Course Coordinator:David McKay (dmckay@usc.edu.au) School:School of Science, Technology and Engineering
UniSC Sunshine CoastUniSC Moreton Bay |
Blended learning | Most of your course is on campus but you may be able to do some components of this course online. |
Please go to usc.edu.au for up to date information on the
teaching sessions and campuses where this course is usually offered.
This course delves into the theory of general chemistry and its applications. You will gain a strong foundational understanding of chemistry, preparing you for more advanced studies in chemistry or related fields such as environmental and biomedical science. You'll delve into the practical applications of electrochemistry, chemical bonding, thermodynamics, and kinetics, exploring areas from renewable energy to medical advancements. Covered topics include batteries, biomolecules and materials, and environmental and cellular mixtures. Additionally, you will develop laboratory skills typical of professional scientists.
Activity | Hours | Beginning Week | Frequency |
Blended learning | |||
Learning materials – Learning Materials are available online and delivered asynchronously. Learning Materials consist primarily of formative quizzes and screen-casts. Other available materials include simulations and on-line demonstrations. | 2hrs | Week 1 | 13 times |
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – Tutorials are delivered face-to-face on-campus. Tutorials consist of focus questions and group work. | 2hrs | Week 1 | 7 times |
Laboratory 1 – Laboratory work is conducted face-to-face on-campus. Each practical session is thematically linked to theoretical material covered in preceding weeks. Students are expected to work in teams during practical sessions. | 3hrs | Week 1 | 7 times |
Seminar – Seminar delivered in Weeks 1, 5 & 13. | 1hr | Week 1 | 3 times |
100 Level (Introductory)
12 units
Course Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this course, you should be able to... | Graduate Qualities Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming... | |
1 | Demonstrate and apply chemical principles including equilibria, kinetics, reaction types, and bonding to everyday phenomena. |
Knowledgeable Empowered |
2 | Reason through the application of chemical concepts to solve quantitative and conceptual problems framed in a variety of contexts. |
Knowledgeable Empowered |
3 | Demonstrate proficiency in experimental techniques while working safely to collect and analyse data and effectively communicate experimental outcomes. |
Knowledgeable Creative and critical thinker Empowered Engaged |
Refer to the UniSC Glossary of terms for definitions of “pre-requisites, co-requisites and anti-requisites”.
Not applicable
Not applicable
Not applicable
Not applicable
Standard Grading (GRD)
High Distinction (HD), Distinction (DN), Credit (CR), Pass (PS), Fail (FL). |
Early and continuing feedback on your progress in the course is provided using each module's self-assessment questions.
Delivery mode | Task No. | Assessment Product | Individual or Group | Weighting % | What is the duration / length? | When should I submit? | Where should I submit it? |
All | 1 | Portfolio | Individual | 35% | You maintain a notebook as you work through each practical.Each of the 7 laboratory quizzes are 10 minutes long. |
Throughout teaching period (refer to Format) | Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check |
All | 2 | Written Piece | Individual | 25% | 500-1000 words |
Week 12 | Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check |
All | 3 | Examination - Centrally Scheduled | Individual | 40% | 2 hours |
Exam Period | Online Submission |
All - Assessment Task 1:Laboratory Portfolio | ||||||||||||||||
Goal: | To learn how to conduct experiments safely, work as a member of a group, accurately follow instructions, proficiently handle equipment, effectively communicate results, and relate results to underlying theoretical concepts. |
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Product: | Portfolio | |||||||||||||||
Format: | For each of the 7 practical sessions, you are to maintain a laboratory notebook. Upon each practical's satisfactory completion, as evidenced by the notebook, a quiz will follow that is based on underlying theoretical concepts. |
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Criteria: |
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Generic Skills: | Communication, Collaboration, Applying technologies |
All - Assessment Task 2:Literature Assignment | |||||||||||||
Goal: | To enhance your proficiency in deciphering complex scientific terminology from pertinent papers on general chemistry. This task aims to foster your capability to extract detailed information presented in expert language and contextualise it, showcasing overarching concepts in general chemistry. |
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Product: | Written Piece | ||||||||||||
Format: | Written interpretive piece based on a scientific paper in the area of general chemistry. |
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Criteria: |
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Generic Skills: | Communication, Applying technologies, Information literacy |
All - Assessment Task 3:Final exam | ||||||||||
Goal: | To demonstrate your understanding of chemical principles, articulate core themes, and apply this knowledge in varied contexts. |
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Product: | Examination - Centrally Scheduled | |||||||||
Format: | Multiple choice, short and extended answer exam. |
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Criteria: |
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Generic Skills: | Communication, Problem solving |
A 12-unit course will have total of 150 learning hours which will include directed study hours (including online if required), self-directed learning and completion of assessable tasks. Student workload is calculated at 12.5 learning hours per one unit.
Please note: Course information, including specific information of recommended readings, learning activities, resources, weekly readings, etc. are available on the course Canvas site– Please log in as soon as possible.
Please note that you need to have regular access to the resource(s) listed below. Resources may be required or recommended.
Required? | Author | Year | Title | Edition | Publisher |
Required | OpenStax | 2019 | Chemistry 2e | n/a | XanEdu Publishing Inc |
None
Academic integrity is the ethical standard of university participation. It ensures that students graduate as a result of proving they are competent in their discipline. This is integral in maintaining the value of academic qualifications. Each industry has expectations and standards of the skills and knowledge within that discipline and these are reflected in assessment.
Academic integrity means that you do not engage in any activity that is considered to be academic fraud; including plagiarism, collusion or outsourcing any part of any assessment item to any other person. You are expected to be honest and ethical by completing all work yourself and indicating in your work which ideas and information were developed by you and which were taken from others. You cannot provide your assessment work to others. You are also expected to provide evidence of wide and critical reading, usually by using appropriate academic references.
In order to minimise incidents of academic fraud, this course may require that some of its assessment tasks, when submitted to Canvas, are electronically checked through Turnitin. This software allows for text comparisons to be made between your submitted assessment item and all other work to which Turnitin has access.
Eligibility for Supplementary Assessment
Your eligibility for supplementary assessment in a course is dependent of the following conditions applying:
(a) The final mark is in the percentage range 47% to 49.4%; and
(b) The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale
Late submissions may be penalised up to and including the following maximum percentage of the assessment task’s identified value, with weekdays and weekends included in the calculation of days late:
(a) One day: deduct 5%;
(b) Two days: deduct 10%;
(c) Three days: deduct 20%;
(d) Four days: deduct 40%;
(e) Five days: deduct 60%;
(f) Six days: deduct 80%;
(g) Seven days: A result of zero is awarded for the assessment task.The following penalties will apply for a late submission for an online examination:
Less than 15 minutes: No penalty
From 15 minutes to 30 minutes: 20% penalty
More than 30 minutes: 100% penalty
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For help with course-specific advice, for example what information to include in your assessment, you should first contact your tutor, then your course coordinator, if needed.
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