STUDENT EVALUATION AND GRADING

 LECTURE

 Miscellaneous- These points will be added to the “Miscellaneous” points. The average will be divided by 2 for a total maximum of 50 points.
 

Admission Tickets.Admission tickets must be submitted prior to coming to class. These assignments are to ensure that you have reviewed the lecture and textbook materials and have gained a basic understanding of the course objectives related to the material. Students will not be allowed to enter class unless these are completed.

Discussion Board. The goals for BlackBoard Discussion Board activities are to:

1. Increase student interaction and critical thinking by participation in discussion forum and online research assignments.
2. Expose students to the wealth of information available on the internet

Discussion Board Assignments postings will involve:

1. Posting your introduction.
2. Visiting a web site, researching information on the internet and posting it to discussion forums.
3. Posting your Internet search project subject and outline.
4. Other postings as assigned – refer to the schedule.

Items posted after the deadline have a 20% grade deduction. One week after the deadline a grade of zero will be given

Research Paper

Each student is required to write a college level research paper using the Internet for resources and references. Submit this assignment in a ½ inch notebook or brad folder. PRINT OUT THE INSTRUCTIONS FOUND ON THE SYLLABUS WEB PAGE. Meet with a librarian for assistance.  ACC subscribes to many databases which are available online.  This assignment is worth 100 points. If the assignment is not submitted by the due date there will be a 10 point penalty per day. A grade of “0” will be given for an assignment turned in more than 3 days past the due date. Review the course schedule as there are several deadlines for this assignment:

1. Post topic
2. Submit the 5 URLs of websites to be used for the paper.
3. Due date for paper – submit through BlackBoard

 A plagiarism checker will be used on each paper submitted.If plagiarism is identified the percentage will be calculated and that percentage will be deducted from the points awarded for the written summary portion. If more than 10% of the paper is plagiarized the student will be formally conferenced.

 Movie Review

Each student will view the film “Gattaca”, or a film of your choice, related to ethical and moral issues surrounding the use of blood tests in the real world and the consequences that follow. PRINT OUT THE INSTRUCTIONS FOUND ON THE SYLLABUS WEB PAGE. This assignment must be submitted in the “Assignment” section of BlackBoard. This is worth 50 points. If the assignment is not submitted by the due date there will be a 5 point penalty per day. A grade of “0” will be given for and assignment turned in more than 3 days past the due date.

Exams

Four written examinations will be given over lecture and related laboratory material to comprehensively assess student’s knowledge of concepts, principles, techniques and procedures. These examinations will be given online through BlackBoard. Students are expected to exhibit the highest level of ethical and honest behavior. Students are expected to take all tests at the assigned time. If the student does not take the exam by the deadline the grade of the final exam will be substituted for that grade. A second failure to take the exam by the stated deadline will result in a grade of “0". These are worth 100 points each.

EXAMS CANNOT BE PRINTED OUT.Any student caught in possession of a printed copy of an exam will receive a “0" for the exam and immediately be placed on probation.

BlackBoard Examination Policy

1. Course examinations will be taken in Blackboard and will be timed.
2. Unless otherwise stated, NO unauthorized study materials are to be used during the examination. This includes, but is not limited to, internet resources, notes, lab materials or textbooks
3. Students must complete an examination in one sitting and within the posted time limit.
   1. Blackboard will NOT close the examination automatically when the time limit has been reached.
   2. It is the student’s responsibility to monitor the examination’s time. Students are encouraged to set an external timer to assist in monitoring the time left.
4. Penalties for exceeding examination time limit.
   1. Students will receive a one point deduction from the final adjusted point score for every 5 minutes over the limit. For example, a student takes 1 hour and 15 minutes on an examination which has a 1 hour time limit.  The time was exceeded by 15 minutes so the student will receive penalty of 3 points deducted from their recorded score.
   2. Students exceeding the time limit by 30 minutes or more will be assessed a 10 point penalty against the final adjusted point score.
   3.  The Program’s Progressive Discipline policy will be implemented if the time limit is consistently exceeded on course examinations.
5. The Program’s Progressive Discipline policy will be implemented at the Probation level if a student is found using unauthorized materials during an examination.
6. If a student misses one examination, the grade of the final examination will be averaged in the place of the missed examination grade. If any other examinations are missed, grades of “0” will be given.
7. Students are not allowed to see exams once they close.  Students may review their exam with the instructor during office hours or by appointment.

