Oceanography Syllabus                    Spring 2012                 Miramar College Online

 

PHYN 120 - PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHy (Online Lecture) – CRN: 87702

3 Lecture Hours; 3 Units; Letter Grade; Student may petition for Credit/No Credit (FT).  Associate Degree Credit & transfer to CSU and/or private colleges and universities. UC Transfer Course List.

 

Meeting Times: January 23 through May 19 - Completely Online

 

Instructor: R. Ray Rector

 

Contact: phone# -760-942-9201, e-mail – geoprof@terrasonics.com

 

Office Hours: On-Campus: Wednesdays 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm in Room S5111.  Online: Mondays: 7 pm to 8 pm 

 

Advisory: ENGL 051 and ENGL 056 and MATH 032, each with a grade of "C" or better, or equivalent, or assessment Skill Levels W5/R5/M20.

 

Course Description: This course allows students to pursue an understanding of the major features and processes of the world's oceans. Students learn about the origin and history of ocean basins, atmospheric and ocean circulation, the dynamics of waves, tides, and coastlines, and the diversity and distribution of marine life. They explore the oceans as a resource for people and analyze and evaluate human impacts on marine environments.

 

REQUIRED TEXT:  OCEANOGRAPHY - An Invitation to Marine Science – 6th or 7th Edition

                                 Tom Garrison – author; ISBN: 0495112860

 

Textbook Web site:  ClicK Here

 

Professor’s Web site: http://www.oceansci.com/  Click on “Miramar PHYN120 – Online”

 

Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:

 

1)  Large-scale Solid Earth Structure and Processes: Identify at least 6 tectonics plates on a world map and correctly list and describe the major sea floor features associated with the 3 types of plate boundaries. 

 

2)  Large-scale Fluid Earth Structure and Processes:  Reconstruct the global circulation patterns of both, the atmosphere’s 3 wind belts and ocean’s 5 gyres, and explain their interconnection.

 

3)  Ocean’s Physical Properties: List and describe at least 4 physical properties of seawater and evaluate how each one affects marine life.

 

4) Ocean's Waveform Processes:  Describe the major principles involved in the formation and behavior of wind waves and tides, and evaluate their effects on shoreline processes. 

 

Prerequisites Advisory: This being a totally online course, it is advisable that you are already computer literate, with a good working knowledge of the World Wide Web, e-mail, and word-processing.  Lack of these necessary computer skills and knowledge will most likely have a negative effect on your academic performance in this course.

Class Enrollment Notes:

  It is the student’s responsibility to add, drop, or withdraw from classes before the deadlines stated in the class schedule.  Petitions to add, drop, or withdraw after the deadline will not be approved without written proof of circumstances beyond the student’s control, which made her/him unable to meet the deadline. Lack of money to pay fees is not considered an extenuating circumstance.  Students anticipating difficultly in paying fees before the deadline should check with the Financial Aid Office about sources of funds or other alternatives for which they may be eligible.  If you decide to withdraw from this course, you are reminded to do so before the 3rd of February (last day to withdraw without a “W”); and the 30th of March(last day to withdraw with a “W”).  If you fail to withdraw by 3/30/12 and you stop participating in class, then a final grade must be assigned to you.  It is the student’s responsibility to drop all classes in which he/she is no longer participating in this online class. Registered students who do not login onto Blackboard and participate in our virtual classroom over a period of 19 consecutive days will be dropped from this course for lack of participation.  Students, who remain enrolled in a class beyond the published withdrawal deadline, as stated in the class schedule, will receive an evaluative letter grade in this class.

 

 

Statement of Retention: Students, please discuss your plans to withdraw from class with your instructor.  You might have options that may allow you to continue in class. Note that is the student’s responsibility to drop all classes in which he/she is no longer participating.

 

Instructor’s Online Course Policies:

A.   Independent direction, discipline and motivation of the student are critical to both learning course content and academic success in this online course.  It will be up to you, the student, for staying up with assignments, field trips, quizzes, and exams.   Make sure and consult the instructor and/or fellow classmates about anything in this course that you find difficult and/or confusing.  There are no make-up exams or accepted late work, unless the student provides proof of some compelling reason for the make-up.  It is the student’s responsibility to contact me personally to forewarn me of any problem in completing the regular-scheduled exams or other coursework by their due dates.  Business, pleasure, or being generally ill, is not a compelling reason.  Being deadly sick, or having a death in the family is good reason. 

