M. had this to say:
What is BIO Online like?It was great! I can honestly say it was the best science course I have taken- by far. In fact, science is my least favorite subject. This means science in general as a whole. I have never cared for any subject that has dealt with science. That is why I waited until my very last semester at MCC before I couldn't take any more classes to graduate, to finally take my science courses. This is the dread and anxiety I had stored up before even entering this class! However, I am so glad I waited, because I never would have had the chance to experience BIO Online! The format and overall lay-out of this course is the top of the line. The information was abundant and and very accessible. That is what is so wonderful about an Internet course. The instructor can come up with so many different links to whatever the topic is of the week. If you are having a hard time getting through a certain topic, then the teacher can provide an optional link to help you get a little extra footage on thhe subject. This is a great technique to use, especially for you to get your foot in the door and get a grasp of what is gong on (espcially if you don't know much about science like me!). There is just so much more to a course when it is online, because the internet is an over-whelming vast of information all on its own. The instructor was the greatest also! She was so helpful, always accessible, and you can tell she really loves her job. I think that is so important in an instructor. When the teacher enjoys learning about the subject matter at hand, then she will present it in a way to her students that makes it actually fun to learn. When the material is interesting, then you can walk away with a lot more knowledge than if you were just reading it to get through it. I never thought I would retain anything from a science class, but I have BIO Online. The material was ineresting and presented in a way that it was not above my head but rather on my level. It is also so nice to be able to learn from my home and not be tied down to a classroom environment so many hours a week. I definitely give BIO Online two thumbs up! What do you wish you had known about this course before you took it?
That it could be so enjoyable! That science didn't have to be so dreadful and boring and ridiculously complicated! Of course, students do need to be advised before taking this course, and I believe this is true for all Internet courses, that you must be able to retain a time management quality. A student must be self-disciplined enough to at least access the course once daily, if only a couple of thhe days are only a few minutes to check in on the bulletin board and keep up-to-date with his or her fellow students. This is very important. Labs also should be done first at the beginning of the week. As long as a student can stayed focused and has had some sort of computer background experience (such as with the Internet, meaning the World Wide Web and e-mail accounts), then BIO Online is the Biology course I recommend!
P. wrote:
Bio100 Online is NOT an easy "A" course, just because you don't have to go to class. The amount of time doing experiments at home, reading, and "living" at the computer was a large percentage oof my non-work - eat - and sleep day. Of course it did save on gas, cleaners, parking, etc. It was the best of times and it was the worst of times -- pertaining to the flexible schedules. It was great to make your own schedule, and bad that procrastination and interuptions in the home were inevitable. I "chatted" with several working mothers in the class, and we were all grateful that this course and teacher existed for a campus class and lab would not have been feasible. I wish that I jad known how in-depth, technical, and mathematical each section would be. The first day of setting up the computer was very technical for an average computer user - but technical support was available via telephone. One note on procrastination: I knew the deadline, but several times I took the test at (yawn) 11:00pm before the midnite deadline!
When asked how much time Bio 100 took, B. said:
This course was excellent! I really enjoyed the way things were set up and organized. I usually spent about 1-3 hours working on the explorations, 5 or more hours reading the text, and about 3 hours working through the modules. Obviously it is hard to put an time amount on how long everything takes especially since it varies week to week. Overall this course was very informative. I thought it would be difficult to set up everything but it wasn't. Dr. Johnson has done a very good job making everything organized, something that impressed me quite a bit. I had taken other internet classes previous to this one and none compare. Everything in this course is layed out so well and the material is presented in a interesting fashion. I especially enjoyed the modules and how you can get feedback on your answers right away. Dr. Johnson also does an excellent job in responding to email questions as soon as she can, which is generally within 24 hours. I have even sent her emails that have been responded to within the day. I have a very busy schedule that prevents me from taking a traditional biology class so this class was perfect for me. I would recommend this class to anyone.
D. said this about the time required for Bio 100 Online:
I have found that the on-line BIO 100 class takes much more time than I originally thought when I signed up for the class. The labs take 1 to 2 hours per week to read, set-up, perform and clean up. The text reading (perhaps because I am a slow reader) takes another hour. The modules and test take another 2 to 3 hours to complete.
A. had these reflections on Bio 100 Online:
What is BIO Online like?I thought Bio 100 was a great way to study biology. It alows for a lot of independance for the student. I think I have a better overall understanding of the lessons because I was forced to concentrate harder. Sometimes in a class room setting students tend to get bored with lectures etc. Have the lessons written out and broken into sections, allows the student to pace themselfs and reread anything that is unclear. What do you wish you had known about this course before you took it?
The only thing I can think of that I would have liked to of known is that you have to have time daily to work on the week's assignments. Going into the course I thought I could just take one night a week to complete the entire week's lessons.