Final Exam

At the end of the semester a proctored comprehensive final exam will be given. The score earned on the final exam MUST not be less than 5 points of the student’s major exam grade average. The final exam is worth 400 points (the percentage earned times four).

Extra Credit

Extra credit activities must be approved by the instructor in advance and must be documented by written report and submitted to the instructor. Activities can include attendance at medical laboratory seminars or participation in health fairs, etc. A maximum of 20 points, to be added to the sum of the major exam scores, can be achieved during the semester.

1. Required: Stevens, Christine (2003), Clinical Immunology and Serology: A Laboratory Perspective, 2nd Edition. F. A. Davis
2. Recommended: Medical Dictionary and Diagnostic Laboratory Test Reference (several are available at the student book store).

This course covers the science of immunology and serology through the study of theories and processes related to natural body defenses. Included are the immune response, principles of antigen-antibody reactions, and the principles of serological procedures as well as quality control, quality assurance, and safety. This includes performance of serological procedures used to aid in the detection or diagnosis of certain diseases. Throughout this course, special emphasis is placed on correlating of laboratory results with the patient's probable condition.

COURSE GOALS/ RATIONALE

MLAB 1335 Immunology/Serology is structured to meet the MLT Program goals addressing, but not limited to:

1. Develop a working knowledge of the principles and procedures of serology,

2. Producing accurate, skilled clinical laboratory workers with strong ethical and professional values.

3. Promoting respect and understanding of allied health professionals through renewed understanding of the clinical laboratory technician's role as a member of the allied health care team.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Describe the concepts of nonspecific and specific immunity.
2. Describe the immunologic responses involved in preventing and combating infections.
3. Identify the structure, function, and characteristics of immunoglobulins.
4. State the principle of the routine serologic procedures performed in the clinical laboratory.
5. Read and correctly follow instructions provided in reagent package inserts, as needed, to obtain valid results.
6. Evaluate specimen acceptability.
7. Evaluate laboratory test outcomes and determine the validity of the test results obtained.
8. Perform and evaluate quality control results as required by the procedure and use the results to evaluate the patient results obtained.
9. Evaluate and correlate test results with associated diseases or conditions.
10. Recognize the limitations of each laboratory procedure performed and describe how these may affect the results of the testing performed.
11. Apply principles of safety, quality assurance and quality control in Immunology/Serology
12. Maintain a safe laboratory environment by proper handling, use and disposal of samples, reagents and equipment.
13. Demonstrate improvement in the affective traits of organizational skills, work habits, attitude, interpersonal skills, and problem-solving ability.
14. Demonstrate professionalism by:
15. Complying with the course attendance policy.
16. Complying with the dress code.
17. Submitting assignments by the stated deadline.
18. Demonstrate enthusiasm and interest in the profession by asking questions, participating in class discussions and meeting with the professor during office hours as needed.
19. Demonstrate initiative by reviewing objectives and completing reading assignments prior to class.
20. Demonstrate progression in laboratory skills by effective organization, coordination of multiple tasks and insightful evaluation and interpretation of results obtained.
21. Utilizes constructive criticism to correct deficiencies and improve performance.
22. Work cooperatively with the professor and fellow students to achieve the objectives of each activity assigned.
23. Participate in activities designed to advance the profession of clinical laboratory science and build professional pride.
24. Participate in activities to encourage an ongoing involvement in professional development.