Centre for Science - Biology lab resources

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***alternate evaluation, check Moodle for information

Lab exemption instructions

Lab exemptions for BIOL 207, Supervised Lab, may be granted in exceptional cases if:

1. an equivalent introductory general biology lab course has been taken at a recognized institution. Check our growing list of lab equivalents (AU login required).
2. the course has been taken within the last 5 years (exceptions to this rule will require approval).
3. the student achieved a grade of 50% or higher on the lab component and/or lab exam.

If you meet all three criteria, fill out the Lab Exemption Request Form. To complete this form, you need to gather the following:

1. If not listed in our current lab equivalents, the lab syllabus or a list of experiments of the lab you took, and
2. proof of successful lab completion within the past 5 years. This must include:
   1. an official transcript that shows a separate grade for the laboratory component of the course, or
   2. an official letter from the lab instructor or course professor, that includes
      1. your full name, and
      2. the name(s), code(s), and credits of the course(s) taken, and
      3. the date when you took the course(s), and
      4. your lab mark.

Lab exemption approval must be obtained before your course contract end date.

Please note that lab exemptions will still incur a lab fee.

If you have any further questions, please email fst_success@athabascau.ca.

Lab equivalence determination

Your form will be forwarded to the BIOL 207 course professor for review and consideration.

We will use the average lab grade for the lab portion of the student's AU grade and this will count 25% towards the student's final grade.

A student will NOT be exempt from doing the home labs (simulation exercises).

Mark redistribution for lab-exempted BIOL207 students

We will use the average lab grade obtained at the external institution for the lab grade of BIOL 207. This will count 25% towards the student's final grade.

A lab exemption will only be granted in the following cases. Lab exemptions for BIOL 230* may be granted if:

1. an equivalent physiology course has been taken at a recognized institution. Check our growing list of lab equivalents (AU login required).
2. the course has been taken within the last 5 years.
3. the student achieved greater than 50% on the lab component.

If you meet all three criteria, fill out the Lab Exemption Request Form.

To complete this form, you need to gather the following:

1. If not listed in our current lab equivalents, the lab syllabus or a list of experiments of the lab you took, and
2. proof of successful lab completion within the past 5 years This must include:
   1. an official transcript that shows a separate grade for the laboratory component of the course, or
   2. an official letter from the lab instructor or course professor that includes
      1. your full name, and
      2. the name(s), code(s), and credits of the course(s) taken, and
      3. the date when you took the course(s), and
      4. your lab mark.

Once you are lab exempted there is a course mark redistribution so that your final mark is determined only by course work done with Athabasca University. For more details on the course mark redistribution, please see below.

*BIOL 230 Lab exemption information must be received BEFORE the course contract end date.

The final grade for the course cannot be processed until the lab exemption has been approved.

If you have any further questions, please email fst_success@athabascau.ca.

Mark redistribution

*There is no difference between the exams given to lab exempted and non-lab exempted students and when a student is lab exempt, no mention of this appears on your course transcript. Instead, it will look like you completed a course that has a compulsory supervised lab component.

Evaluation

To receive credit for BIOL 230, you must complete all three tutor marked exercises (TMEs), the laboratory assignment (or approved exemption), and the three examinations. You must also achieve a minimum passing grade of 50 percent on the 3 Quizzes, 2 Midterms and Final Examination. The passing grade for this course is "D" (50 percent). The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:

Lab exemption instructions

A lab exemption will only be granted in the following cases. Lab exemptions for BIOL 320 ^* may be granted if:

1. an equivalent vertebrate biology course has been taken at a recognized institution with in-person attendance. Check our growing list of lab equivalents (AU login required).
2. the course has been taken within the last 5 years.
3. the student achieved greater than 60% on the lab component.

Only official, organized laboratory components of credit courses offered at other institutions can be used for lab exemptions.

If you meet all three criteria, fill out the Lab Exemption Request Form.

To complete this form, you need to gather the following:

1. If not listed in our current lab equivalents, the lab syllabus or a list of experiments of the lab you took, and
2. proof of successful lab completion within the past 5 years.  This must include:
   1. an official transcript that shows a separate grade for the laboratory component of the course, or
   2. an official letter from the lab instructor or course professor that includes
      1. your full name, and
      2. the name(s), code(s), and credits of the course(s) taken, and
      3. the date when you took the course(s), and
      4. your lab mark.

