Frequently Asked Questions - Oceanography Course

Is this course the same as an introduction to marine biology? No, it isn't. Oceanography deals with all aspects of the oceans, including marine biology. Only part of the course will be about animals and plants in the oceans. Other topics, including waves, tides, ocean circulation, climate-ocean links, sea-floor spreading, coasts, and volcanoes are included in oceanography. Do you take attendance, and if not, how important is it to come to class, anyway? I don't take attendance. However, I base the exams on the material I cover in class, supplemented from the text. I include questions on the exams about material that is discussed in class, but not included in the online notes. I am not a "science" person at all, and I am worried how I will manage in a science LER course. Will I crack under the strain? No, you will not crack under the strain. Almost everybody who has taken this course has found something of interest, because the topics change constantly, and the subject of the oceans is so broad. I know the class is composed of students from all disciplines, and I always introduce subject material in general terms. I can't afford the textbook-what should I do? There are a number of copies of the textbook on reserve at the Kent main library front desk, including some available for 2-hr/overnight checkout and some available for 3-day checkout. You may also be able to obtain a used copy of the textbook at the campus bookstore, DuBois, or through a web-based textbook buying service. There is so much material-how can I tell what is important? Note that every lecture begins with a Focus Question. The Focus Question guides the path of the lecture, and will help you organize your notes and prepare for the exams. Most of the material on the exams comes from the lectures. Only a small fraction (5% or so) comes from readings in the book that are not covered in class. Note that exams are designed to cover a broad range of material. Material from the group of lectures preceding each midterm is weighted approximately equally on that midterm. The final exam will be cumulative, with about 60% of the questions coming from the part of the course following midterm 3 and the rest of the questions coming from the parts of the course covered by each of the three midterms. The final exam will include some questions that were on the midterms, but most of the final exam will be new questions which focus on topics emphasized by the midterms. In-class quizzes will be narrowly focused on topics from the lecture; the topic of each quiz will be announced during the class period prior to the quiz. What are the review sessions like? Review sessions are question and answer style. I begin each session with a brief reminder of what material the exam will be covering, and how best to approach and organize the material to study it efficiently. Then I take questions on anything about the material, and answer it. This has proved to be a very efficient method-and all of us learn something-I learn what areas are particularly problematic, and I have the opportunity to improve everyone's understanding before the exam. I did really well on the first two midterms. Since only the top two midterm scores count toward my final grade, do I need to take the last midterm? You won't be penalized for not taking the last midterm, although I recommend that you do. If you study for each midterm, you will be all the more prepared for the final exam. The process of taking the midterm will also let you know what topics you understand best and which you need to work on for the comprehensive final. I am just taking this course because it is an LER that fits my schedule-why should I bother to spend time on this, anyway? LERs are a great chance to pick up information you wouldn't get in the ordinary way. And, if you do well, chances are you will remember a lot of the information, and it will, sooner or later, be useful. Remember what Louis Pasteur said: "Chance favors the prepared mind." You never know when information will be useful, even vital, to YOU.

Is this course the same as an introduction to marine biology?

No, it isn't. Oceanography deals with all aspects of the oceans, including marine biology. Only part of the course will be about animals and plants in the oceans. Other topics, including waves, tides, ocean circulation, climate-ocean links, sea-floor spreading, coasts, and volcanoes are included in oceanography.

Do you take attendance, and if not, how important is it to come to class, anyway?

I don't take attendance. However, I base the exams on the material I cover in class, supplemented from the text. I include questions on the exams about material that is discussed in class, but not included in the online notes.

I am not a "science" person at all, and I am worried how I will manage in a science LER course. Will I crack under the strain?

No, you will not crack under the strain. Almost everybody who has taken this course has found something of interest, because the topics change constantly, and the subject of the oceans is so broad. I know the class is composed of students from all disciplines, and I always introduce subject material in general terms.

I can't afford the textbook-what should I do?

There are a number of copies of the textbook on reserve at the Kent main library front desk, including some available for 2-hr/overnight checkout and some available for 3-day checkout. You may also be able to obtain a used copy of the textbook at the campus bookstore, DuBois, or through a web-based textbook buying service.

There is so much material-how can I tell what is important?

Note that every lecture begins with a Focus Question. The Focus Question guides the path of the lecture, and will help you organize your notes and prepare for the exams. Most of the material on the exams comes from the lectures. Only a small fraction (5% or so) comes from readings in the book that are not covered in class. Note that exams are designed to cover a broad range of material. Material from the group of lectures preceding each midterm is weighted approximately equally on that midterm. The final exam will be cumulative, with about 60% of the questions coming from the part of the course following midterm 3 and the rest of the questions coming from the parts of the course covered by each of the three midterms. The final exam will include some questions that were on the midterms, but most of the final exam will be new questions which focus on topics emphasized by the midterms. In-class quizzes will be narrowly focused on topics from the lecture; the topic of each quiz will be announced during the class period prior to the quiz.

What are the review sessions like?

Review sessions are question and answer style. I begin each session with a brief reminder of what material the exam will be covering, and how best to approach and organize the material to study it efficiently. Then I take questions on anything about the material, and answer it. This has proved to be a very efficient method-and all of us learn something-I learn what areas are particularly problematic, and I have the opportunity to improve everyone's understanding before the exam.

I did really well on the first two midterms. Since only the top two midterm scores count toward my final grade, do I need to take the last midterm?

You won't be penalized for not taking the last midterm, although I recommend that you do. If you study for each midterm, you will be all the more prepared for the final exam. The process of taking the midterm will also let you know what topics you understand best and which you need to work on for the comprehensive final.

I am just taking this course because it is an LER that fits my schedule-why should I bother to spend time on this, anyway?

LERs are a great chance to pick up information you wouldn't get in the ordinary way. And, if you do well, chances are you will remember a lot of the information, and it will, sooner or later, be useful. Remember what Louis Pasteur said: "Chance favors the prepared mind." You never know when information will be useful, even vital, to YOU.