When does the course start?

BIOL 1020 and BIOL 1021 start and end on the same dates as most other undergraduate courses at Dalhousie. To check the dates for the current and upcoming terms, see the course listings in the Academic Timetable. Choose the term of interest, select 'Distance', and click Submit. Then choose Biology from the subjects listed for that term. Note that these dates do NOT include the final exam period. Unlike some other spring/summer courses at Dal, BIOL 1020 and BIOL 1021 are not compressed during the summer term - they both run for 13 weeks, concurrently (not consecutively). A complete course schedule is included as part of the Syllabus and is available on the first day of the course.

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How much does the course cost? How do I pay for it? When are the fees due?

BIOL 1020 and BIOL 1021 are each worth three credit-hours, and tuition is the same as for other three-credit-hour undergraduate courses. The most current fee information is posted at the Money Matters (formerly Student Accounts) website. You can also find information about fee deadlines and how to pay at Money Matters.

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I am not a Dalhousie student. Can I take the course?

Yes, but first you must apply to Dalhousie and be accepted as a visiting or part-time student. See Undergraduate Admission for full details. If you are a student at another institution and you want BIOL 1020/21 to count as credit at your school, you will have to apply to Dalhousie AND obtain a letter of permission from your home institution to take the course. Once your application to Dalhousie has been processed, you can register for the course. You must also be prepared to travel to campus to write the midterm and final exams.

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I am a Dalhousie student. How do I register for the course?

You register for BIOL 1020/21 just like you would register for any other course at Dalhousie, i.e., through Dal Online. The Dal Online site will guide you through the process of adding and dropping courses from your schedule.

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I am registered for the course. Will I receive anything in the mail? How do I get started?

All registered students will recieve an e-mail at their 'NetID@dal.ca' address from the instructor, directing them to this information site. Prior to the start of term, you should obtain a textboook, and make sure your computer has the required software. To get started in the course, you simply have to log in to the course Brightspacesite as soon as possible after the start date. More information on these points is posted on the Preparing For the Course page of this site.

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I am registered in the course but it is not listed under 'My Courses' in Brightspace. What do I do?

The course may not appear on your 'My Courses' page until the first day of term. If you registered for the course in advance, look for it on Brightspace on the first day of term. If you register for the course after the first day of term, it should show up on Brightspace within 24 hours. If the course does not appear on Brightspace on the first day of term or within 24 hours of registering, contact the instructor.

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I tried to log in to the course, but received a message that my access was denied, and that I should contact the instructor. Why has my access been denied?

The courses are normally not made available to students until the official start date, even though they may appear on Brightspace. If you try to log in before the start date, this is probably the reason your access has been denied. If you have any difficulty logging on or after the start date, contact the instructor.

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I already have the textbook used in BIOL 1010 and BIOL 1011. Can I use it for this course?

Yes! We the same textbook as is used in BIOL 1010 and BIOL 1011. You can use this book in BIOL 1020 and BIOL 1021.

I have the textbook used in previous offerings of BIOL 1020 and BIOL 1021. Can I continue to use it?

Previous versions of the book (including Campbell Biology Dalhousie Edition and Campbell Biology 9th Edition) are not directly supported, but you can use them with the caveat that you are responsible for meeting each lesson's stated learning objectives with your chosen book. The textbook used in BIOL 1020/21 prior to Fall 2012 (the Concepts and Connections series) is not recommended.

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Why is there an enrolment limit on the course if it is online?

We are not limited by classroom space, but we are limited by the number of teaching assistants (TAs) who are available to help manage the course and grade your work. We can accept 20-30 students per TA.

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Does BIOL 1020/21 meet the prerequisites for X course or program?

BIOL 1020/21 satisfies all the same prerequisites as satisfied by BIOL 1010/11 (the "classroom" version) at Dalhousie University, i.e., you may go on to upper level biology classes with a C+ or better in both BIOL 1020 and BIOL 1021. If you want to take BIOL 1020 and/or BIOL 1021 for transfer credit to another institution, you must consult your home institution to see if they will be accepted (as you would for any class that you wish to transfer from one school to another). Some programs may require a traditional laboratory component; again, you must confirm with your school or program that BIOL 1020/21 satisfies that requirement. We recommend that you refer your home institution to this site, particularly the Syllabi page.

