Taking a class while wearing a pair of boxers and seated in a comfortable recliner may be many student’s dream and may be possible in the near future.

Thanks to the Internet, anything seems possible. In the beginning, students were able to take lecture notes from the Internet. Some professors then started putting class exams on the Internet. And now, Iowa State students can take full courses without entering a lecture hall.

This spring, there are three biology courses available on the Internet. The courses are: Genetics 308X/508X, Biology 109 and Biology 201.

There are two requirements all students must meet if they wish to take an Internet course. Students need access to the a World Wide Web browser and RealAudio software.

Genetics 308X/508X, called Biotechnology in Agriculture, Food and Human Health, is a two credit course taught by Dr. Tom Ingebritsen, an associate professor in zoology and genetics.

According to the course Website, 308X for undergraduate students and 508X for graduate students, will focus on scientific principles and techniques in biotechnology, products and applications in agriculture, food and human health, and the legal, ethical and social implications of biotechnology.

Students will learn the material through online lectures and reading assignments from the text. They will also use a Web browser to receive the online lectures.

The deadline to register for this course is Jan. 20.

Biology 109, Introductory Biology, is a three-credit course taught by Dr. John Pleasants, an associate scientist in zoology/genetics and liberal arts and sciences.

The course will teach basic biological principles and life at the cellular, organism and population levels. Biology 109 is designed for non-majors only.

Pleasants said the current enrollment for this course is 30 students. Twenty students live off-campus and 10 students live on-campus.

“The off-campus students are mostly high school students trying to get college credit,” Pleasants said.

He said the course has a limited enrollment for on-campus students.

“This is the first time we are having this class. We are going to limit on-campus students to 50,” Pleasants said.

Biology 201, Principles of Biology, is a three-credit course taught by Dr. George S. Brown, a professor in zoology. According to the course Website, the focus of the class is the introduction to the nature of life, including the cellular basis of life. Other topics include energy relationships, the nature of heredity, evolution, form and function of microbial, and principles of ecology.

Microbiology, Immunology and Preventive Medicine 302, Introduction to Basic Microbiology, is a three-credit course taught by Dr. Robert Andrews, an associate professor in microbiology, immunology and preventive medicine.

This class will not be available in the spring, but it is expected to be offered next fall. Like any introductory microbiology course, the course teaches the characteristics of microorganisms and their roles in disease, the environment and in industry.

The course is primarily designed for microbiology majors and other biological sciences. The class will also provide a review for people in the work force of microbiology.

The online courses are much like those taught in ISU classrooms, however for those with a computer and access to the Internet, an added amount of ease may help simplify the courses.

Pleasants said even though students take the class over the Internet, they are still in contact with the professor.

“The instructor is very much involved with the class. I have to make up the exams and make sure everyone gets them,” Pleasants said.

Pleasants said on-campus students will take their exams together in the evening. Off-campus students will take the test in the view of a proctor sent by Pleasants.

One advantage to having class on the Internet is the ability to listen to a lecture several times, not just one time in the classroom, Pleasants said. If a student does not understand the material, he or she can e-mail the instructor.

Registration is done through the Project BIO Website. Off-campus and high school students can register and submit a form through the Internet. On-campus students are provided with reference and section numbers so that can use the online telephone system to register.

The textbooks for the classes can be obtained from the University Bookstore.

The World Wide Web address to access the classes is located at http://biotech.zool.iastate.edu/Project_BIO/Courses/Courses-S.html.