In order to successfully complete this course, you must demonstrate your understanding of the course materials by:
Here is an overview of the different types of assignments in the course. You can find detailed directions for the assignments and the grading rubrics in the module where they are assigned.
Hands-on lab is an essential part of microbiology. Your instructor will give you instructions on how to complete the lab activities. Some may be completed individually, and a few may require collaborations with fellow students. The lab schedule varies depending on the instructor, section, and campus.
The date, time, and location of the labs will be posted in your Canvas course site. You must pass the labs in order to pass the course.
There are two kinds of discussion forums in this class.
Your instructor maintains a general course discussion forum, Ask the Professor. This forum is your place to ask questions about the content or mechanics of this course. These questions may be answered by your instructor or by one of your classmates. If you know any of the answers to the questions of others, you are encouraged to answer them. This takes the place of a face-to-face discussion that would occur in a classroom. In general, if you feel like you have a question, then it's time to visit this board.
The second kind of discussion forum is one in which you must participate to fulfill the requirements of the course. They are graded.
The graded discussions allow you to apply what you learn in the course to your personal or professional experiences. It also provides you with an opportunity to review the recent research findings in the field and practice your communication skills.
The Disease Infographic project requires you to select one agent of disease (pathogen) and explore the associated epidemiological information (transmission, pathogenicity, distribution, treatments, etc.) to design an infographic. Your infographic will summarize information with visuals to give a brief, easy, and holistic understanding of the topic at hand.
The quizzes can help you monitor your learning, familiarize you with the testing environment in Canvas, and prepare you for the proctored exams.
Quizzes are to be taken on your own without using any outside help. This includes your textbook, notes, any electronic devices, or web sites other than the quiz website, or other individuals. Photographing the screen will also be considered an infraction whether it's for your personal use or for sharing with others.
According to your Student Handbook, doing any of these things is a clear violation of NOVA's academic integrity policy, which reads in part (emphasis is ours):
“Cheating on an examination or quiz, including giving, receiving, or soliciting information and the unauthorized use of notes or other materials during the examination or quiz.”
Be sure you have read the full text of the NOVA Student Handbook and the Academic Integrity Policy. It describes academic integrity in detail and lists the consequences of working without academic integrity.
Each module has assigned homework on the Mastering Microbiology site. These assignments have two attempts, and the highest score will be updated on the canvas grade book. The mastering microbiology assignments will help in preparation for the graded quizzes and exams. The assignments of each module are to be completed by the due date for that specific module.
There are five proctored exams in this course. The purpose of these exams is to verify your identity and test your knowledge of the course concepts. Each exam is closed-book and timed and allows one attempt only. Exam study guides are provided to help you prepare for them. You must earn at least 60% across all exams to pass this course, regardless of your scores on other graded activities.
Please find the information on how to take a proctored assessment in the Taking Proctored Assessments section below.