Course Syllabus

Fall 2026 | BIO-2340-VO01 - Fundamentals of Ecology

Online Class

Online courses take place 100% online via Canvas, without required in-person or Zoom meetings.

Faculty

Jaimi DeFeo
View Faculty Credentials

Hiring Coordinator for this course: Ryan Joy

General Education Requirements

Natural Science

Note

Many degree programs have specific general education recommendations. In order to avoid taking unnecessary classes, please consult with additional resources like your program evaluation, your academic program catalog year page, and your academic advisor.

Courses may only be used to meet one General Education Requirement.

Course Description

This course introduces students to the fundamentals of ecology. It provides an introduction to aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, spatial and temporal changes in ecosystems, and the relationships between organisms within their environment. Students use sampling techniques common within the field to investigate ecological communities. Includes a lab component and field work. Prerequisite: BIO-1210 or BIO-1211

Essential Objectives

1. Explain how the life sciences and the physical sciences integrate to inform the study of natural systems.
2. Explain the ecological terms population, community, and ecosystem, and how energy flows and matter cycles in nature.
3. Identify the major ecosystems and describe the ecological characteristics that make each of them distinct.
4. Explain how abiotic and biotic factors influence the biological diversity present in a given region.
5. Investigate ecological relationships between species and analyze their effects on population and community dynamics, including but not limited to competition, mutualism, commensalism, predation, parasitism, amensalism, and symbiosis.
6. Analyze the impacts of invasive and other non-native species on ecological communities and populations and investigate management strategies used to control their spread.
7. Explain how pollution can alter ecosystem function and how ecosystems can adjust to and recover from pollution’s effects.
8. Explain how climate change is affecting community and population dynamics in a variety of ecosystems.
9. Discuss how ecological data informs natural resource management decisions.
10. Evaluate how human activities affect regional and global ecology and natural resource sustainability.
11. Explain how knowledge created in the natural sciences has contributed to the creation, maintenance and dismantling of social inequalities and discuss the impacts of diversity and inclusion on scientific research and practice.
Lab Objectives:
1. Apply the scientific method to design and carry out experiments and write lab reports.
2. Analyze and critique ecological experiments found in scientific publications.
3. Employ ecological sampling techniques, like transects and plots, to study aquatic and terrestrial communities.
4. Use mapping and GIS software to demonstrate how data is collected and analyzed for ecological communities.
5. Demonstrate proficiency in understanding, interpreting, evaluating, and applying quantitative data and information, and present findings to others through oral presentations, written materials, online resources, etc.
6. Apply proper techniques in using common scientific tools to collect data and describe how they work (i.e., microscopes, spectrophotometers, UV sterilizers, etc.).
7. Identify and demonstrate lab safety techniques that are in line with CCV’s Chemical Hygiene Plan, Lab Safety Agreements, and chemical Safety Data Sheets (SDS).

Required Technology

More information on general computer and internet recommendations is available on the CCV computer recommendations Support page.

Please see CCV's Digital Equity Statement (pg. 45) to learn more about CCV's commitment to supporting all students access the technology they need to successfully finish their courses.

Required Textbooks and Resources

This course uses one or more textbooks/books/simulations.

Fall 2026 textbook details will be available on 2026-05-18. On that date a link will be available below that will take you to eCampus, CCV's bookstore. The information provided there will be specific to this class. Please see this page for more information regarding the purchase of textbooks/books.

BIO-2340-VO01 Link to Textbooks for this course in eCampus.

The last day to use a Financial Aid Advance to purchase textbooks/books is the 3rd Tuesday of the semester. See your financial aid counselor at your academic center if you have any questions.

Artificial Intelligence(AI) Policy Statement

CCV recognizes that artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI tools are widely available and becoming embedded in many online writing and creative applications.

Allowed: This course's generative AI policy acknowledges technology, including generative AI, plays a supportive role in learning and feedback. During our class, we may use AI writing tools such as ChatGPT in certain specific cases. You will be informed as to when, where, and how these tools are permitted to be used, along with guidance for attribution. Any use outside of these specific cases constitutes a violation of CCV's Academic Integrity Policy.

You may use AI to check spelling and grammar and to do research when indicated. However, copying and pasting from sources is not allowed and will be considered plagiarism unless it is a quote and clearly identified as such. Also, using AI to write whole or partial assignments is not allowed; assignments should be in your own words and style.

Methods

* We will use the interactive, online general ecology textbook SimUText, which includes embedded quizzes and interactive labs.

* Weekly Discussions in Canvas

* Field and home project observations with reports

* Interpreting and evaluating data sets

Evaluation Criteria

50% Weekly Assignments: SimUText Chapters, Quizzes, Paper Analysis

25% Labs: Field observations and reports; Home and online activities

25% Discussions

Grading Criteria

CCV Letter Grades as outlined in the Evaluation System Policy are assigned according to the following chart:

	High	Low
A+	100	98
A	Less than 98	93
A-	Less than 93	90
B+	Less than 90	88
B	Less than 88	83
B-	Less than 83	80
C+	Less than 80	78
C	Less than 78	73
C-	Less than 73	70
D+	Less than 70	68
D	Less than 68	63
D-	Less than 63	60
F	Less than 60
P	100	60
NP	Less than 60	0

Weekly Schedule

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance and participation in classes are essential for success in and are completion requirements for courses at CCV. A student's failure to meet attendance requirements as specified in course descriptions will normally result in a non-satisfactory grade.