Once you are lab exempted there is course mark redistribution so that your final mark is determined only by course work done with Athabasca University. For more details on the course mark redistribution, please see below.

*BIOL 320 Lab exemptions ust be granted BEFORE the course contract end date.

Please note that lab exemptions will still incur a lab fee.

If you have any further questions, please email fst_success@athabascau.ca.

Mark redistribution

*There is no difference between the exams given to lab exempted and non-lab exempted students and when a student is lab exempt, no mention of this appears on your course transcript. Instead, it will look like you completed a course that has a compulsory supervised lab component.

Evaluation

To receive credit for BIOL 320, you must complete the two assignments, the laboratory session (or approved exemption), the midterm and the final examinations. You must also achieve a minimum passing grade of 50 percent on the Final Examination, and 60 percent on the laboratory evaluation. The passing grade for this course is “D” (50 percent). The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:

A lab exemption will only be granted in exceptional cases. Lab exemptions for BIOL 325* may be granted if:

1. an equivalent microbiology course has been taken at a recognized institution. Check our growing list of lab equivalents (AU login required).
2. the course has been taken within the last 5 years.
3. the student achieved greater than 50% on the lab component.

These criteria must be supported by an official transcript that shows a separate grade for the "equivalent laboratory component" of the course. If the lab mark is not shown as a separate mark on the official transcript, then you must obtain a "Lab Exemption Request Letter" from the granting institution.

If you meet all three criteria, fill out the Lab Exemption Request Form.

To complete this form, you need to gather the following:

1. If not listed in our current lab equivalents, the lab syllabus or a list of experiments of the lab you took, and
2. proof of successful lab completion within the past 5 years.  This must include:
   1. an official transcript that shows a separate grade for the laboratory component of the course, or
   2. an official letter from the lab instructor or course professor that includes
      1. your full name, and
      2. the name(s), code(s), and credits of the course(s) taken, and
      3. the date when you took the course(s), and
      4. your lab mark.

Once you are lab exempted there is a course mark redistribution so that your final mark is determined only by course work done with Athabasca University.

*BIOL 325 Lab exemption information must be received BEFORE the course contract end date.

The final grade for the course cannot be processed until the lab exemption has been approved by Athabasca University.

Please note that lab exemptions will still incur a lab fee.

If you have any further questions, please email fst_success@athabascau.ca.

Lab exemptions for BIOL 345* Field Ecology Workshop may be granted if:

1. an equivalent ecology lab course has been taken at a recognized institution. Check our growing list of lab equivalents (AU login required).
2. the course has been taken within the last 5 years  (exceptions to this rule will require approval).
3. the student achieved greater than 50% on the lab component and lab exam.

If you meet all three criteria, fill out the Lab Exemption Request Form.

To complete this form, you need to gather the following:

1. If not listed in our current lab equivalents, the lab syllabus or a list of experiments of the lab you took, and
2. proof of successful lab completion within the past 5 years.  This must include:
   1. an official transcript that shows a separate grade for the laboratory component of the course, or
   2. an official letter from the lab instructor or course professor that includes
      1. your full name, and
      2. the name(s), code(s), and credits of the course(s) taken, and
      3. the date when you took the course(s), and
      4. your lab mark.

You will not be exempted from doing the home labs, many of which are parts of the assignments! A FEW exemption means you are only exempt from the 4 day workshop and lab report associated with it.

*BIOL 345 lab exemptions must be granted BEFORE the course contract end date.

Mark redistribution for lab-exempted BIOL345 students

We will use the average lab grade obtained at the external institution for the lab grade of BIOL 345.  This will count 20% towards the student's final grade.

A student will NOT be exempt from doing the home labs, many of which are parts of the assignments!

Please note that the lab exemption mark will be entered into our system last, after all other components of the course.

• BIOL 204 lab activities

• BIOL 207 lab manual

• BIOL 230 lab kit request (If you encounter an error in submitting your lab kit request form please refer to the following set of instructions for troubleshooting)
• BIOL 230 lab activities

• BIOL 320 lab activities

• BIOL 325 course outline
• BIOL 325 labs
• BIOL 325 lab manual
• BIOL 325 study schedule
• BIOL 325 ASM example

• BIOL 345 home labs
• BIOL 345 internet resources
• BIOL 345 Field Ecology Workshop Manual
• Field ecology workshop details
• Field ecology workshop: Overview

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