B. Teaching, Learning and Evaluation Methods and Policy: This course is taught as a totally online course. That is, the communication between the instructor and the students, as well as among students, takes place via electronic means on the Internet.  Note: while the communication will occur by electronic means, the most important source of information for the student is the textbook and the instructor’s complimentary personal website.   There are, however, several opportunities to meet in-person on the tentatively planned weekend field tips.

C. Assignments, either for discussion on the bulletin board or for completion and return to the instructor, will be posted on the Blackboard class site via the World Wide Web. Student contributions will be evaluated on both the quality (intelligent use of scientific terminology learned from using the textbook and other sources) and quantity (frequency and length) of comments. Reports from students, which are submitted directly to the instructor via the assignment box, will be evaluated based on quality (organization, use of appropriate scientific vocabulary and proper grammar) and on rigor of the analysis.

D. Testing will occur via the Internet, and tests will use a variety of formats (true-false, multiple choice, matching, short answer, and essay). Quizzes have no time limit, except for the time window that they are available (several days).  The midterm and final exams have a three-hour time window - once the exam is started, the clock starts ticking – and if after three hours the exam has been not been submitted, then the partially-completed exam will undergo a forced submission.

E. Timelines, Deadlines, etc.: Assignments will be made available three weeks prior to the due date. Student assignments will not be accepted following the due date. Because it sometimes happens that computer networks are unavailable, it is preferable to get assignments done a day or two earlier, so as to avoid trying to post an assignment on the due date, only to find that ones Internet Service Provider is down, for example.

F. Class participation includes taking part in personal introductions, discussion boards, chat rooms, e-mail exchange, and going on the weekend fieldtrips.  These activities will be monitored over the course of the semester, and will influence my evaluation of your learning outcomes in this course.

Online Netiquette and Student Code of Conduct:

Grading/Evaluation

I. Assignments (3 total  --- 1 @ 10 pts; and 2 @ 120 pts) = 250 points

         Greeting Assignment (10 points); 2 Research Writing Assignments (120 points each)

  II. Quizzes (10 @ 15 points each) = 150 points

 III. Exams (2 @ 75 points each) = 150 points

 IV. Late Work Policy:  No late work accepted - no exceptions.

  V.  Extra Credit Policy:  Limited extra credit available upon request (up to 40 points). Last day to turn in extra credit is Monday May 14. 

 VI.   Grading Scale: Your final course letter grade is based purely on points percentage: 

                 Total possible regular earned points in this course = 550 points

                                100%   90% =  550 -  495 points = A

                                    89% --  80% =  494 – 440 points = B

                                    79% --  66% =  439 - 363 points = C

                                      65% --  55% =  362 - 300 points = D

 

 Credit/No Credit: Beginning Fall 2009, the title “credit/no credit” will change to “pass/no pass” in accordance with Title 5, section 55022.

 

Assessment Activities - Logistics and Vital information:    Assessment of student learning outcomes for this class includes four research writing assignments, ten quizzes, and two exams.   Each assessment activity has a specific submittal due date.   Make sure to keep a very close, repeat, VERY CLOSE track of the class schedule of activities, so that you stay on track with your coursework, and get all your fully completed work turned in on time.  I suggest printing out the class schedule and taping it somewhere around your work area that you can view it regularly.  Note that is your responsibility to know when these assessment activities are due.   I do not accept late work.   It is in your best interest to attempt to turn in work AHEAD OF TIME in order to avoid worry, anxiety, frustration, and the possibility (a very one real one) that either your computer, the server, acts of God, or other unforeseen forces, may prevent you from getting your work turned in during the last few moments before the deadline -- save yourself that grief by staying a day ahead of all the deadlines.  To make remembering due dates more easy, all due dates are on Sundays, except for the personal greeting, which is on Friday of the first week.  Finally, it is the students responsibility to make sure that their writing assignments and tests are properly submitted – after the student submits her/his work, she/he needs to check to see that it was in fact received and posted in her/his assessment box (quizzes and exams) or assignment box (research papers).   If the student finds that there is some sort of technical problem of their work not being properly uploaded, then they need to contact the instructor ASAP.