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Are there any prerequisites for BIOL 1020/21? Do I have to take BIOL 1020 before I take BIOL 1021?

There are no prerequisites for BIOL 1020/21. While you do not have to take BIOL 1020 before you take BIOL 1021, it's worth noting that some of the material in BIOL 1021 builds on material from BIOL 1020, and it may be necessary to refer to those parts of the textbook relevant to BIOL 1020 for some background information. You may also take both courses at the same time, but we do not recommend this if you are taking a full course load.

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Do I have to be logged in to the class at a certain time each week? Can I work at my own pace?

No, you do not need to be logged in at a certain time. Most course materials are available at all times, and you can log in whenever you please. There are firm weekly deadlines for submission of tests and assignments, but you can work ahead and submit them early. The midterm and final exams are delivered at fixed times (announced at the start of term); you cannot write these early.

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How much time per week does the course require?

We recommend scheduling 8-12 hours per week per course. This is 8-12 hours per week of total work time, not time spent online: some of the work can be completed offline or away from the computer entirely. You must be online to submit assignments, take tests, and check for discussion posts and messages. Students who have taken the classes already report spending 6-14 hours per week on the course. Each course carries a moderate to heavy workload, comparable to that of BIOL 1010 and 1011 when taking lecture time, lab time, and independent study time into consideration. We do not recommend taking either as an overload course (i.e., a 6th course), or taking both of them concurrently as part of a full (15-credit-hour) courseload.

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Are there labs?

There is not a traditional laboratory practicum, meaning that students do not come to campus to perform experiments in a conventional laboratory setting. Both courses, however, include online and offline investigative activities.

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I am going to be away/without internet access for part of the course. What should I do?

We recommend accessing the course several times per week to check for messages and discussion posts. If you anticipate not having internet access for a short period, it is your responsibility to submit work AHEAD OF TIME if there are items due during the time that you are away. If your internet access in general is unreliable, you should consider not taking the course.

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I would like to take the course from Newfoundland/British Columbia/the south of France/Fiji. Can I do that?

You can take the course from anywhere on Earth, as long as you have reliable internet access and you are able to travel to Halifax to write the midterm and final exams. Students at the Agricultural Campus in Truro are eligible to write their exams online at that campus, under the supervision of a proctor. See the Preparing For the Course page of this site for more information.

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Are the exams online? If I am taking the course from Newfoundland/British Columbia/the south of France/Fiji, how do I write the exams?

Effective Summer 2016, all midterm and final exams are delivered on campus in Halifax, and all students must write the exams in person, on campus. The only exception is for students at the Agricultural Campus in Truro, NS (see above). If you are taking the course from outside of Halifax, you must travel to campus to write the exams.

Midterm exams are delivered during the 6th-8th week of term for all terms (Fall, Winter, and Summer). The final exams, scheduled by the Registrar's Office, are delivered during the final exam period in the Fall and Winter terms. In the Summer term, the final exams are written within two weeks of the last day of the course. A full course schedule is included as part of the course Syllabus, and made available on the first day of term.

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I have already taken BIOL 1010/11 (the "classroom" version). Can I take BIOL 1020/21 to improve my grades? Will I get credit for both courses?

Yes, you can take BIOL 1020/21 to improve your grades if you have already taken BIOL 1010/11, but you cannot earn credit for both courses. Only the higher grade for equivalent classes taken will count in calculating your GPA. For instance, if you took BIOL 1010 and BIOL 1011 and got a D in both, and then took BIOL 1020 and 1021 and got a B in both, then you will have met the prerequisite for taking further courses in biology, but you only earn six credit-hours toward your degree. The Bs will count toward your GPA, and the Ds will be dropped from the GPA calculation. All courses taken will be listed on your transcript.

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I have already taken BIOL 1010/11, and I'm taking BIOL 1020/21 to improve my grade. Can I transfer my lab marks from BIOL 1010/11 to BIOL 1020/21?

Though they cover essentially the same curriculum, BIOL 1020/21 and BIOL 1010/11 are separate courses with different approaches to delivering content and evaluating student work. Thus, marks are not transferable in whole or in part between the face-to-face and online courses.

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