MERCY COLLEGE

SCHOOL OF HEALTH AND NATURAL SCIENCES GRADUATE NURSING PROGRAM

Spring 2024

Course Number and Section: NURS 504 DLA

Course Title: Biostatistics and Epidemiology 

Credit Distribution: 3 credits

Course Description

This course introduces students to basic concepts, principles, and methods of biostatistics, and its critical role in the field of nursing, epidemiology, community health, population and public health. This course also examines data analysis and the appropriate statistical tests needed to answer specific research questions and interpretation of results based on statistical analyses. Prerequisite: Matriculation in graduate nursing program or permission of nursing program director. 3 sem. hrs. 3 crs.

Course Dates:  January 24, 2024 (Wednesday start) – May 14, 2024 (Wednesday)

Important Information

1. Academic regulations and procedures related to graduate study (see Graduate Catalog, can be accessed online https://www.mercy.edu/academics/catalogs-bulletins-calendars 
2. Graduate services and other information, Graduate Student Handbook. Note: Document can be accessed online through Mercy Connect
3. School emergencies or closing due to inclement weather

Excessive absence interferes with the successful completion of a course of study and diminishes the quality of group interaction in class. To encourage students to accept their obligation to attend class the following policy is established: Class attendance is a matter between the instructor and the student. Instructors are obliged to announce and interpret specific attendance policies to their classes at the beginning of the term and include the policy in the course syllabus. Any student who has been excessively absent from a course and does not present adequate documentation to the instructor and fails to officially withdraw from the course before the last day for course withdrawal may receive the grade of FW (fail-withdrawal), which is computed as an F for GPA purposes and may result in a reduction of financial aid monies.

Withdrawal

Students wishing to withdraw from courses for which they have registered must file an official withdrawal. Ceasing to attend classes does not constitute an official withdrawal, nor does notification to the instructor or to any other office. An official withdrawal must be processed directly by the student in-person at the Office of Enrollment Services or online via Mercy Connect. The grade of W is recorded on the transcript for all student withdrawals. W’s are not calculated in the student's GPA. A student who fails to withdraw officially will receive a grade of FW which will be calculated into the student's GPA and may result in dismissal.

There is a withdrawal deadline for each term. These deadlines are listed on the academic calendar, which is posted on the Mercy website and in Mercy Connect.

Late Withdrawal

Students wishing to withdraw after the last published day of withdrawal for any given term must get permission from the school dean. The withdrawal form, with the dean’s signature, must be processed in person at the Office of Enrollment Services at any Mercy College location. Note: The dean will usually request supporting evidence such as a letter from the student explaining the extraordinary circumstances that warrant a late withdrawal as well as medical or other documentation as needed. Students receiving any form of financial aid including scholarships, grants and loans must also meet with a financial aid counselor to determine the financial implications associated with the withdrawal. It is important to note that all withdrawals are based upon tuition commitments for the full semester in accordance with the published refund schedule. The effective date of withdrawal is the date when the student withdrew using either Mercy Connect, or the date the withdrawal was processed in the Office of Enrollment Services. Failure to attend classes does not constitute a withdrawal.

Students with Disabilities

Mercy College is committed to achieving equal educational opportunities and full participation for persons with disabilities. It is our practice to create inclusive learning environments. If a disability is presenting barriers to your inclusion or access to the class and instructional materials—such as inaccessible web content, or the use of non-captioned videos—please notify the instructor as soon as possible. Students are also welcomed to contact the Office of ACCESSibility as soon as possible, at (914) 674-7523 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For more information, visit our website at www.mercy.edu/student-affairs/access

Incomplete Grades

The grade of I may be granted for a course in which the student has not completed all the course requirements due to unforeseeable and extenuating circumstances. The student must have been in attendance for the full term and completed the majority of the required coursework. The student must request in writing an incomplete grade directly from the instructor and the issuance of an incomplete grade should not be considered automatic.

Issuance of the grade of Incomplete is at the discretion of the individual instructor. All incomplete work must be completed and delivered to the instructor in order for the I to become a passing grade. Individual faculty cannot extend the time limit nor accept work after the deadline has expired. Unless otherwise specified by the school dean, the I will automatically become a permanent grade after one year.

