BIOL 1322:
Professor: Mrs. Christina Parrott
Course: BIOL-1322.401
Meets: Online only
Semester: Fall 2024
In the event of an emergency or announced campus closure due to a natural disaster or pandemic, it may be necessary for Panola College to move to altered operations. During this time, Panola College may opt to continue delivery of instruction through methods that include, but are not limited to: online learning management system (CANVAS), online conferencing, email messaging, and/or an alternate schedule. It is the responsibility of the student to monitor Panola College's website (www.panola.edu) for instructions about continuing courses remotely, CANVAS for each class for course-specific communication, and Panola College email for important general information.
Unexpected circumstances may arise, but Panola College offers various resources to support students. If you need mental health services or are facing challenges with transportation, affording class materials and supplies, or accessing food regularly—issues that may impact your class performance—please visit panola.edu/resources.
Regular and punctual attendance of classes and laboratories is required of all students. When a student has been ill or absent from class for approved extracurricular activities, he or she should be allowed, as far as possible, to make up for the missed work. If a student has not actively participated by the census date, they will be dropped by the instructor for non-attendance. This policy applies to courses that are in-person, online, hybrid, and hyflex.
Attendance in online courses is determined by submission of an assignment or participation in an activity. According to federal guidelines, simply logging into a distance learning course without participating in an academic assignment does not constitute attendance. Distance learning is defined as when a majority (more than 50%) of instruction occurs when the instructor and students are in separate physical locations. Students must engage in an academic activity prior to the course census date.
When an instructor feels that a student has been absent to such a degree as to invalidate the learning experience, the instructor may recommend to the Vice President of Instruction that the student be withdrawn from the course. Instructors may seek to withdraw students for non-attendance after they have accumulated the following number of absences:
Fall or spring semesters:
3 or more class meeting times per week - 5 absences
2 class meeting times per week - 3 absences
1 class meeting per week - 2 absences
The student is responsible for seeing that he or she has been officially withdrawn from a class. A student who stops attendance in a class without officially withdrawing from that class will be given a failing grade; consequently, the student must follow official withdrawal procedures in the Admissions/Records Office.
Please note: Health Science and Cosmetology courses may require more stringent attendance policies based on their accreditation agencies. Please see the addendum and/or program handbook for further information concerning attendance.
Panola College welcomes pregnant and parenting students as a part of the student body. This institution is committed to providing support and adaptations for a successful educational experience for pregnant and parenting students. Students experiencing a need for accommodations related to pregnancy or parenting will find a Pregnancy and Parenting Accommodations Request form in the Student Handbook or may request the form from the course instructor.
No use of Generative AI permitted.
This option assumes that all work submitted by students will be generated by the students themselves, whether they are working individually or in groups. Students should not have another person or entity do the writing of any portion of an assignment, which includes hiring a person or a company to write assignments and/or using artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT. Use of any AI-generated content in this course qualifies as academic dishonesty and violates Panola College’s standards of academic integrity.
The purpose of this course is to familiarize the student with the concepts, principles, and theories of science and provide an opportunity to experience and appreciate the processes and methodology of science.
After studying all materials and resources presented in the course, the student will be able to:
- Apply nutritional knowledge to analyze personal dietary intakes, to plan nutritious meals using nationally established criteria to meet recommended goals, and to evaluate food labels and the validity of nutritional claims.
- Trace the pathways and processes that occur in the body to handle nutrients and alcohol through consumption, digestion, absorption, transport, metabolism, storage, and waste excretion.
- Discuss functions, sources, deficiencies and toxicities of macro- and micronutrients, including carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, water, vitamins, and minerals.
- Apply the concept of energy balance and its influences at the physical, emotional, societal, and cellular level to evaluate advantages and disadvantages of various methods used to correct energy imbalances.
- Utilize concepts of aerobic and anaerobic energy systems, and knowledge about macronutrients, vitamins, minerals, ergogenic, and supplements and relate them to fitness and health.
- Describe health and disease issues related to nutrition throughout the life cycle, including food safety, corrective dietary modifications, and the influence of specific nutrients on diseases.
A general description of lecture/discussion topics included in this course are listed in the Learning Outcomes section of this syllabus.
Students in all sections of this course will learn the following content:
- Identify nutrients and the role they contribute to the overall health of an individual.
- Identify different tools used to assess and evaluate the dietary intake of nutrients.
- Discuss the role of the various body systems as they contribute to nutrient digestion, absorption, transport and regulation, and the removal of wastes from the body.
- Discuss the structure, dietary sources, biological functions, digestion, and absorption of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins.
- Discuss the sources, functions, potentials for deficiencies or toxicities, and recommended intakes for each vitamin and mineral.
- Identify the importance of energy balance in the maintenance of a healthy body weight.
- Identify the advantages of a healthy active lifestyle and discuss the utilization of glucose during times of physical exertion.
- Identify the causes, physical effects, and treatment options for various eating disorders.
- Identify the role of proper nutrition in assessing growth and development through various stages of life.
