Took this course in Winter 2014 with Bernier. Breakdown was:
Assignment 1 15%
Assignment 2 15%
i-Clicker Participation 10%
Online quizzes (best 4 out of
[email protected]% each) 20%
Final Exam (cumulative) 40%
Pretty straightforward material but very dry. It was 2 lectures per week so it wasn't too bad. His notes are good and you learn about Early Earth and how it formed as well as environmental protection and oceanography. It's interesting at times but boring most of the time. The assignments aren't bad at all, just make sure to start them early (one week before is sufficient) since you have to search for articles relating to your topic. Overall, I would consider it a bird course since the quizzes and I-clickers are free marks and the assignments can be 90+ if you put in the time. The exam contained 6 case studies with 10 MC questions per case study and 4 Short answer questions pertaining to 4 lectures (he tells you the lectures beforehand to study). The exam was fair and relatively easy, except for one case study which I think he removed. Bernier is a good prof, highly recommend that people take this course!