Academic Integrity Policy

Academic integrity is the pursuit of scholarly activity in an honest, truthful and responsible manner. Students are required to be honest and ethical in carrying out all aspects of their academic work and responsibilities.

Dishonest acts in a student’s academic pursuits will not be tolerated. Academic dishonesty undermines the College’s educational mission as well as the student’s personal and intellectual growth. In cases where academic dishonesty is uncovered, the College imposes sanctions that range from failure of an assignment to suspension and expulsion from the College, depending on the severity and reoccurrence of the case(s).

Examples of academic dishonesty include, but are not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, obtaining unfair advantage, and falsification of records and official documents.

Cheating is the unauthorized use or attempted use of material, information, notes, study aids, devices, or communication during an academic exercise. Examples of cheating include, but are not limited to:

• Copying from another student during an examination or allowing another to copy your work.
• Providing assistance to acts of academic misconduct.
• Unauthorized collaboration on a take-home assignment or examination
• Using notes during a closed book examination
• Submitting another’s work as your own.
• Unauthorized use during an examination of any electronic device, such as cell phones, computers, or internet access to retrieve or send information.
• Allowing others to research or write assigned papers for you or to complete your assigned projects.

Plagiarism is the act of presenting another person’s idea, research or writings as your own.

Examples of plagiarism include, but are not limited to:

• Copying another person’s actual words or images without the use of quotation marks

and citations attributing the words to their source.

• Presenting another person’s ideas or theories in your own words without

acknowledging the source

• Engaging in plagiarism, via the Internet or other web-based or electronic sources, which includes (but is not limited to) downloading term papers or other assignments and then submitting that work as one’s own or copying or extracting information and then pasting that information into an assignment without citing the source, or without providing proper attribution.

Obtaining unfair advantage is any action taken by a student that gives that student an unfair advantage, or through which the student attempts to gain an unfair advantage in his/her academic work over another student. Examples of obtaining an unfair advantage include, but are not limited to:

• Gaining advance access to examination materials by stealing or reproducing those materials
• Retaining or using examination materials which clearly indicate the need to return such materials at the end of the examination.
• Intentionally obstructing or interfering with another student’s work

Falsification of Records and Official Documents include, but are not limited to, acts of forging authorized signatures, or falsifying information on an official academic record. 

Sanctions for Academic Integrity Violations

If a faculty member believes that the appropriate sanction is academic in nature (e.g., a reduced grade) and the student does not contest either their guilt or the particular reduced grade that the faculty member has chosen, then the student shall be given either a warning or the reduced grade, unless the student is a repeat offender, in which case a sanction more severe than a warning should be applied by the Dean/ Associate Dean. The reduced grade may apply to the particular assignment where the violation occurred or to the course grade, at the faculty member’s discretion. A reduced grade may be an “F”, or another grade that is lower than the grade that the student would have earned but for the violation. If a faculty member determines that a student has committed an act of cheating or plagiarism, and the student withdraws from the course, that student will receive an “FW” for the course regardless of the time of withdrawal. The faculty member shall inform the Dean/ Associate Dean of the resolution via email and the Dean/ Associate Dean shall update the applicable Student Violation of the Academic Integrity Policy Form to reflect that resolution.

In a case where a student admits to the alleged academic dishonesty but contests the academic sanction imposed by the faculty member, or in a case where a student denies the academic dishonesty, the student may appeal by following the process described below.

A student who is found to be dishonest in the submission of academic assignments or other work, or in carrying out their academic responsibilities may receive a warning, a zero for the submitted assignment or exam, a failing grade for the course, or may be subject to further suspension or expulsion from the College, depending on the severity of the offense(s). Regardless, all incidents of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Academic Unit Head and School Dean/ Associate Dean and may be retained by the College in the student’s records.

