Syllabus Welcome to HS 320: Communicable & Non-Communicable Diseases

We are excited to have you here and hope you enjoy your time as you expand and apply new knowledge.

Course Description

This is an introductory course exploring human disease. The course will be taught using the same model used in medical schools and physician assistant training. A heavy emphasis will be placed on the description, etiology, signs and symptoms, diagnostic procedures, treatment, prognosis, and prevention of major diseases of each body system. The class will prepare you to apply appropriate knowledge in a variety of healthcare fields or future medical training.

Note: Since this course explores diseases of the human body, some lessons will include content related to sexual performance and/or genitalia. Thank you for reviewing and discussing these topics respectfully and professionally. Any lesson which contains such content will have an “IMPORTANT” notice at the beginning of the Lesson Overview document so that if there are children near when you are studying, you will be able to take proper precautions.

Course Outcomes

By successfully completing this course you will be able to:

Learning Model Architecture

Prepare

As you complete preparation activities, you will prime your mind to learn and to teach others. In this course, you will prepare to learn and teach by reading the Lesson Overview, Notes from Instructor, Introductory Cases, and the Foundation material. These documents will create the correct paradigm for the lesson. You will then be ready to study the assigned textbook section located on the Readings document.

Teach One Another

Teaching your classmates gives you, a prepared student, the opportunity to act for yourself and to develop a deeper understanding of the course materials. Along with teaching your classmates in formal arenas such as the Ask the Expert discussion board, you will also teach one another during regular group study sessions.

Ponder/Prove

You will extend and help solidify your learning by pondering and proving new knowledge and by showing evidence that you understand and can differentiate between various diseases. One means of doing this is through real-world application in the case study activities in each lesson. You will also ponder and prove your learning through completion of tests throughout the semester.

Prerequisites

None

Course Materials

Compare prices for your textbooks through the University Store Price Comparison site. They will show you all of the options from the University Store plus several online options to help you find the best price.

Diseases of the Human Body. Tamparo, C., and Lewis, M. Fifth edition. You may use either the physical book or the e-book for this course. The ISBN of the physical book is 978-0803625051 and the ISBN of the e-book is 978-0803626386.

Technology Requirements

You must have a webcam and microphone to complete an oral exam during the semester. A webcam and microphone will also be helpful when participating in your instructor's office hours.

You need a means of communicating with your study group or partner during the semester. You may communicate by phone; however, it will be more cost-effective to use a webcam and a free video chat technology such as Skype, Google Hangouts, or other video chat service of your choice.

Mozilla Firefox is the recommended Internet browser for any I-Learn course. Videos, readings, and course functionality will work best when you use Firefox.

It is assumed that you either have your own computer or you have regular, consistent access to a computer. You need to have the appropriate permissions on your computer to download lesson content, access websites, and update and/or download software as needed along with consistent, reliable access to an Internet connection.

How to Navigate this Course

Begin each lesson early in the week so that you have enough time to complete your study of the Overview, Notes from Instructor, Introductory Cases, Foundation, and Readings by MidWeek, see Calendar. The first two pages you should read in each lesson are the Overview and the Notes from Instructor documents. Read these to quickly learn important information about the lesson. Next, focus on developing your critical evaluation skills as you consider each of the Introductory Cases. Take notes as you watch the disease videos on the Foundation document and as you complete the readings from your textbook. As questions arise, post them to the Ask the Expert Discussion Board so your instructor (an expert) can answer your questions. You may also offer an answer to a classmate’s question. This discussion board is available in the Course folder so that you can continue to ask and answer questions and communicate with your instructor and classmates regarding the diseases you are studying throughout the semester.

During the second half of each week, the lesson focuses on applying your new knowledge. Complete the Concluding Cases and Tests (every other lesson) by the End of the Week, see Calendar. The Concluding Cases contain different case studies than the Introductory Cases activity. Meet with your study group (or partner) and work through each of the Concluding Cases. Remember, the Ask the Expert discussion board will be open all semester through the last day of classes so that you can continue to discuss your disease questions with your instructor and classmates.

Note: Each lesson opens prior to the week it is assigned. If you complete the current lesson early and would like to get started on next week’s lesson, you may do so.

Tests

Every other lesson contains a test. It is imperative that you study each lesson thoroughly; take notes and review your notes. It is also highly recommended that you follow the suggestions on the document in order to do well on the tests. One of your tests during the semester will be an oral exam administered by your instructor. The overwhelming majority of your grade, about 90% of it, is determined by your test scores. Again, study each lesson thoroughly and follow the suggestions in the document, , to ensure you are prepared for each test.

In this course you will take one oral exam with your instructor in place of one written exam in the course. The oral exam gives you the opportunity to be evaluated in a setting that is applicable to a professional setting. Patients do not present to the clinician with multiple choice options regarding diagnosis, treatment, prevention, etc. Accordingly, this oral examination will evaluate your ability to articulate an etiology, diagnosis, treatment plan, and/or prevention strategy in a relevant setting, rather than simply selecting the correct answer from a provided list of options. It is in this setting that you can prove your skill set rather than content mastery alone.

