New Online Orientation for Pre-A&P (BIO 095)

I recently updated the Online Orientation for my online "refresher" course in Pre-A&P Foundations in Science.

Besides updating the content of the orientation to reflect recent changes in our college website, I also replaced the previous audio version with a new video version.  The video version has closed captioning.  So for the hearing impaired (or the sound-sensitive) I have two options: captions in the video or a read-only print version.

The Online Orientation page is found at lionden.com/fis-orientation.htm

Watch the video

If you're not familiar with  my Pre-A&P course and want an overview, please check out lionden.com/fis-overview.htm

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New Textbook and Video Content in Pre-A&P Outlines

Today I added some additional mini-icons to the Review Outlines for my Pre-A&P-Foundations in Science course.

The textbook references link to "open" textbooks from OpenStax and textbook content from Kahn Academy.  There is a new "book" icon that identifies these links.

There are also several new links pointing to videos from Kahn Academy, identified by the "video icon."


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PRE-A&P Syllabus Updated

I just did my usual pre-semester update to the BIO 095 (Pre-A&P) syllabus.

There are no changes to the course, but the syllabus as been revised to include a list of learning outcomes for each course objective to better inform readers of the content and learning goals of the course.

A number of sentences or paragraphs were tweaked to better clarify course policies, procedures, and goals.

The list of withdrawal dates for fall and spring offerings of the course was updated. Read More!

Handbook of Anatomy & Physiology

Last week I added a new page in the Lion Den describing a new tool for your A&P learning toolbox:

Mosby's Handbook of Anatomy & Physiology

First introduced a decade ago, this popular pocket guide has been completely updated with newly revised content and an almost complete redraw of the illlustrations.

Many A&P students have found this guide useful in their first A&P course.  But they've also found that it's a great tool to have in their pockets during later courses, especially clinical experiences, and even in their jobs, as they've needed a quick refresher on essential structures & functions of the human body.

Many clinicians find the Handbook of A&P to be a great tool for patient teaching.  The diagrams and tables often help explain basic anatomy or physiology to a patient trying to understand their health condition or a medical procedure.

The handbook is also useful in other professions such as insurance, art illustration, law enforcement, fashion, fitness,  and business, when knowing about the structure or function of the body (or its parts) is helpful to getting the job done right.

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New edition of Survival Guide for A&P

Over the past weekend, I updated the page regarding the Survival Guide for A&P, which has recently come out in a second, expanded edition.

Some of the new features include: 

• Two additional sections on key study skills, bringing the total to 12.
• Expanded tables on muscles and bones that include pronunciation guides and literal translations of each structure listed.
• More of those popular cartoons highlighting principles and analogies covered in the guide.
• More analogies and models to help student get some of the common sticky points in the A&P course.
• New sections on text anxiety, using digital tools for learning, and English as a second language.
• A lot more!

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BIO 095 pages updated

I recently updated the navigation menue, Syllabus (lionden.com/fis.htm), and other course pages for BIO 095 to reflect the change in name of this course.

BIO 095 will now be called Pre-A&P Foundations in Science.

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Why test answers are not automatically provided

Today, I added a new item in the FAQs for my A&P courses regarding the value of not automatically providing test answers when an online test is graded. 

Here's my answer:

When online tests are graded, you are provided with information on which items are marked as incorrect. You are then expected to FIND THE ANSWERS on you own. This is an active form of learning and is a vitally important part of the whole concept of online testing and learning.

Your test is a LEARNING EXPERIENCE as much as it is an evaluation of progress. If I provide the correct answers automatically, you will have no reason to go back to your resources and find the answers. You'll thus miss out on a critical learning opportunity! And, most importantly, you'll have no long-term recollection of the correct concept!

Visit lionden.com/ap-faq.htm#online-answers to see this item on the FAQ page. Read More!

Moodle is here!

Because SCC has now transitioned to the use of Moodle as our learning management system (LMS), I've added a bunch of "Moodle Help" pages to the Lion Den. 

Students in Kevin's classes can now get answers to their questions about using Moodle all in one location.  Any issues related to using Moodle in BIO 095, 240, 241, 242 and other courses can likely be resolved here.

For a current list of Moodle helps, go to lionden.com/moodle.htm or use the top navigation bar in any Lion Den page. Read More!

Navigation menu improved

The top menu bar in all pages has been updated to better navigate to the Review Outlines for the course Foundations in Science (BIO 095).  The label "Learning Outline" was changed to "Review Outline" to better reflect the term used in BIO 095. Read More!

Student Success info added

I recently added some brief Student Success strategies at lionden.com/APsuccess.htm including links to overviews of my "refresher course" and my "shortcut course" for A&P.

I also updated the list of links for all A&P pages (it's still not complete, but closer to it). Read More!

Clarified cholesterol/steroid hormone connection

In the chemistry outlines for both A&P 1 and Foundations in Science, the role of cholesterol as the molecule from which the steroid hormones are derived (converted) has been clarified. Read More!