Reporting Violations and Student Appeal Processes

The process to report or to appeal an academic integrity violation is as follows:

1. A faculty member who suspects that a student has committed a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy shall review with the student the facts and circumstances of the suspected violation whenever feasible.
2. Should the faculty member conclude that there has been an incident of academic dishonesty, the faculty member shall complete and submit the Academic Integrity Reporting Form (located on Mercy Connect under the faculty tab). The faculty member must indicate the sanction for the student violation of the policy on the form.
3. The Academic Integrity Form will be submitted electronically to the Dean and Associate Dean of the appropriate School, and an official notification of violation will be sent to the student. The student may appeal to the Dean or Associate Dean of the School through email within one week of the date of notification. The Dean or Associate Dean will then ask the student and faculty member to submit supporting evidence and may request to meet with both parties separately. After a review of the evidence, the Dean or Associate Dean shall decide to either uphold or overturn the violation and communicate the decision through an email to the student within one week of the filed appeal.
4. Should the student choose to appeal the Dean’s/ Associate Deans’ decision, the Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs shall request the evidence examined by the Dean/ Associate Dean. After a review of the evidence, the Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs shall determine if there is enough evidence to convene the Academic Appeals Committee and send a letter to the student, within one week of requesting an appeal, to inform the student of this determination. If the Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs believes that further review is warranted, the Academic Appeals Committee will be convened to review the case.
5. If the Academic Appeals Committee is convened, the Dean/ Associate Dean, faculty member, and student will be permitted to participate. The faculty member and student are permitted to submit any additional documentation they believe is necessary, including written statements and documentary evidence. The Academic Appeals Committee shall convene within two weeks of the filing of the appeal submission and shall issue a written decision of its finding within one week of convening.  The Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs shall send copies of the Committee’s decision to the student, the faculty member, and the appropriate Dean/ Associate Dean for archiving in the student’s confidential academic integrity record. Unless the resolution exonerates the student, the Student Violation of Academic Integrity Form shall be placed in a confidential academic integrity file created for the purposes of identifying repeat violations, gathering data, and assessing and reviewing policies.

6. If the Academic Appeals Committee finds that no violation occurred, the Office of the Provost shall remove all material relating to that incident from the student’s confidential academic integrity file and destroy the material.
7. The Dean/ Associate Dean shall work with the faculty member to remove the sanction in the course.

Judicial Sanctions

In a case where the allegation of cheating or plagiarism is severe, or where the student has a history of violations of the Academic Integrity Policy which conduct warrants suspension or expulsion from the College, the school Dean shall impose a sanction in addition to or in lieu of academic sanctions, as he/she deems is warranted under the circumstances. If the student contests the judicial sanction imposed, the student may appeal to the Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs.

Program Outcomes/Student Outcomes

By the end of the course, the student should be able to demonstrate the following outcomes:

PROGRAM OUTCOMES	STUDENT OUTCOMES	ASSIGNMENTS
Program Outcome 1  Evaluate the use of safe and effective information technologies to support system-based decision making, coordination of care, education of health care professionals, families, and communities to achieve optimal health outcomes.  (Domain 2, 7 & 8)	SO1: Evaluate the information in data repositories and scientific research in the use of clinical decision making.	Population Health Assignment
Program Outcome 2 Analyze, translate, and disseminate scholarship to provide equitable care and improve and transform health outcomes in various settings.  (Domain 1, 3, 4 & 7)	SO2: Analyze research and statistical information from scholarly literature to improve health outcomes.	Reading, videos, quizzes, exercises, and Population Health Assignment
Program Outcome 3 Incorporate knowledge and expertise in assessing organizations, identifying systems issues, and facilitating organization wide changes in practice delivery. (Domain 1, 4, 5 & 8)	SO3: Apply the concepts of biostatistics and epidemiology in health care administration, education, and practice.	Reading, videos, quizzes, exercises, and Population Health Assignment
Program Outcome 4  Collaborate within the interprofessional team to develop and evaluate plans of care with evidence-based, person-centered care principles promoting quality and safety outcomes.  (Domain 2, 5, 6)	SO4: Assess the theory, evidence-based research and practice, clinical judgment, and interprofessional perspectives to identify researchable health related problems.	Reading, videos, quizzes, exercises, and Population Health Assignment
Program Outcome 5 Model leadership and professionalism within the nursing profession promotes a spirit of inquiry, advocacy, change, mentorship, self-care, and service to others. (Domain 9 & 10).	SO5: Apply principles of research, biostatistics, and epidemiology in health promotion.	Reading, videos, quizzes, exercises, and Population Health Assignment
Program Outcome 6  Develop leadership skills to establish and maintain effective communication and collaborative relationships with interprofessional teams. (Domain 6)	SO6: Identify leadership and collaborative behaviors using biostatistics and epidemiological principles in advanced nursing practice.	Reading, videos, quizzes, exercises, and Population Health Assignment
Program Outcome 7   Advocate for policies and practices that promote social justice and health equity.  (Domain 9 & 10).	SO7: Apply research and statistical information in the promotion of social justice and health care equity.	Reading, videos, quizzes, exercises, and Population Health Assignment
Program Outcome 8 Design and implement evidence-based clinical prevention strategies that are person-centered and culturally responsive to promote health, prevent disease and reduce risk among individuals and populations at the local, national, and global level.  (Domain 3, 5, 7 & 9)	SO8: Evaluate demographic and health behavior data for specific populations and propose preventive measures for population health.	Reading, videos, quizzes, exercises, and Population Health Assignment

