COS100 (001) Course Syllabus

The Science of Change

Table of Contents

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION
COURSE INFORMATION
COURSE OVERVIEW
LEARNING OUTCOMES
COURSE MATERIALS
TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS
NETIQUETTE
GRADING
COURSE SCHEDULE: Fall 2020
COURSE POLICIES
UNIVERSITY POLICIES
COURSE EVALUATIONS
SYLLABUS MODIFICATION STATEMENT

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INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

Name Role Office Phone Email Office Location

Dr. Lisa Falk Instructor 919-515-8458 esfalk@ncsu.edu 4128 Jordan Hall

Teaching
Mr. Luke Friedman Assistant lafriedm@ncsu.edu

Dr. Falk

Virtual Office Hours

Online via Zoom, Tue & Fri 2-3pm or by appointment.
Click the following link to join the virtual office hours Zoom meeting: https://ncsu.zoom.us/j/94450832606

Preferred Method of Communication

E-mail.

Response Time
You can typically expect a response within 12 hours for email inquiries. If you do not receive a response
within 48 hours, please send a follow-up email. I will answer my office phone if I am in my office, but
voicemail is not a reliable means of contacting me.

COURSE INFORMATION
Course Website: https://wolfware.ncsu.edu/courses/my-wolfware/
Course Credit Hours: 2

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Meeting Times and Tool Used
Students will meet with their instructor and classmates once a week from 3:00-3:50pm on their
assigned day (either Monday or Wednesday). Students can join this meeting either in-person in Cox
105 or via Zoom video-conferencing.

Prerequisites/Corequisites
Competence in high school algebra and chemistry

General Education Program (GEP) Information

Yes.

GEP Categories Fulfilled

Interdisciplinary Perspectives

COURSE OVERVIEW

Catalog Description
This course will examine change, both scientific and personal. Students will reflect on change in the past
and looking forward as they transition to college life and scientific careers. Case studies, readings and
discussions about global change topics will be used to highlight the scientific approaches of disciplines
represented in the College of Sciences. In-class activities and out-of-class reflections will be used to
practice skills necessary for success in college and career.

Structure
This semester, section 001 of COS100 will be delivered in a hybrid format. A “hybrid format”
means that the course incorporates online and face-to-face instruction, but “hybrid” courses can take
many different forms. Here is how it will work in this class (if you have other hybrid classes, they may
be different):
● Students will meet with their instructor and classmates once a week on their assigned day.
Students can join this meeting either in-person in Cox 105 or via Zoom video-conferencing.
● Attending class in-person. To protect the Pack from the risk of coronavirus infection,
please follow the personal precautions mandated by the University. The following
precautions will be taken in our classroom.
○ The seating assignments displayed in the floorplan shown in the Google Slides
linked above should ensure that students are seated at least 6 feet apart.
○ You must wear a mask at all times in Cox Hall.

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 ○ Food and drink are not permitted in Cox 105, but water in sealed bottles is okay. If
you need to lower your mask to sip water in class, that is fine.
○ If you experience any of the following symptoms, you must refrain from attending
class in-person and join via Zoom instead:
>Cough
>Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
>Fever
>Chills
>Muscle pain
>New loss of taste or smell
>Sore throat
● Attending class via Zoom. Students are welcome to opt to join your weekly “in-class”
meeting via Zoom instead of physically coming to the classroom.
●
○ Join the Monday Zoom session each week by clicking the following link to launch
Zoom and join the meeting: https://ncsu.zoom.us/j/98558942217
○ Join the Wednesday Zoom session each week by clicking the following link to
launch Zoom and join the meeting: https://ncsu.zoom.us/j/96022301082
● Students will access out-of-class readings or videos and complete related activities through
Moodle before each week’s class. These activities may take the form of annotating a
reading, responding to an online forum, taking a short “open book” quiz, collaborating on a
google doc, etc, and will be listed under the heading “Pre-class activities,” nested under the
appropriate week heading in Moodle. These resources and activities will be made available
through Moodle at least one week in advance.
● Students will also complete an individual Personal Plan Project and a group Wicked
Problems Project over the course of the semester.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
Learning outcomes are also commonly referred to as goals, objectives, or competencies. NC State’s
Policies, Regulations, and Rules refers to them as “outcomes”.
GEP category objectives are listed in NC State’s GEP Category Requirements.

Students will:
1. Master skills for adjustment to and success in college.
2. Demonstrate familiarity with campus resources for personal, academic, and career success.
3. Examine and contrast the process of science in different disciplines.
4. Compare and critique different forms of communication in science, explaining their purpose and
place.
5. Create media communicating about an interdisciplinary scientific issue.
6. Work successfully in teams to complete projects.