The oral tests begin with Test #2 and extend to Test #7. During Lesson 2, you will select which exam you would like to take as an oral exam. The oral tests will be given on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday of the given week. Your instructor will contact you the week before your test to set up the exact time for your oral exam. Be aware of any time zone differences and be prompt for your oral test. You will meet with your instructor in their Adobe Connect room for only 15 minutes to complete your oral exam, so it is imperative that you are on time. It is also vital that your computer's microphone and camera are in good working order. Your oral exam will consist of three questions, each worth 30 points. The remaining 10 points (each exam is worth 100 points) will be earned based upon your instructor's discretion.

Each exam in this class, including the oral exam, will cover material from the previous 2 weeks. The final exam is not comprehensive.

Study Groups

One of the key aspects of success in this course is to study the material with your classmates. During the Introduction Lesson, you will introduce yourself to your classmates and begin selecting your study group members. Your group will choose how and when to meet. It is suggested that you meet 2–3 times per week to discuss the case studies and help each other study the diseases.

Case Studies

Each lesson contains multiple case studies. The case studies will not only help you to extend your learning and apply your knowledge of the diseases, but will also help you develop the key skill of critically evaluating a health situation. It is important to learn to ask the right questions and determine which information is crucial in order to reach a correct diagnosis.

Before you study the diseases presented in a lesson, complete the Introductory Cases activity to help you focus on critical evaluation of each case study and prepare to learn about new diseases. After studying the Readings, you will complete additional case studies in the Concluding Cases activity. Discuss the case studies with your study group and review them on your own to ensure that you understand each disease. The correct answers or diagnoses to the case studies will not be provided in the course. You and your group will be able to determine the correct resolution for the case studies after learning about the diseases contained in each lesson. If you still have questions about a case study after learning about the diseases and discussing your questions with your group, ask your instructor for help by posting your question to the Ask the Expert discussion board contained in each lesson.

Grading

About 10% of your semester grade will be earned by completing the assignments in the Introduction Lesson and participating in the discussion board throughout the semester. About 90% of your semester grade will be earned from test scores.

The grading scale used for this course is as follows:

A 93% and up C 73% to 76.99% A- 90% to 92.9% C- 70% to 72.99% B+ 87% to 89.99% D+ 67% to 69.99% B 83% to 86.99 D 63% to 66.99% B- 80% to 82.99% D- 60% to 62.99% C+ 77% to 79.99% F 59.99% and below

Late Work

You are preparing for a career as a health professional. Submitting work after the deadline has passed is not a professional practice; therefore, late work will not be accepted in this course.

Expectations

HS 320 is a 3-credit course and BYU-Idaho recommends scheduling 3–4 hours per week for each credit. Therefore, the course was designed for an average student to spend 9–12 hours each week to successfully complete the course work. Please arrange your schedule and reserve ample time for your studies. It is also expected that you will complete your work in a timely manner and put forth your best effort.

You can expect that your instructor will respond to your email within 24 hours, excluding Sundays and holidays. You can also expect that your instructor will grade your submitted work within 7 calendar days of the assignment due date. If you ever have a question about your grade or would like additional feedback, simply contact your instructor for assistance.

Netiquette

Netiquette is Internet etiquette, or acceptable social behavior when using the Internet. Remember, there is a real person on the other side of your computer screen. You should always treat others courteously. Behavior such as calling someone a derogatory name, making threats, or being demanding is always inappropriate. Treat your classmates and your instructor in a respectful and professional manner just as you would if you were seeing them face to face. This counsel applies to any type of communication including discussion board posts, emails, participating in a video conference, or any other method of communication.

Netiquette guidelines also include the following:

By using common courtesy and showing respect to your classmates and instructors as you practice the netiquette behavior explained above, you will be a better disciple of the Savior and have a far better online learning experience as you help establish a safe learning environment for everyone.

Additional Information

Honor Code

Following the Honor Code is of great importance as you strive to be a disciple of Christ. Academic honesty and integrity is expected of all BYU-I students. To copy another’s work from the Internet, a book, or any other source and claim it as your own work is plagiarism. Read the official definitions of plagiarism and cheating from the Academic Honesty portion of the Honor Code. Each case of plagiarism or cheating will be dealt with by the instructor. When working on a group project, you have the responsibility to assure that others in the group do not plagiarize. Any academic dishonesty issue will be referred to the BYU-I Dean of Students, if necessary. Even though you are taking this course online, BYU-Idaho’s Dress and Grooming standards still apply. By adhering to the Honor Code you will create a learning environment “consistent with the ideals and principles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” (Honor Code webpage)

Tutoring

Course specific tutoring options for online students taking HS 320 are available through the Academic Support Centers (look for the “For all other tutoring” section). Visit their webpage for more information.

ADA Statement

In compliance with applicable disability law, qualified students with a disability may be entitled to “reasonable accommodation.” It is the student’s responsibility to disclose to the instructor any special need he or she may have by the end of the first week of the semester. Transcripts of videos used in the course can be found in the Video Transcripts document in the Course folder.

University Policies

Read the document which includes Student Honor, Students with Disabilities, Sexual Harassment, and Complaints and Grievances.

Disclaimer

This syllabus and the course schedule may be changed at any time prior to or during the semester as the need arises based upon circumstances. Any changes will be available to view on the course documents.