Teaching/Learning Strategies

Weekly units will start on Wednesday; each Wednesday, reading, videos, assessments, and other learning materials will be posted. Exercises, quizzes, and the discussion will be due on the following Tuesday from the beginning of the unit. For example, each unit starts on Wednesday; the assignment (quiz, exercise, or discussion) will be due the following Tuesday at 1159.

Required Texts

White, S. E. (2020). Basic and clinical biostatistics (5th ed.). McGraw Hill. ISBN 978-1-206-45536- 6

 McGuire, S. Y. (2018). Teach yourself how to learn: Strategies you can use to ace any course at any level. Stylus Publishing. ISBN ISBN-13 978-1620367568

Open Access Resources (Free)

University of Florida Health Biostatistics Open Learning Textbook: http://bolt.mph.ufl.edu

Carnegie Mellon University Open Learning Initiative Course, Statistical Reasoning (Open & Free). https://oli.cmu.edu/jcourse/webui/guest/join.do?section=statreasoning

Missed Blackboard Assignment Policy   

Students are expected to complete Blackboard assignments (quizzes, papers, and exams) when scheduled. If you, however, are unable to complete the Blackboard assignment, the policy is listed below:

1. If a student is unable to complete the Blackboard, the student must notify course,

faculty prior to the due date.  

1. The student must provide documentation explaining the absence. 

2. The make-up assignment is due in five business days following the original due 

date.  

2. If the student is unable to complete the Blackboard assignment in the five days, they 

will receive a zero. 

3. If a student does not inform faculty prior to the Blackboard assignment due date, the 

student will receive a zero. There will be no exceptions. 

Evaluation

#	Graded Activity	Weight	Points
1	Discussions (1 activity) Unit due date: 3	5%	5
2	Exercises (6 activities) Unit due dates: 2,4,5,6,7,9,10,11	15%	15
3	Quizzes (7 activities) Unit due dates 1,3,7,8,12,13	60%	60
4	Population Health Project (1 activity) Unit due date: 14	15%	15
5	Reflective Essay about Population Health Project (1 activity) Unit due date: 15	5%	5
TOTAL		100%	100

Requirements for all Assignments 

1.    All written work must be typed and double-spaced. APA style and formatting (7th edition) are 

   mandatory. Correct spelling and grammar are expected. 

1. Use spelling and grammar check in your word processing program.  

2. The Learning Center is available to students who need additional academic support. 

2.     All assignments must be uploaded into Blackboard as indicated in the assignment 

    description. 

ALL ASSIGNMENTS MUST BE SUBMITTED IN A WORD DOCUMENT 

3. Assignments will not be accepted in hard copy or via email attachment. 

4. All assignments are due on time. Grades may be lowered when an assignment is late. 

5. When creating a file name for your assignment, please include your last name, course 

number/section, and assignment name.   

