FOUNDATIONAL CHEMISTRY - 2025/6

Module Overview

This module provides opportunities for you to develop and demonstrate knowledge and comprehension, practical and core skills and reasoned judgements in familiar and unfamiliar chemistry and chemistry-related contexts.

You will take responsibility for initiating and completing tasks and procedures, with classes in place to help support you. The module uses a combination of teaching strategies that encompass cross discipline learning, reflection on outcomes, self-guided research, and traditional lecture teaching. A synoptic assessment of the assimilation of knowledge is used, to examine your understanding across the main strands of study in the module.

The content starts from a basic, general overview of the main strands of chemistry before diverging into more specific, in-depth topics towards the end of the course.

Module provider

Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

Module Leader

BINGHAM Nathaniel (Chst Chm Eng)

Number of Credits: 30

ECTS Credits: 15

Framework: FHEQ Level 3

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

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

N/A

Module content

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

• Atomic structure


• Electronic configuration


• Inter- and intramolecular bonding 


• Introduction to inorganic, organic, physical, and analytical chemistry 


• Periodicity and reactivity of the elements


• VSEPR Theory 


• Analytical techniques


• Communication skills 


• Academic skills


• Reflective learning 


• Problem solving skills 


• Handling data and tables 


• Results interpretation

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

¿ Laboratory based assessment: By completion of an alternative laboratory exercise in a pre-timetabled session during term time. ¿ Conference presentation: Completion of a presentation at an alternate date with the assessors.

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to allow students to demonstrate that they have successfully met the learning outcomes of the module (see above). Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

 

•              Practical Experiment Assessment Based on a Laboratory Session LO 1, 2, 3, 5

•              Conference Paper LO 1, 4, 5

•              Practical Experiment Report Based on a Laboratory Session LO 1, 2, 3, 5

•              Conference Presentation LO 1, 4, 5

•              Conference Self-Reflection LO 1, 4, 5

•              Short Answer Question Closed Book Exam (2 hour) LO 1, 2

 

  Formative assessment

Formative feedback is provided for all types of summative assessments mentioned above. Thus, a portion of the experimental sessions and the laboratory reports related to them are formatively assessed (LO 1, 2, 3, 5). Formative assessment is also provided in tutorials where seen and unseen questions are discussed in preparation for the final examination (LO 1, 2). Formative assessment also takes place in lectures where opportunities for problem solving allow group work and discussion (LO 1, 2, 4, 5).

 

  Feedback

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

•              Ability to articulate reflective practice through their writing

•              Peer and tutor facilitated

•              Reflect and discuss learning

•              Develop their interpersonal skills

•              Encourage engagement and communication skills

Module aims

• Be introduced to a range of chemistry and core scientific skills to prepare you with appropriate knowledge for access into a chemistry degree programme.
• Improve key and transferable skills, such as your digital capabilities, that will help you in the assimilation of knowledge and develop autonomy in your learning, along with improving your employability.
• Develop cognitive skills that allow for critical thinking, problem solving and analysis of data and information
• Be introduced to and develop your existing laboratory skills through strategically targeted and timed laboratory sessions.

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

•              Online activities

•              Revision tutorials

•              Self-directed learning

•              Reflective learning

•              Problem based learning

•              Guided group work

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: ENG0021

Other information

The School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering is committed to developing graduates with strengths in Employability, Digital Capabilities, Global and Cultural Capabilities, Sustainability, and Resourcefulness and Resilience. This module is designed to allow students to develop knowledge, skills, and capabilities in the following areas: ¿ A fundamental understanding of basic chemistry concepts is explored, whilst starting to specialise into topic areas towards the end of the semester. All the concepts are discussed through a university chemistry degree level lens, removing some of the misconceptions at A-level (or equivalent) chemistry, and preparing students for a more streamlined transition to first year. ¿ Laboratory sessions are strategically placed to supplement the taught chemistry content. ¿ Content is reinforced by supplemental classes, helping to improve your understanding of how you learn, revise, and reflect. ¿ Whilst sustainability is taught throughout the course, certain topics are further touched upon towards the end. The module involves student-led critique of content, its assumptions, and underlying principles, as well as their connection to the wider industrial, environmental, and social context. The laboratory sessions contain deliberate room to allow mistakes and research. Several sessions are based around problem solving and providing evidence to common mistakes, or questions that students have, allowing them to prove to themselves the answers. ¿ A conference project is one of the main themes of this module, where you are encouraged to investigate an area of chemistry that interests or is personal to you. The project focuses on improving students researching, critical thinking, time-management, writing, and presenting skills, each of which are important skills for improving your employability. This is achieved through presentations, writing, reflection, and peer review sessions. ¿ Due to the wide range of student backgrounds, classes are focused on improving student digital capabilities, ranging from components of Microsoft Office, to chemistry specific software such as ChemDraw. These are further reinforced through laboratory reports and presentations, which rely on competent use of these software. This module leads onto ¿Applied Chemistry and Biology¿ and ¿Advanced Chemistry¿ in semester 2, and then the 1st year undergraduate chemistry degree courses and modules (CHE1041-1045).

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 2025/6 academic year.