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COURSE MATERIALS

Required Instructional Materials

No textbook is required for this course.

Instead a variety of online instructional materials are used to introduce skills for success in college and
career and to integrate the perspectives from multiple scientific disciplines in an exploration of the process
of science. All instructional materials are available at no cost and can be accessed through links provided
within relevant modules/activities on the course Moodle page.

TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS

Hardware
NC State’s Online and Distance Education provides technology requirements and recommendations for
computer hardware.

To contribute to in-class discussions through Zoom (either through your computer or using a smartphone),
a working microphone is required and a working camera is strongly recommended.

Software
> Moodle and Wolfware
○ Moodle Accessibility Statement
○ Moodle Privacy Policy
○ NCSU Privacy Policy
> Adobe Reader (for reading PDF files)
○ Accessibility Statement
○ Adobe Privacy Policy
> Zoom:
○ Zoom Accessibility Statement
○ Zoom Privacy Policy
> G Suite
○ Accessibility Statement
○ Privacy Policy
> Office 365
○ Accessibility Statement
○ Privacy Policy
> iNaturalist
○ Help
○ Privacy Policy

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Minimum Computer and Digital Literacy Skills
> Obtain regular access to a reliable internet connection
> Proficient typing and word processing skills (MS Word, text editors, Google Docs)
> Ability to use online communication tools, such as email (create, send, receive, reply, print,
send/receive attachments), discussion boards (read, search, post, reply, follow threads), chats,
and messengers.
> Download attachments
> Knowledge of copy/paste and use of spell check
> Use computer networks to locate and store files or data
> Internet skills and ability to perform online research using various search engines and library
databases. Visit Distance Learning Services at NCSU Libraries for more information.

NETIQUETTE
Netiquette is the term used to describe the special set of rules for online communication.

Students should be aware that their behavior impacts other people, even online. I hope that we
will all strive to develop a positive and supportive environment and will be courteous to fellow
students and your instructor. Due to the nature of the online environment, there are some things
to remember when taking an online course and engaging with others.

Tips for Success:

> Do: Follow the same standards of behavior that you subscribe to offline. Keep in mind
that all online communication is documented and therefore permanent.
> Don't: Flame others in discussion forums. Flaming is the act of responding in a highly
critical, sarcastic, or ridiculing manner – especially if done on a personal level.
Remember that these discussions are meant for constructive exchanges and learning!

> Do: Ensure you are responding to forums by the due date, in order to leave time for
peers to comment on your response.
> Don't: Go for long periods of time without communicating to your instructors or
classmates. It is important to stay a part of the online community!

> Do: Remember to read over your posts before posting.

> Don't: Use slang, poor grammar, and other informal language in discussion forums or
email messages to instructors or classmates.

Additional resources
> DELTA’s Netiquette or Best Practices for Teaching Online
> Netiquette – Ethics in Computing

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GRADING

Grade Components
Component Points Details
Pre-class activities 140 10 points each week

In-class activities 140 10 points each week

Two 50-point benchmarks.

Personal Plan Project 250
150-point Personal Plan.

Wicked Problems Group Three 100-point benchmarks.

470 150-point final project.
Project
20-point reflection on peer projects.

Final letter grades are determined by dividing the

COURSE TOTAL 1000 points total number of points earned by the total points
available (1000 pts).

Grading Scale
This course uses this grading scale to assign final letter grades:
Low % Letter High %

97 ≤ A+ ≤ 100

93 ≤ A < 97

90 ≤ A- < 93

87 ≤ B+ < 90

83 ≤ B < 87

80 ≤ B- < 83

77 ≤ C+ < 80

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 73 ≤ C < 77

70 ≤ C- < 73

67 ≤ D+ < 70

63 ≤ D < 67

60 ≤ D- < 63

0≤ F < 60

COURSE SCHEDULE: Fall 2020

NOTE: The course schedule is subject to change. For a detailed schedule of due dates
in the course, see the Google Calendar and progress tracking sheet linked on the
course Moodle page
Topic 1: “Expectations” — 08/10/2020 - 09/02/2020
Course overview, Productivity tools, SMART goals, Study Habits
Topic 2: “The Nature of Science” — 09/07/2020- 09/23/2020
How science works, Undergrad research, Interdisciplinary research
Topic 3: “Looking Back” — 09/28/2020 - 10/21/2020
Conducting a scientific literature review, Building scientific knowledge, Study Habits II
Topic 4: “Looking forward” — 10/26/2020 - 11/11/2020
Prediction & Uncertainty, Public Science Communication, Personal Plans
Finals week: Wicked Problem Projects

COURSE POLICIES

Late Assignments
● Pre-class activities must be completed before class each week.
● Project benchmarks are due at 11:59PM every other Sunday, with an 8-hour grace period. Work
submitted within one week after that will be accepted for half credit.
● Assignments missed due to illness or other extenuating circumstances may be made up with
appropriate documentation

Attendance and Participation

Attendance of face-to-face or synchronous online meetings is required for this course.