• In general, missing more than 20% of a course due to absences, lateness or early departures may jeopardize a student's ability to earn a satisfactory final grade.
• Attending an on-ground or synchronous course means a student appeared in the live classroom for at least a meaningful portion of a given class meeting. Attending an online course means a student posted a discussion forum response, completed a quiz or attempted some other academically required activity. Simply viewing a course item or module does not count as attendance.
• Meeting the minimum attendance requirement for a course does not mean a student has satisfied the academic requirements for participation, which require students to go above and beyond simply attending a portion of the class. Faculty members will individually determine what constitutes participation in each course they teach and explain in their course descriptions how participation factors into a student's final grade.

Participation Expectations

• Check the Canvas Modules every Tuesday and review the “Overview” page for the latest news and assignments.
• The online discussion board is the primary tool we will use to interact with each other. Students are expected to participate in all discussion forums by responding to the instructor's prompts that relate to each week's focus. Replies are an important part of the discussion and are expected to be completed. The discussion grade is worth 25% of your overall grade because it is one of the main weekly assignments that help us delve deeper into our subjects.
• Read the assigned material and demonstrate understanding of those resources in your assignments and posts. The best way to complete assignments and gain a full understanding of the material is to read (or watch) the assigned topics as you do the homework.
• Do not hesitate to ask for extra help or clarification if you need it or don't understand something. Your questions may help me clarify things for others, too. I am always available to answer questions via email, and we can schedule time on Zoom if necessary.
• Please check your email throughout the week. I will send "Announcements" about new modules, updates, and notices. Please take a moment at the beginning of the semester to set your notification preferences, check your school email, or forward your school email to your personal account.
• Please set your preferred pronouns in your Account. Many names today can be gender-neutral. Since we don't meet in class, it's helpful to know the appropriate pronouns, especially when I am writing evaluations. I appreciate your help with this. To set your pronouns in Canvas, go to Account (top left) > Settings > Edit settings (on the right). Use the drop-down menu to choose.
• All assignments must be uploaded to or completed in Canvas to be graded. Please do not email me assignments for grading unless I ask. If you are unable to upload an assignment for any reason, please let me know.
• All posts and assignments should be in your own words and style. Copying and pasting from sources is not allowed and will be considered plagiarism unless it is a quote and clearly identified as such. Proper grammar and spelling are expected in all assignments; therefore, AI is allowed to check spelling and grammar. It is also allowed to conduct research when indicated. Using AI to write assignments is not allowed.
• Please read the "Netiquette" document about online communication expectations for this class, which will be posted in the Resources section of the Modules.
• CCV lists a 3-credit course as taking about 8-10 hours a week, and a 4-credit course requires 14-16 hours, including the contact time and homework. Please keep in mind that because this is an online course, we do not cover the three hours of instruction and activities that would typically occur in an in-person class. Therefore, you will need to compensate for this by dedicating time to reading, completing tasks that would have been covered during our lectures, and completing the homework.
• Communication goes a long way, and you are ultimately responsible for your final grade, so take advantage of all available resources. Those who perform best in the class complete all assignments on time each week and communicate with me when issues arise. You are responsible for submitting your work, seeking help or clarification, or making arrangements if issues arise beyond your control. Please contact me if this occurs so we can develop a plan together, but do not wait too long.
• You can check your most recent grades in the Canvas"Grades" section, which can be found to the left of the page under the course section. Your average is calculated with each newly released grade. We will cover new material each week, so it is important to stay on top of all assignments.

Missing & Late Work Policy

Weekly discussions cannot be made up, as each week introduces a new topic and previous discussions are no longer considered live. Timely participation is essential for effective interaction with classmates in online courses. Students are encouraged to prioritize completing the discussions before other homework, as they are due first on Saturday. Replies are required and are an important portion of your grade, which will make a difference at the end of the semester.

For late assignments (other than the discussions), 5% will be deducted daily for up to one week. After that, the assignment will automatically close. If you continually submit late work, your average will be significantly reduced. Please contact me if you need assistance or would like to discuss special circumstances. I will do my best to work with you, but do not wait until the end of the semester. You will not be able to make up a semester's worth of work, or even several weeks' worth, at the end of the semester.

Please concentrate on completing the weekly assignments and do not expect to rely on extra-credit work to boost your grade. I focus on providing engaging and valuable weekly assignments and on grading your work; therefore, I do not offer extra credit.

Accessibility Services for Students with Disabilities:

1. Provide disability documentation to the Accessibility Coordinator at your academic center. https://ccv.edu/student-support/accessibility-services/
2. Request an appointment to meet with accessibility coordinator to discuss your request and create an accommodation plan.
3. Once created, students will share the accommodation plan with faculty. Please note, faculty cannot make disability accommodations outside of this process.

Academic Integrity

Apply Now for this semester.