts and how you arrived at your opinion.
§ Students may gain extra points for innovative thinking and for excellence in writing and organization
skills.
3. Completion of online quiz for each module ( 65-100 points) The Quiz is designed to test student
knowledge on assigned readings and videos. Quizzes will have the following format:
§ Consist of: True/False, multiple choice and short answer questions.
§ Time and Deadlines:
o Once the quiz for the particular module has been opened students will have approximately 2 hours to
complete each quiz
o Students must complete the quiz in one sitting.
§ In order to be successful, students should have their study guide available when taking the quiz as
most of the test questions will be taken directly from the study guide.
§ All Assessments will be submitted through blackboard before the deadline date and time
(midnight).
§ Questions and concerns about grades or grading procedures must be addressed within one week of the
assessment grade being posted
Extra Credit: Up to 15 points (depending on depth of project). Extra credit assignment will consist of
outside research, interview or activity pertaining to ethical issues in Biology. Extra credit must be
instructor approved. Student is required to contact the instructor no later than two weeks before course
completion (June 12).
1. Module content availability, assessment deadlines and point distributions are provided
below. All module content is due at midnight.
Content
May include blog or
essay question
Availability Deadline for
completion
Point value
for module assessment
and assigned activities
Syllabus Quiz 10 points( not counted
towards grade)
Module 1 May 16 – May 26 Friday
May 26th
100
Module 2 May 27-June 5 Monday
June 5
100
Module 3 June 6-June 16 Friday
June 16
100
Module 4 June 17-June 26 Monday
June 26
100
Total
400 points
Read this special note: The module deadlines are fixed and NO extensions will be granted to
students after 7 days before each of the module deadlines posted above. For example, the first
module deadline is September 11, which means that after September 4, NO extensions will be
granted regardless of conditions or circumstances. Moreover, extension requests before this deadline
are not guaranteed. The course administrator reserves the sole right to grant or deny a student’s
request for a module extension. Under the unusual situation or circumstances in which the course
administrator does agree to grant a deadline extension, the extension interval given to students is
generally 3 days in order to able to receive full credit.
Final Grades
The assignment of final student letter grades will be based on a percentage of points earned on
module assignments and quizzes. The letter grade will correspond with the following percentages
achieved. All course module requirements must be completed before a grade is assigned.
A 90 to 98% (99% and above, A+)
B 80 to 89%
C 70 to 79%
D 60 to 69%
E below 60%
Student’s grades for the assessments and creative assignments will be posted electronically in the
myASU Gradebook.
Student Conduct Statement
As ASU instructors, our penchant is to assume best intentions on behalf of the students in this course.
However, as need arises we are compelled to remind all in the course that the practice of academic
dishonesty is a violation of the ASU Academic Integrity Policy. According to the policy, students
must "act with honesty and integrity, and must respect the rights of others in carrying out all
academic assignments".
In accordance with the ASU Academic Integrity Policy, when a violation has occurred such as in
cases of plagiarism or use of materials from the Internet or any other source (including other
students) without full and appropriate attribution, we the instructors may lower the grade of an
assignment or assessment or assign the student a grade of XE for the course.
Technical Support Contact Information
If you are experiencing technical issues, contact the ASU Help Desk using the following information:
Email: helpdesk@ecollege.asu.edu
Phone: 480-965-6500, option 6
For ASURITE User ID, password or activation assistance, contact the ASU Help Desk using the
following information: Email: helpdesk@asu.edu
Phone: 480-965-6500, option 1. For information on systems outages see the ASU systems status
calendar, please visit http://syshealth.asu.edu/.
Accessibility Statement
In compliance with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504, and the Americans with Disabilities
Act of 1990, professional disability specialists and support staff at the Disability Resource Centers
(DRC) facilitate a comprehensive range of academic support services and accommodations for
qualified students with disabilities. DRC staff coordinate transition from high schools and
community colleges, in-service training for faculty and staff, resolution of accessibility issues,
community outreach, and collaboration between all ASU campuses regarding disability policies,
procedures, and accommodations.Students who wish to request an accommodation for a disability
should contact the Disability Resource Center (DRC) for their campus.
Tempe Campus
http://www.asu.edu/studentaffairs/ed/drc/
480-965-1234 (Voice)
480-965-9000 (TTY)
Polytechnic Campus
http://www.asu.edu/studentaffairs/ed/drc/
480.727.1165 (Voice)
480.727.1009 (TTY)
West Campus
http://www.west.asu.edu/drc/
University Center Building (UCB), Room 130
602-543-8145 (Voice)
Downtown Phoenix Campus
http://campus.asu.edu/downtown/DRC
University Center Building, Suite 160
602-496-4321 (Voice)
602-496-0378 (TTY)
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