See the course listings in the Academic Timetable for upcoming course dates. Choose the term of interest, select 'Distance', and click Submit. Then choose Biology from the subjects listed for that term. (In the Fall and Winter terms, these course dates do not include the final exam period.) The Summer 2016 session runs from June 1st to August 23rd, with the final exams on August 30th and 31st (see below).

Please note two important changes to the courses, effective Summer 2016:

1. The courses will be offered on the Brightspace learning management system. Students will have access to the new course spaces by no later than the course start dates of June 1st.
2. Midterm and final exams must be written on campus, in Halifax; online exams are no longer offered, except to students at the Agricultural Campus in Truro. All other students must be prepared to travel to Halifax to write the exams. Update (6 May): The exam dates have been confirmed as follows:
   • BIOL 1020 midterm: July 7th, 6:30-8:00 pm
   • BIOL 1020 deferred midterm: August 30th, 1:00-2:30 pm (for students who cannot travel to campus in July)
   • BIOL 1020 final exam: August 30th, 3:30-6:30 pm
   • BIOL 1021 midterm: July 14th, 6:30-8:00 pm
   • BIOL 1021 deferred midterm: August 31st, 1:00-2:30 pm (for students who cannot travel to campus in July)
   • BIOL 1021 final exam: August 31st, 3:30-6:30 pm

Make-up exams will be arranged during the first week September for those students who cannot travel for the August exams.

Please note that the deferred midterms and the make-up exams are intended as an option for those students for whom traveling to campus in both July and August, or traveling to campus before September, would present a significant hardship. They are not intended as an option for students who are located in Halifax or who are otherwise able to travel to campus. In the case of unforeseen circumstances (illness, etc.) that cause a student to miss an exam, normal procedures for requesting a makeup exam apply.

Students will be contacted with details of course policies prior to the start of the courses, and are welcome to contact the instructor with any inquiries.

Dalhousie's Department of Biology offers online versions of its two introductory biology courses.

BIOL 1020 and BIOL 1021 may be taken by on-campus students to facilitate their work and study schedules, or by students at any location worldwide where regular access to the Web is assured, and who can travel to campus to write their midterm and final exams.

Students may take a combination of the online and classroom-based courses (BIOL 1010 and BIOL 1011). BIOL 1020 is NOT a prerequisite for BIOL 1021, so the courses may be taken in any order.

Schedule

BIOL 1020 and BIOL 1021 are offered concurrently in all three terms (Fall, Winter, and Summer). Each course is offered over approximately 13 weeks, during the regular Dalhousie term schedule. Each course starts with an Orientation period, followed by 12 weeks of course content. The midterm exams are normally written between the 6th and 8th weeks of class. Final exams are scheduled by the Registrar during the final exam period in the Fall and Winter terms, and are written within two weeks of the last day of the course during the Summer term.

Eligibility

While these courses meet the prerequisites for further courses in biology at Dalhousie, they are not restricted to biology students or even to current Dalhousie students. Dalhousie arts students may wish to take the courses to fulfill their science requirement, and persons who are not currently registered at Dalhousie University can apply to Dalhousie as a visiting student. (For more information, see Undergraduate Admission.) Once your application to Dalhousie has been processed, you can register for either or both courses (see Dalhousie's Online Learning website). Students from other universities are reminded to obtain a letter of permission from their home institution in order to obtain credit for BIOL 1020/21 towards their degree program.

Format

BIOL 1020 and BIOL 1021 are fully interactive, web-delivered courses. Content is presented in a series of lessons; for each lesson there is a reading assignment, a set of related activities or exercises, and an online test. The courses also include a midterm exam, final exam, and labs. There are ample opportunities for students to communicate with their coursemates, teaching assistants, and instructor, via discussion boards, e-mail, and web conferencing.

Instruction is primarily asynchronous, meaning that a student can go online at any time to obtain information, conduct exercises, and participate in discussions. The midterm and final exams are written on campus for all students.

Unlike some distance education courses which are self-directed or "learn at your own pace", BIOL 1020 and BIOL 1021 are highly structured. Their flexibility lay in the fact that students do not have to attend a lecture or lab on campus, and can conduct and submit their work from anywhere in the world. Students should bear in mind that they are required to meet weekly deadlines, and to write the midterm and final exams on campus at their scheduled times. For more information about BIOL 1020 and BIOL 1021, please view the other pages on this site.

Lectures

In Fall 2015 and Winter 2016, we introduced a lecture series to BIOL 1020. The lectures were delivered live (one lecture per week), and recorded and posted to the course website. These recordings will be retained for the Summer 2016 term and the 2016-17 academic year. In Fall 2016 and Winter 2016, there will be a similar lecture series in BIOL 1021.

You are welcome to attend the live lectures (see the course listing in the Academic Timetable for time and location), view the recordings, or do neither. The goal of the lecture series is to highlight the thematic connections among the topics of the course as well as to give greater attention to topics and concepts that students traditionally find difficult. The lectures are NOT intended to be the primary mode by which the course content is delivered, and will NOT explicitly address all of the learning objectives for the course. Students are responsible for all of the stated learning objectives for each lesson, whether or not they are discussed during the lectures.

In other words, the lectures are intended to be a supplement to the course content. If you choose not to attend the lectures or view the recordings, you can still meet the learning objectives with the readings and other required activities.

Labs

Laboratory exercises serve important functions in a first-year biology class, including introduction to the practical tools of biology, developing manual skills such as using a microscope, problem solving, socialization, and learning the style and process of formal scientific investigation and communication. Rather than attend a traditional teaching lab, BIOL 1020/21 students conduct laboratory exercises both online and offline at their location. The lab exercises are chosen and designed to support skills in problem solving, observation, data collection and interpretation, and communication, as well as to support the specific learning objectives of the course lessons.

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