6. Safe Assign Software: Selected assignment papers are automatically submitted to Safe 

Assign. It gives you a percentage of the amount of the paper that might be plagiarized. Look at 

the highlighted areas (considered plagiarized) and make sure there is a reference. If you have an accurate reference, you are okay. However, even if the area is referenced, reword the section because it may be too close to what you were citing (if the sentences are statistics, do not bother to reword). If the highlighted area is a quote (not allowed), paraphrase the quote, cite the reference and resubmit. These modifications should reduce the percentage considered plagiarized. No quotes allowed. 

7. Class attendance/on-line participation and preparation for each class are expected. Several 

absences, excused and/or unexplained, may result in a lower grade or faculty requesting a 

withdrawal from the class.  

Evaluation Criteria for Specific Assignments

Discussions (5%)

There will be one discussion. See discussion instructions at the end of the syllabus.

Exercises (15%)

Students will complete exercises as assigned.

Quizzes (60%)

There will be seven open-book timed quizzes consisting multiple choice, multiple answer, and, and problem-solving questions (calculations required).

Population Health Data Final Project (15%)

Students will create a data table on population health indicators. The assignment will require the use of databases such as US census, State Department of Health’s, Healthy People 2030, and other public health databases. In addition to the data table, the student will answer questions posed in the assignment and respond with 450 - 500 words per question.

Safe Assign: Plagiarism Software

Students are required to submit their proposal sections to Safe Assign (program is listed in the course content page). Papers that score 15% or higher are considered problematic. Look at the highlighted area (considered plagiarized) and make sure there is a reference. If you have a reference, you are okay. However, even if the area is referenced, reword the section because it may be too close to what you were citing (if the sentences are statistics, do not bother to reword). If the highlighted area is a quote, paraphrase the quote, cite the reference and resubmit. These modifications should reduce the percentage considered plagiarized. No quotes allowed.

Reflective Essay (5%)

Students will write a 400-word reflective essay about the signature assignment, the Population Health Assignment. Writing a reflective essay gives one the opportunity to think about an assignment in a deeper way and learn from the experience. Writing allows us to make connections between what we are thinking and what we are being taught. Focus on the metacognition of your learning rather than the specific details of learning.

