Values and Conduct

Course Goals and Values

My goal for this semester is that each of

• Learn the basics of biology so that you can understand the world around you
• Improve your ability to learn new material and be a successful student
• Become a knowledgeable consumer of scientific information

In order to do that it is important to me that we establish some shared values and norms.  We will be talking about controversial and difficult topics and therefore we need to take even greater care than normal treating each other with respect.   Here are some important standards of conduct

Avoid Plagiarism Like the, er, Plague

Although most students have likely heard about plagiarism during their years of schooling, it still is prevalent-even in higher education.

The video below reviews what plagiarism is and how not to do it.

Plagiarism: How to avoid it 

Netiquette, or Why Is It Harder to Be Polite Online?

Netiquette refers to using common courtesy in online communication.

• Forward emails and other private messages only with a writer's permission.
• Be considerate of others' feelings and use language carefully.
• Cite all quotations, references, and sources (otherwise, it is plagiarism).
• Use humor carefully. It is hard to "read" tone; sometimes humor can be misread as criticism or personal attack. Feel free to use emoticons like :) for a smiley face to let others know you are being humorous.
• To ensure that others can understand you, use complete sentences and standard English grammar to compose posts. Review work before submitting it.
  • Text speak, such as "ur" for "your" or "ru" for "are you" etc., is confusing for many people, so please use full words.
• Focus on impact first, not intent. If something you communicate has a negative impact (hurts someone for example), try to understand the impact and change your behavior first, before communicating what your intent was. Curious about this idea? Read this Scientific American blog post.

Academic Integrity