FOUNDATION YEAR FOR CHEMISTRY - 2020/1

Module Overview

This module provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and comprehension, practical and core skills and reasoned judgements in familiar and unfamiliar chemistry and chemistry-related contexts. The student will take responsibility for initiating and completing tasks and procedures. The module will use a combination of teaching strategies that encompass cross discipline learning, reflection on outcomes, self-guided research and traditional lecture teaching. There will be synoptic assessment of the assimilation of knowledge and understanding across the main strands of study in the module. The chemistry and related subject strands will be connected by shared topics of importance (i.e. buffers, acids, bases and enzymes, rates of reaction, atomic structure).

Module provider

Chemistry

Module Leader

BINGHAM Nathaniel (Chemistry)

Number of Credits: 120

ECTS Credits: 60

Framework: FHEQ Level 3

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Year long

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Indicative content includes:

 

The content for this module will build knowledge and understanding around the following areas in an integrated way:

• Atomic structure


• Rate of reactions, rate equations


• Periodicity and reactivity of the elements


• Analytical techniques


• Energetics and equilibria


• Redox processes


• Acids and bases


• Organic chemistry, reactivity of key functional groups


• Introdution to spectroscopic techniques


• Selected principles of biology/biochemistry


• Communication skills


• Academic skills including writing and numeracy


• Enquiry based learning


• Reflective learning


• Problem solving skills and team working


• Arithmetic and numerical computation


• Handling data, tables and graphs


• Analysing data (statistics)


• Results interpretation


• Extended piece of writing

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

Alternative assessment: Practical Reports: Where a student has missed one or both of the summative practical sessions, guided reading around relevant theory will be provided along with indicative data for analysis and report 10% per practical report missed.

Assessment Strategy

A range of formative and summative assessments will be set throughout the programme.

 

The module will be assessed using synoptic methods to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate learning across the subjects taught over the two semesters. 

 

The students will complete a reflective portfolio based around specially designed learning events that are developed over the 2 semesters and will demonstrate the imbedding of key experimental and analytical skills. All aspects of the portfolio must be completed, to include activities such as:-

Experimental design; scientific report writing; Abstract/poster presentation; plagiarism task; essay planning; numeracy.

 

Thus, the summative assessments for this module consists of:

 

• 10%,  Practical experiment report of about 800 words based on a Semester 1 laboratory session  LO 1-7, 11, 12


• 10%,  Practical experiment report of about 800 words based on a Semester 2 laboratory session LO 1-7, 11, 12


• 10%,  Reflective Portfolio LO1, 2, 3, 7 – 11, 13


• 20%,  Mid-term (end of semester 1) synoptic summative exam (2 hour) LO 1, 5


• 10%,  2000 word essay based on a chemical subject LO 5, 6, 7, 14


• 10 %  Presentation LO1, 2, 3, 7 – 11, 13


• 30%,  Final (end of semester 2) synoptic summative exam (2 hour) LO 1, 5, 6

 

 

Formative assessment

 

Opportunities for formative assessments and feedback will be integrated throughout the programme through individual discussion, tutorials to support the development of knowledge and understanding, intellectual and cognitive skills, class tests and practical skills.

 

Feedback

 

Continuous feedback strategies are built into the module to capture the students experiences and development of their:

 

• peer and tutor facilitated;


• ability to articulate reflective practice through their writing;


• reflect and discuss learning;


• develop their interpersonal skills;


• encourage engagement and communication skills.

Module aims

• • introduce students to a range of chemistry and chemistry-related subjects and core scientific skills to prepare students with appropriate knowledge for access into a chemistry degree programme;
• • develop key and transferable skills that will help in the assimilation of knowledge and develop autonomy in learning;
• • develop cognitive skills that allow for critical thinking, problem solving and analysis of data and information.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:

 

• Enhance the students learning experience


• Encourage active student engagement


• Adopt innovative approaches to learning and teaching


• Offer high quality educational delivery


• Create the ability to study independently with support

 

During the course a number of learning and teaching methods will be used, including:

 

• Lectures and seminars


• Problem solving classes


• Laboratory sessions


• Independent study


• On-line activities


• Revision tutorials


• Face to face formal learning


• Self directed learning


• Reflective learning

• Problem based learning


• Guided group work


• Experiential learning


• Blended online learning

 

20 hours contact time per week during teaching weeks 1-12 per semester (480 total)

An indicative week might involve 16 hours of lectures, 3 hours of practical, 1 hour tutoprial.

The practical component comprises 11 sessions of 2-3 hours structured around buffers, catalysts/enzymes, methods of analysis, rate of reaction, compound reactivity, equilibria and simple organic and organic preparations.

About 24 hours per week independent study across weeks 1-15 per semester (720 total)

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: CHE0002

Other information

Additional Costs

Description	Laboratory safety pack (Laboratory coat, safety glasses, laboratory notebook, pen & padlock)
Category
Amount	£20.00
Included in fees?	No

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2020/1 academic year.