Topical Outline

Week/Unit	Date	Topic/Activities	Readings and Assignments	PO	SO
1	1/24/24	Introduction to Biostatistics & Epidemiology Overall Introduction Research Study Designs Watch You Tube Videos:  Introduction to Biostatistics Biostatistics- Study types Quiz Unit 1 due 1/30/24	White Textbook Chapter 1 and 2 Review PP Lecture Slides Additional Optional Reading Materials posted in Bb: Articles: 1) Nurses’ Health Study 2) Somatic Symptoms after Covid 3)Case Control Study Reducing Nurses’ stress	3 5	3 5
2	1/31/24	Measures of Central Tendency Watch You Tube Videos:  How to calculate Standard Deviation How to make Box and Whisker Plots Exercise Unit 2 due 2/6/24	Review PP Lecture Slides White Textbook Chapter 3	3	3
3	2/7/24	Measures of Dispersion Watch You Tube Videos: Incidence and Prevalence Relative Risk-Its Easy to Calculate and Interpret Measurement Scales and Variables Discrete and Continuous Variables Quiz Unit 3 due 2/13/24 Discussion Unit 3 due 2/13/24	Review Chapter 3 for Quiz#3 McGuire Book, Chapter 3, Metacognition Additional Reading Materials posted on Bb Discussion Unit 3-Watch TED Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/dorothy_roberts_the_problem_with_race_based_medicine/transcript?language=en	1 3 7	1 3 7
4	2/14/24	Introduction to Probability Distributions Watch You Tube Videos:  Standard Normal Distribution Tables The Normal Distribution and the 68-95-99.7 Rule Exercise Unit 4 due 2/20/24	White textbook Chapter 4 Review PP Lecture Slides	2 3	2 3
5	2/21/24	Applications of Probability Distributions Watch You Tube Videos:  Find the Z Score Bunnies, Dragons and the Normal World  Central Limit Theorem Optional Videos Exercise Unit 5 due 2/27/24	White textbook Chapter 4 Review PP Lecture Slides	3 4	3 4
6	2/28/24	Hypothesis Testing-One Group Watch You Tube Videos:  Simple Hypothesis Testing Introduction to Hypothesis Testing in Statistics Exercise Unit 6 due 3/5/24	White Textbook Chapter 5 Review PP Lecture Slides	3 4	3 4
7	3/6/24	Hypothesis Testing--Two and-Three Groups Watch You Tube Videos:  Student t Test Degrees of Freedom ANOVA- Part I, Part 2, Part 3 & Part 4 Quiz Unit 7 due 3/12/24	White Textbook  Chapters 6 & 7 Review PP Lecture Slides Review Chapters 4&5	3 4	3 4
8	3/13/24	Parametric and Non-Parametric Testing Quiz Unit 8 due 3/19/24	Review PP Lecture Slides and chapters 6&7 Article: 1) A Comparison of Parametric and Non-Parametric Tests 2) Parametric and Non-Parametric Tests in Spine Research: Why Do They Matter? 3) What Statistical Tests Do I Need?	2 3	2 3
9	3/20/24	Relationship among Variables Watch You Tube Videos:  Correlation- Part 1 -Covariance Correlation- Part 2- The Correlation Coefficient Correlation -Part 3- Analysis Basics Simple Linear Regression  Exercise Unit 9 due 4/2/24	White Textbook Chapter 8  Review PP Lecture Slides Review Pop Health  Assignment Instructions Work on Population Health Assignment	3 4	3 4
	3/27/24	Spring Break
10	4/3/24	Predicting Outcomes Watch You Tube Videos:  Test Sensitivity and Specificity Made Easy Sensitivity and specificity- Explained in 3 minutes Clinical Reasoning 6: Sensitivity, Specificity & Predictive Values Quiz Unit 10 due 4/9/24	White Textbook Chapter 12 Review PP Lecture slides Article: Clinical Tests: Sensitivity and Specificity	3 4	3 4
11	4/10/24	Testing Multiple Variables Watch You Tube Videos:  The Threshold Model of Clinical Decision making-(Strong Diagnosis) Exercise Unit 11 due 4/16/24	White Textbook Chapter 10 Review PP Lecture slides	2 3	2 3
12	4/17/24	Testing Categorical Variables Watch You Tube Videos:  How to perform Chi-square test (by hand)  Relative Risk and Odds Ratio Biostatistics Confidence Intervals (USMLE Crash course) Why Confidence Intervals are better than P values Simple explanation of Chi Squared Using Odds Ratio in case-controlled studies Odds Ratios and Risk Ratios   Quiz Unit 12 due 4/23/24	White Textbook Chapter 6 Review PP Lecture slides Chi Square Critical Value Table	5	5
13	4/24/24	Population Health Assignment due 4/30/24	Review Assignment Instructions and Guidelines Population Health Data Template docx Population Health Data Template Example  Population Health Data Instructions APA Reference Guide	1 2 7 8	1 2 7 8
14	5/1/24	Reading Medical Literature Read Article: Part One- What is Medical Literature. Watch You Tube videos:  Reading Articles Part Two- Reading the Method Section Reading the Medical Literature- Biostatistics Concepts Quiz Unit 14 due 5/7/24	White Textbook Chapter 13 Online Article for Assignment: Polypill for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in an Underserved Population	3 4 5	3 4 5
15	5/8/24	Reflective Pedagogy Reflective Essay due 5/12/24 (Sunday)	McGuire Book, Chapter 3, Metacognition Read additional chapters as desired	6	6

REQUIREMENTS FOR ON LINE DISCUSSIONS

One class discussion (in-person/online) is expected in this course. Discussion week will start on Day 1 of the week at 12:00 AM (Wednesday) and will end on Day 7 of final week (Tuesday) of discussion at 11:59 PM.

