Studio biology - what is it?  (Page 3/3)

In addition, your instructors will track your attendance in the studio; attendance is required in this class. Don’t worry, if miss a class if you get sick, or have to travel, your grade won’t suffer. You will have three free absences (no questions asked) during the semester. But there will be point penalties, as described in the syllabus, if you miss more than three studio classes in the semester. The reasoning behind this attendance policy is quite simple. We have excellent data which prove that missing multiple classes is highly correlated with lower exam scores, and lesser learning and retention. We really want you to learn biology, but you can’t do that if you are not in class. So to make sure that you take full advantage of the learning opportunities in the studio, we strictly enforce this attendance policy.

Your success in this course, both in terms of amount learned and in terms of a good grade, is assured if you understand the format of the course, do the assigned readings and attend the studio sessions faithfully, and spend at least as much time studying outside the classroom as you spend inside the classroom. You are responsible for learning, just as you are responsible in every class you take. But the difference in this class is that we do everything we can to provide the resources and the environment where learning is maximized.

Instructor responsibilities

Your studio instructors will deliver a brief (10-15 minute) introductory lecture at the start of each class day, and an equally brief wrap-up session at the end. In between those two lectures, you will be working with your fellow students on the studio exercises for that day. During that time the instructors will circulate in the studio, asking questions, answering questions, and generally helping you learn the material. Please take advantage of this incredible opportunity to interact, one on one, with your faculty and GTA instructors. If you have a question, don’t be shy. If you want to know if your class notes (i.e., the stuff you are writing in the Studio Manual) are accurate, ask an instructor. Their job is to help you learn the material, and they can help a lot more if they know what your questions and concerns might be.

Your studio instructors will also be responsible for grading the daily quizzes and recording those grades, usually in a course that they set up on K-State Online. If you are not familiar with K-State Online, don’t worry. It is our course management system, and it is very easy to navigate. Your studio instructors will not be responsible for writing the biweekly unit exams. Since there are 10 sections of this course each semester, it is better (and more fair) if all students in all sections take the same exams. So those exams are written by the course coordinator, and all exam questions are vetted by faculty members who are teaching in one or more sections in a semester. The first 6 unit exams are administered on Monday evenings (see syllabus for the exact dates), and the final unit exam is administered on Thursday morning during finals week. Grades for these exams will be recorded on K-State Online as well, so that you have ready access to your grade information.

Helpful hints

• Read the assigned material before coming to class.
• Don’t skip class.
• Take advantage of the learning opportunities afforded in the studio (your fellow students, the instructors, the practicum students, the studio exercises, etc.) every time you are in class.
• Take good notes and read over your notes in the studio manual within 24 hours after every class.
• Use the study guides and concentrate on the Objectives when you study for the unit exams.
• Study a little bit every day rather than cramming the day before the exams.
• Ask lots of questions, and be prepared to answer lots of questions.
• Don’t fall behind, but if you do, make every effort to catch up as soon as possible.