- Discuss food safety as related to foodborne illness, environmental contamination, public health, and food preservation.
This course is offered in the traditional face-to-face classroom environment and online. Students in the traditional class and in the online class will have access to this course using Canvas, a learning management system. Student learning outcomes, outlines/notes, power points, reviews, videos, and other study aids are provided within Canvas modules. A Connect Nutrition access code (provides access to the publisher’s digital learning environment that helps to improve performance) is required to provide access to an eBook/SmartBook and homework (participation) assignments that help in the understanding of student learning outcomes. Connect contains the SmartBook study tool that can help improve memory recall and increase student performance and retention and a NutritionCalc program to assess dietary intake and physical activity.
Students in the traditional class will meet regularly for lectures over the course content and follow class attendance guidelines as indicated in the Panola College catalog. Online students should be responding weekly and that can be accomplished by submissions to the nutrition participation assignments that are posted in Connect. Students will be completing exams using the Proctorio Online Testing program within Canvas. Some requirements for Proctorio include a computer with a camera/Webcam, Google Chrome as your browser, reliable Internet service, and a quiet location. Students may also choose to complete their exams at an On-Campus Testing Center (Carthage, Marshall, or Center). Hours of operation of the On-Campus testing centers are posted on the Student Support Services webpage (Student Support | Panola College). Examinations will require approximately 60 minutes for completion.
Students should feel free to email any questions or concerns associated with this course to the instructor. Please be sure to check and appropriately respond to your emails in Canvas. Students should also feel free to communicate by phone or in person during scheduled office hours. Students in both the traditional and online classes should use e-mail within Canvas to communicate with the instructor. Using Canvas email gives you access to the instructor and other classmates--you just select a name from the list. If there is an issue in contacting your instructor using email in Canvas, you may use their Panola College email address (located in the “Getting Started” module in Canvas). I will attempt to respond to all emails within 24 hours.
Students are expected to demonstrate academic integrity. Evidences of any form of cheating (from daily assessments to examinations), plagiarism, collusion, or inappropriate use of artificial intelligence (AI) will result in a grade of “0” for that assignment. Completing online examinations using the Proctorio Online testing service requires the student to follow provided guidelines/instructions. Deviating from these guidelines/instructions will result in a grade of “0” for that exam evaluation. Using the Proctorio program provides a degree of flexibility and convenience to your schedule. Misuse of this testing privilege can result in a grade of “0” for an exam evaluation and will require that you complete your future exams in a proctored environment (testing center). The testing experience at your location should mimic the testing environment in a face-to-face classroom. Some of the major guidelines include a proper 360-degree room scan, maintaining consistent eye contact with your computer screen, no other individuals should be present in your immediate testing vicinity (unless you are testing in a public place), and there should not be conversations with others (or yourself) during the exam (unless you are completing your exam with a reader (through Disability Support Services). Additional online testing requirements/guidelines and information concerning Proctorio are provided within your Proctorio module within Canvas. Technical issues related to internet service or computer glitches/problems occurring during proctored online evaluations (quizzes/examinations) may require the student to complete these evaluations face-to-face at an On-Campus Testing Center.
A course information sheet will be provided to all students and will include instructor information, course requirements, information on academic integrity, testing information, grading information, course materials, strategies for success, and a tentative schedule. The course information sheet will be located in Canvas.
The course grade is determined from the following components:
- Participation activities will represent 15% of your total grade and will be evaluated from homework assignments provided in Connect. Due dates will be supplied with the homework assignments in Connect, on your calendar for the course, and within your modules within Canvas; it is the student's responsibility to properly submit responses in a timely manner (Late responses will not be accepted!).
- Discussion postings will represent 2.5% of your total grade. Topics will be posted for discussion on the Canvas discussion board. On postings on the discussion board, everyone in the course can read what you post (so watch spelling, grammar, message content, etc.). On topics that are posted, there will be instructions and a deadline date for your posted submissions/responses. Late responses will not be accepted!
- Projects will represent 22.5% of your total grade. The student is responsible for completing 1) a report on a current “popular” diet and 2) a dietary analysis and energy assessment project. Due dates and specific printable instructions and grading rubrics for these projects are provided within Canvas (“Project” module). Evidences of any form of cheating, plagiarism, collusion, or the use of artificial intelligence (AI) will result in a grade of “0” for that assignment.
- Unit Exams will represent 45% of your total grade. Scheduled examination dates are provided within the course information sheet, within your modules in Canvas, and on your calendar. Examinations will be computer-based (using Proctorio Online Testing Services) in the nutrition courses and should be completed on the scheduled completion date and time. Exam questions will be drawn from a variety of sources including your course outlines/notes/power points, review sheets, student learning outcomes, vocabulary terms, and textbook/online (Connect) review questions. Missed examinations due to legitimate reasons should be rescheduled as soon as possible (ASAP). The student will have one week to schedule/complete a missed Unit Exam (in a normal Fall/Spring semester). The instructor reserves the right to change the exam format on any make-up exam. Each exam is worth 100 points and may consist of multiple choice, matching, short answer (completion), true and false, and/or essay type questions. Failure to follow Proctorio guidelines/instructions can result in a grade of “0” for an exam evaluation and will require that you complete your future exams in a face-to-face proctored environment (testing center).