Discussion Board Instructions

1. Initial post: Each student must post an initial posting of their own that is substantial, which is 250 words and includes scholarly references to support the posting. One of the references can be from the texts or assigned readings. The other reference(s) must be an additional source that you have found that supports your posting. Scholarly, peer reviewed, articles meet this requirement. If the professor responds and asks you for clarification or a question- you must respond to the professor.
2. Responding to posts: Each student must respond to a minimum of two times on different days during each discussion week. The responses must be to different students. The response(s) must be thoughtful, reference-based and can generate further discussion. The response(s) should be approximately 50-75 words (but can be less if clear). Statements such as “I agree” or “great posting” or general posts that do not provide additional knowledge or value to the discussion do not count as a posting.
3. Students who do not post at all by Day 7 of the discussion week at 11:59 PM will be considered absent and will earn a grade of 0% for the week’s participation grade.  Three absences may result in failure of the course.
4. ALL references must be included at the end of your posting and adhere to APA Style (7th edition).

 Academic Engagement and Time on Task (Hybrid Course) 

This course is designed to foster active and meaningful participation in the coursework, facilitating academic success. The amount of time you spend on each academic task or activity, and the regularity and quality of your interaction with me regarding the course material and learning outcomes are key factors. Your academic engagement and progress will be monitored throughout the semester, and timely assessment and feedback will be provided. 

The chart below details the expected engagement time for each task or activity as well opportunities for faculty-student interaction, including opportunities for you to directly interact with me to further clarify the expectations regarding the breadth and depth of the course content and assessments. According to New Your State Regulations, the total learning time for each semester credit is 15 hours; therefore, for this course, which is 3 semester credits, the total learning time is 3 x 45 hours = 135 hours. This information is also intended to help you with effective planning and time management toward successful completion of the course. Each week that there is a synchronized session will account for that part of the weekly workload.

Course Task or Activity	Expected Student  Engagement or Learning Time		Interaction   (Faculty-Student)	Recording and  Monitoring Student  Engagement
	Per   Week  (hours)	Per  Semester  (hours)
Consultation with professor via email/telephone/zoom at mutually convenient time.	Consultation/ participation is strongly encouraged	Consultation/ participation is strongly encouraged	Students are strongly encouraged to plan time to directly consult with me regarding the course material and their academic progress.  You can email and/or arrange to consult with me via telephone or Zoom over the duration of the semester.	Email/log of telephone/Zoom appointments and participation
Weekly posted taped and written instructions/review of syllabus	20 minutes	5 hours	Questions and comments are encouraged	Emails, discussions, assignments
Required readings/PP slides including audio/video material and class time and one discussion	5.4 hours	81 hours	Interaction in discussion as well as emails/telephone questions. Attendance and participation in synchronous classes.	In addition to the quality of the work submitted, including appropriate use of the concepts, principles, terminology and procedures,  Bb Course Content Review will be used.
Quizzes	7 quizzes = 15 hours over the semester	15 hours	Student/faculty questions and conversations/emails/ clarifications in announcement; feedback from faculty and student response.	Emails/conversations/ timeliness of submission/ adequacy in addressing the stated requirements in the instructions,   Bb Course Activity Overview  will be used.
Exercises	6 exercises = 12 hours over the semester	12 hours	Summary feedback will be provided to the class, identifying key concepts, connections, and areas for improvement. The discussion topic will support the assignment for that module, and meaningful participation will require reading and understanding of the posted course notes.	In addition to the quality and timeliness of the posts,  Bb Discussion Analytics will be used.
Population Health Assignment		20 hours over the semester	Group and individual questions and concerns will be addressed. Feedback will be provided in the grading section.	Monitoring of assignment completion and achievement.
Reflection paper		2 hours toward end of semester	Feedback from faculty	Timeliness and quality (via rubric) will be used to assess
Total (15 weeks)	Approximately 9 hours/week	135 hours/semester

Link to NYS definition of time on task:

Time on task is the total learning time spent by a student in a college course, including instructional time as well as time spent studying and completing course assignments (e.g., reading, research, writing, individual and group projects.)