Welcome to BIO1101 ONLINE.  These webpages are designed to aid 1st-level undergraduate students undertaking BIO1101, by providing additional information regarding the course and the staff involved in the delivery of material.

Have a browse through the following areas:

 

About the course   Current timetable  About the staff    Answers to self directed learning exercises  Information for external students   Referencing in reports   About the Department of Biological & Physical Sciences

 
 
 

 
 

Examiner:  Dr  John Dearnaley         Room C216;   Phone: (07) 4631 2804;  Fax.: (07) 4631 1530  Email: dearns@usq.edu.au

Moderator:  Dr Andrew Le Brocque   Room C210;   Phone: (07) 4631 1529;  Fax.: (07) 4631 1530  Email: lebrocq@usq.edu.au

 
 

Instructional Designer (External): M. Dorman (DEC)

Credit Points: 1.00                                        Pre-requisites: None

Rationale:

This course aims at providing students with a basic grounding in  the fundamental concepts of biology and the application of scientific method in solving problems. It provides a theoretical and practical foundation for science and non-science students.

Synopsis:

This course introduces the characteristics and diversity of organisms and provides a comprehensive foundation  in cell structure and function, energy transformations - photosynthesis and respiration, the evolution and classification of plants, introduction to morphology and anatomy of flowering plants, principles of ecology and an introduction to the evolution of animals and the tissue and organ systems of animals. Scientific method is used to design experiments, carry them out and interpret the results.

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Further information can be obtained in the official Course Specifications for this course available through USQConnect. The information provided below is a summary of the Course Specifications; however, the official Course Specifications should be checked in all instances. Click on the link below to retrieve the official Course Specifications.
 

Course Specifications

 
Provided below is a summary of the Modules making up BIO1101, and staff responsible for the development (content) of the modules. To access the internal lecture notes for each module simply click on the module heading.  Note: some lecture material may not be available until the lectures are being given to students on campus.
 

Module	Topic	Staff Member
1	Biodiversity & Classification	A. Le Brocque
2	Cell Structure & Function	J. Dearnaley
3	Energy Transformations	K. Withers
4	Plants 1: The Diversity of Plants	J. Dearnaley
5	Animals 1: The Diversity of Animals	K. Withers
6	Introductory Ecology: Organisms and their Environment	M. Maron

 

Your Course Team:
[For more information on teaching responsibilities and research of individual staff click on the staff member's  name]
 

Dr John Dearnaley (Course Examiner) Hi, I'm responsible for the overall co-ordination of BIO1101. I am also responsible for two modules in BIO1101: Cell Structure & Function and Plants 1: The  Diversity of Plants.   I am a plant physiologist and mycologist and teach into Biology 2, Science for Teachers, second-year Plant Diversity, Cell Biology and Plant Physiology and third-year Plant Microbe Interactions.  My current research interests include:  the cellular and molecular biology of plant fungal associations.

Dr Andrew Le Brocque (Course Moderator) Hello there! I am responsible for the first module in BIO1101 -Biodiversity & Classification. I'm essentially a plant community ecologist and teach into Environmental Studies, Introductory Ecology, Terrestrial Ecology and Biodiversity & Conservation.  My research interests currently include:  vegetation-environment relationships; habitat assessment for vertebrates & invertebrates; plant-fire interactions; plant population  and habitat ecology.

Dr Martine Maron Hi, I'll be responsible for the last module of BIO1011, Introductory Ecology: Organisms in Their Environment. I'm a wildlife ecologist and also teach Landscape Ecology, where I'll hopefully see some of you in the next few years! Other courses I teach into include Environmental Studies, Terrestrial Ecology, Introductory Ecology and Animal Diversity.  My research interests include conservation biology, behavioural ecology and community ecology, with a focus on woodland birds.

Dr Kerry Withers Hi, I'm  responsible for two modules in BIO1101: Energy Transformations; and, Animals 1.  I also teach into Science for Teachers, Animal Diversity and Biology 2.    My current research interests include ecophysiology, especially torpor and acclimation to cold in marsupials and the effects of dietary fatty acids and thyroid hormones on membrane composition and function.

 
 

 All administrative enquiries should be directed to your Regional Liaison Officer or Outreach Services on
 phone: (07) 4631 2285, outreach@usq.edu.au or click on the icon below. General information regarding the
 Distance Education Centre can also be obtained by referring to information in the Distance Education Student
 Guide: http://www.usq.edu.au/dec/studguide, or navigate through the the DEC icon below.

  If you have an academic query you can contact Outreach Services or your Regional Liaison Officer, and your
  message will be passed onto the appropriate person. Do not attempt to contact the academic direct by phone
  - you are likely to waste your money being transferred around trying to find the person who is probably in the
  middle of teaching somewhere on campus. Please make sure that you provide as much detail as possible about
  the problem when leaving your message, e.g. module number, academic responsible, page number, activity
  number etc. This will ensure that you receive a prompt and relevant answer and that time is not wasted trying to
  work out what it is you need to know.

  Alternatively, you may email the academic concerned directly about content of the module. Any difficulties or
  enrolment problems should be directed to the Unit Examiner.

  Expectations:
  The modular nature of the BIO1101X  provides a mechanism for you, the student, to gauge your progress
  through-out the semester. Each module has been designed to mirror the material delivered to internal students
  and each module should be completed within about two weeks. The internal course consists of three hours of
  lectures per week. We suggest that you should be devoting at least 6 hours each week to this course, comprising
  the reading of the Study Book, any directed readings in your Text, and completing any Activities. In addition, you
  wil need to devote time to the Review Questions at the end of each Chapter/Module and participating in the
  online discussion  group; however, this time will vary depending on your own abilities.

   Should you find you are falling drastically behind this study schedule you should contact Outreach Services.

   Residential Schools:
   External students in BIO1101X are required to attend a Residential School at the Toowoomba campus of
   USQ to undertake most of the practical component of this course.

   What to Bring to the Laboratory:

    -Laboratory coat and closed-in shoes (sandals, thongs etc are not acceptable)
    -BIO1101 Practical Notes & Exercises (issued with your external study package at start of semester)
    -Exercise book (A4 size), calculator, pens, pencils (HB or B), ruler, blank A4 pages (about 10 sheets)
    -Textbook (Campbell & Reece 2002)
    -Dissection kit

     Note: Under Occupational Health and Safety requirements you will be excluded from laboratory
     sessions if you are not correctly attired!
 
 
     Here's the group from 2002's residential school.  A fun time was had by all!
 

                   
 
 
 

Referencing in reports

 

For more general information about the Department of Biological & Physical Sciences, including course descriptions, enrolment information and current research activities, simply click on the address below.
 

 

http://www.usq.edu.au/sciences/biophysci/default.htm