- Final Exam: A final computer-based comprehensive examination will be given during officially scheduled final exam dates/times during the given semester and will cover content from each of your assigned units during the course. The final examination is comprehensive and is worth 15% of your grade. Finals should not be missed unless there is a serious situation (illness, loss of loved one, etc.); prompt contact with the instructor is vital or a grade of "0" will be assigned. Finals should not be missed for non-valid reasons/excuses (family vacations/reunions, plane/bus tickets, going home prior to the end of the semester, etc.) and cannot be administered early (unless there is a serious crisis). Failure to follow Proctorio guidelines/instructions can result in a grade of “0” for the final exam evaluation.
- Grade Determination
Final course grades are determined by the following scale:
A=100-90 B=89-80 C=79-70 D=69-60 F=<59.5
Major Assignments/Assessments
Assignments
- 20+ participation assignments are provided in Connect (publisher’s digital learning environment that helps to improve performance) and these assignments include a variety of question types to assist in the learning process.
- Discussion topics and postings are provided in Canvas and include topics related to food behaviors, food labels, and evaluating current popular diets.
- Projects include: 1) a research paper on a popular diet to determine advantages and disadvantages of the diet and an evaluation to determine if the diet is a sound weight loss diet. 2) a dietary analysis and energy expenditure analysis to evaluate food intake, nutrient quantity/quality, potential deficiency and or toxicity issues, and physical activity.
- Unit exams occur at various intervals during the semester and a Final examination occurs during scheduled final exam times at the end of the semester. A variety of question types are used to assess learning outcomes.
Assessments
- Participation assignments are assessed in Connect. These assignments can be retaken/corrected (prior to the due date) to improve your grade. Cumulatively, these assignments represent 15% of the total grade in the course.
- Several discussion postings (popular diet summary, food labels, and food behaviors) are assessed in Canvas and represent 2.5% of the total grade for the course.
- The two major projects are assessed using a grading rubric that is provided along with detailed instructions within the Canvas modules. The Popular Diet project represents ~6.4% of the course grade while the Dietary Analysis and Energy Assessment project component represents ~16% of the total grade. Cumulatively, these two projects represent 22.5% of the total grade in the course.
- Unit exams are computer-based in the nutrition courses. Cumulatively, these exams represent 45% of the total grade in the course. The number of exams and the content within them varies depending on if the course is a regular semester course, a summer session course, or a mini-mester course. Test information and specific exam content are provided within the course information sheet and within the Canvas modules provided at the start of the course. In a regular semester, each unit exam represents 9% of the total grade and (content-wise), the exams are divided as follows:
- Exam # Major Topic(s)
- Unit #1 Nutrition: A Key to Health
- Unit #2 Energy Yielding Nutrients
- Unit #3 Energy Balance/Vitamins/Minerals
- Unit #4 Fitness & Sports/Eating Disorders/Food Safety
- Unit #5 Nutrition During Various Life Stages
- The Final Exam is a major assessment (15% of the course grade) and includes a variety of multiple-choice questions assessing the content from the entire course. The final exam is computer-based in the online nutrition course and either computer-based or scantron-graded in face-to-face nutrition courses. Finals should not be missed unless there is a serious situation (illness, loss of loved one, etc.); prompt contact with the instructor is vital or a grade of "0" will be assigned. Finals should not be missed for non-valid reasons/excuses (family vacations/reunions, plane/bus tickets, going home prior to the end of the semester, etc.) and cannot be administered early (unless there is a serious crisis). The final exam will be given during the official final exam schedule for Panola College.
Connect Online Access Code for Wardlaw’s Contemporary Nutrition from McGraw-Hill Publishers with SmartBook (digital teaching assignment/assessment tool used to increase engagement and learning). Contains the eBook for Wardlaw’s Contemporary Nutrition. 12th Edition (ISBN 9781260790023)
- Smith, Anne M., Collene, Angela L., and Colleen K. Spees. Wardlaw’s Contemporary Nutrition. 12th Edition. 2022. McGraw-Hill Publishers, Dubuque, Iowa. (eBook)
- There are not any recommended readings for this course at this time.
- Courses conducted via video conferencing may be recorded and shared for instructional purposes by the instructor.
- For current texts and materials, use the following link to access bookstore listings: https://www.panolacollegestore.com.
- For testing services, use the following link: https://www.panola.edu/student-services/studentsupport/academic-testing-center.
- If any student in this class has special classroom or testing needs because of a physical learning or emotional condition, please contact the ADA Student Coordinator in Support Services located in the Charles C. Matthews Student Center or go to https://www.panola.edu/studentservices/student-support/disability-support-services for more information.
- Withdrawing from a course is the student’s responsibility. Students who do not attend class and who do not withdraw will receive the grade earned for the course.
- Student Handbook: https://www.panola.edu/ (located on at the bottom under student)