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For complete attendance, excused absence, and withdrawal policies, please see NC State’s Attendance
Policy: https://policies.ncsu.edu/regulation/reg-02-20-03-attendance-regulations/ and the Withdrawl
Process: https://studentservices.ncsu.edu/your-classes/withdrawal/process/

Incomplete Grades
The university policy on incomplete grades is located at http://policies.ncsu.edu/regulation/reg-02-50-3. If
an extended deadline is not authorized by the instructor or department, an unfinished incomplete grade
will automatically change to an F after either (a) the end of the next regular semester in which the student
is enrolled (not including summer sessions), or (b) the end of 12 months if the student is not enrolled,
whichever is shorter. Incompletes that change to F will count as an attempted course on transcripts. The
burden of fulfilling an incomplete grade is the responsibility of the student.

UNIVERSITY POLICIES

Academic Integrity and Honesty

Students are required to comply with the university policy on academic integrity found in the Code of
Student Conduct. Therefore, students are required to uphold the university pledge of honor and exercise
honesty in completing any assignment.

Please refer to the Academic Integrity web page for a detailed explanation of the University’s policies on
academic integrity and some of the common understandings related to those policies.

Privacy
This course may involve electronic sharing or posting of personally identifiable student work or other
information with persons not taking or administering the course. Students will be asked to sign a consent
form allowing disclosure of their personally identifiable work. No student is required to sign the consent
form as a condition of taking the course. If a student does not want to sign the consent form, he or she
has the right to ask the instructor for an alternative, private means of completing the coursework.

Electronically-hosted Components:
Moodle: Access to discussion forums will be restricted to course participants. All students are expected
to respect the privacy of each other by not sharing or using such information outside the course.
Google Docs: Google docs or Slides used in pre-class and in-class activities will not be accessible by
persons beyond the instructor and teaching assistant(s). All students are expected to respect the privacy
of each other by not sharing or using such information outside the course.
Websites (e.g., google sites): Student-created content for websites related to the final group project
may be visible to persons not taking or administering the course.

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Other Policies, Rules, and Regulations
Students are responsible for reviewing the NC State University PRR’s which pertains to their course rights
and responsibilities:
> Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination Policy Statement and additional references
> Code of Student Conduct
> Grades and Grade Point Average
> Credit-Only Courses
> Audits

Students with Disabilities

Reasonable accommodations will be made for students with verifiable disabilities. In order to take
advantage of available accommodations, students must register with the Disability Resource Office at
Holmes Hall, Suite 304,Campus Box 7509, 919-515-7653 . For more information on NC State’s policy on
working with students with disabilities, please see the Academic Accommodations for Students with
Disabilities Regulation (REG02.20.01)

Trans-Inclusive Statement
In an effort to affirm and respect the identities of transgender students in the classroom and beyond,
please contact me if you wish to be referred to using a name and/or pronouns other than what is listed in
the student directory.

Basic Needs Security

Any student who faces challenges securing their food or housing or has other severe adverse
experiences and believes this may affect their performance in the course is encouraged to notify the
professor if you are comfortable in doing so. Alternatively, you can contact the Division of Academic and
Student Affairs to learn more about the Pack Essentials program https://dasa.ncsu.edu/pack-essentials/

COURSE EVALUATIONS
ClassEval is the end-of-semester survey for students to evaluate instruction of all university classes. The
current survey is administered online and includes 12 closed-ended questions and 3 open-ended
questions. Deans, department heads, and instructors may add a limited number of their own questions to
these 15 common-core questions.

Each semester students’ responses are compiled into a ClassEval report for every instructor and class.
Instructors use the evaluations to improve instruction and include them in their promotion and tenure
dossiers, while department heads use them in annual reviews. The reports are included in instructors’
personnel files and are considered confidential.

Online class evaluations will be available for students to complete during the last two weeks of the
semester for full semester courses and the last week of shorter sessions. Students will receive an email

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directing them to a website to complete class evaluations. These become unavailable at 8am on the first
day of finals.

> Contact ClassEval Help Desk: classeval@ncsu.edu

> ClassEval website
> More information about ClassEval

SYLLABUS MODIFICATION STATEMENT

Our syllabus represents a flexible agreement. It outlines the topics we will cover and the order we will
cover them in. Dates for assignments represent the earliest possible time they would be due. The pace of
the class depends on student mastery and interests. Thus minor changes in the syllabus can occur if we
need to slow down or speed up the pace of instruction.

10

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