 Tests:  There are 10 quizzes and 2 exams.  Each quiz and exam has a specific date-time window that you are allowed access to take it.  Those specific dates are shown next to each listed quiz and exam in the "Assessments" link, and in your class schedule.  The quizzes and exams are made available about a week before they are due.  Note that there is a big difference in the amount of time that you are allowed to take for completing a quiz versus an exam.  You have several days to take the quiz – they are not timed.   The midterm and final exams are timed – you have 3 hours from when the time you officially start the test.  If you fail to finish the exam in three hours, then Blackboard will force-submit the incomplete exam for you. It is your responsibility to know the time windows and due dates for each quiz and exam.   To make things simpler, quizzes are always due on Sundays.   Research assignments are also due on Sundays.  I do not allow make-ups for quizzes and exams.  

 

Research Assignments: The two research writing assignments will definitely take the lion’s share of your study time in this class, as an online science class should.    Therefore, it is important that you understand how I would like those assignments completed and submitted.  I give VERY DETAILED instructions on what and how to complete each assignment.

       The Two Oceanography Research Writing Assignments:

1) Plate Tectonics, Seafloors, Seawater, and Currents – Due Sunday, March 18th

2) Waves, Beaches, Marine life and Pollution – Due Sunday, May131h

  These above two research writing assignments are designed to force you, the student, into carefully studying and mastering the required oceanography curriculum, which, in turn, will make it much easier for you to successfully complete the corresponding quizzes and exams, and walk away from this course with well-retained knowledge.  Additionally, these research assignments are designed to be completed little-by-little, week-by-week, as you work your way through the various topics covered in the study materials.  These assignments were NOT designed to be hammered out the last week that the assignments are due - that would be most challenging!

  The procedure for creating the correct written format and proper submitting of your research papers should go as follows:  Download the research assignment document into a word processor program.  Then, working in the document, insert your response to each subtopic question (a. through e.) directly beneath the stated subtopic question within the topic.   Therefore, your written responses will be found in between each of the stated questions  - down through the entire worksheet.  You submit your assignment (as an attached file).  I prefer that your file is a Word.doc using Microsoft Word (filename.doc), but WordPerfect file (filename.wps) or rich text file (filename.rtf) are “OK” too.  The completed assignment name must include two bits of information: 1) the ASSIGNMENT NAME  and 2) YOUR LAST NAME.  An example is “Assign1_Smith.doc”.   An actual example of a student’s completed research assignment worksheet – with instructor’s grading comments - is found on the professor’s classroom webpage.

 

  As a final note of importance, I what to make it perfectly clear here that you MUST write your research  assignments in YOUR OWN WORDS.  First, DO NOT copy or paraphrase, word-for-word, out of the textbook or off a web site.  DO NOT use massive quoting of information from other sources; and DO NOT use word-for-word information shared with your fellow students.  Any one of the above instances will get you zero earned points for your effort, or lack of.

 

Voluntary Field Trips:  There are several totally voluntary field trips that can be completed either in-person, or online for extra credit points. Note that a couple of the fieldtrips DO NOT have a virtual option at this time.  Those who choose an in-person fieldtrip will receive extra credit points if they show up and participate for the entire trip, including the completion and submittal of a written reflection. Those who choose to do a virtual fieldtrip will receive extra credit points by completing and submitting a questionnaire worksheet for the “virtual” online fieldtrip.  The due date for the completed paperwork for each specific fieldtrip activity is one week after the fieldtrip date - the following Sunday.  Note that there are four scheduled in-person field trips to choose from, and that each trip is worth up to 10 points extra credit – there are currently three virtual fieldtrips to choose from, but that number may increase later in the semester.  Students are totally welcome to do any or all of them, but you are limited to a total of 40 extra credit points for the entire course.

 

1)     Weekend field trip #1:  Saturday February 11 – Torrey Pines Beach, 9:00 am

             2)  Weekend field trip #2:  Saturday March 10 – Blacks Beach, 9:00 am

             3)  Weekend field trip #3:  Saturday April 7 – Moonlight Beach, 9:00 am

            4) Weekend field trip #4: Sunday May 6 – Birch Aquarium, 9:00 am

                   The admission fee is $8 (with a student ID) for the Birch Aquarium.