CHEM11042 - Fundamentals of Chemistry

General Information

Unit Synopsis

This unit will provide you with the fundamental principles of chemistry that underpin the medical sciences and provide a strong foundation on which you can develop an understanding of biochemistry and molecular science. You will gain an appreciation of the nature of matter, classic atomic structure and how energy is involved in bond formation. These concepts will be developed to explain the forces between molecules that govern chemical interaction. You will be introduced to the chemistry of electrolytes, acids, bases and buffers. This study will be supported by simple calculations to assist you in relating to the pH scale. The study of organic chemistry and molecules central to the life sciences will enable you to develop an understanding of the biochemistry and molecular biology relevant to your specific discipline. The naming and classifying of chemical compounds will enable you to be conversant with accepted scientific terms. Tutorials and on-line activities will complement the theoretical knowledge gained in lectures and provide you with the basic mathematical and analytical tools required in the application of chemistry to your specific discipline.

Details

Level Undergraduate
Unit Level 1
Credit Points 6
Student Contribution Band SCA Band 2
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load 0.125
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites There are no pre-requisites for the unit.

Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).

Class Timetable View Unit Timetable
Residential School No Residential School

Unit Availabilities from Term 1 - 2024

Term 1 - 2024 Profile
Online
Term 2 - 2024 Profile
Online
Term 1 - 2025 Profile
Online
Term 2 - 2025 Profile
Online

Attendance Requirements

All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).

Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.

Assessment Tasks

Assessment Task Weighting
1. Online Quiz(zes) 30%
2. Written Assessment 40%
3. Online Test 30%

This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%).

Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades

Past Exams

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Previous Feedback

Term 1 - 2024 : The overall satisfaction for students in the last offering of this course was 16.67% (`Agree` and `Strongly Agree` responses), based on a 14.74% response rate.

Feedback, Recommendations and Responses

Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Source: SUTE
Feedback
Some students provided feedback that the unit was well structured, and appreciated the study guide. Students suggested was that they have found the Khan Academy videos really helpful for chemistry.
Recommendation
I recommend that the chemistry teaching team work on creating extra learning resources, such as providing useful video links on the Moodle site each week. These videos can be used to provide wider learning accessibility for visual and tactile learners.
Action Taken
The learning and teaching materials for the unit were consistently updated to ensure relevance and accuracy. The most recent version of the study guide was finalised in July 2023. Additionally, a trial version of Cengage's online chemistry self-study platform was integrated into the Moodle site. This platform offers a wealth of high-quality videos designed to aid students in mastering the course content and completing practical exercises effectively.
Source: SUTE
Feedback
Some students' suggested reformatting the chemistry study guide to include hyperlinks and bookmarks, allowing for easier navigation within the resource.
Recommendation
I recommend that the chemistry teaching team collaborates with the Learning Design team to explore the possibility of converting the study guide into hyperlinks or bookmarks on the Moodle site.
Action Taken
This task was scheduled as part of the unit's update activities for this year.
Source: SUTE
Feedback
A few students still thought the lectures were not helpful, that it was simple presentation from bullet points and there were no clear explanations.
Recommendation
I recommend that the chemistry teaching team maintains an ongoing process of reviewing and updating learning materials and resources, including videos and the study guide. This will ensure that the materials remain current, relevant and engaging for students.
Action Taken
The teaching team discussed updating the lecture and tutorial recordings.
Source: SUTE
Feedback
Some students' feedback was to make the recorded videos more interesting and less 'monotone'. Suggestions were for more examples and in depth explanations.
Recommendation
I strongly recommend that the chemistry teaching team focus on enhancing the quality of the recorded videos and incorporate additional worked examples into the lectures. Current recordings are out of date, contain technical issues, and do not reflect the high standards we strive to offer to our students. Additionally, the teaching team should aim to provide extra learning resources on a weekly basis, such as links to relevant video resources, catering to the needs of visual and tactile learners. This approach will further enrich the learning experience for students.
Action Taken
The teaching team discussed updating the lecture and tutorial recordings.
Source: SUTE
Feedback
Some students still do not believe that chemistry is relevant to their chosen field and need more clarity on how the content relates back to healthcare settings and scenarios and to paramedic science. This also impacted negatively on their engagement with the units learning materials.
Recommendation
I recommend that the teaching team continues to collaborate with relevant disciplines in the unit redesign process and proactively addresses any potential issues that may arise. Furthermore, the teaching team should foster collaborative learning among students and themselves by facilitating online Q&A sessions and discussion forums. These platforms will enable students to ask questions, seek clarifications, and engage in meaningful discussions, ultimately enhancing the overall learning experience.
Action Taken
Each week's teaching topics were revised to incorporate updated perspectives, featuring clear examples and evidence that illustrate the connections between the learning material and its relevance to health, medical, and science disciplines. Additionally, a weekly Q&A online session with the unit coordinator and a discussion forum were made available for students to ask questions, seek clarifications, and engage in meaningful discussions, thereby enriching their overall learning experience.
Source: SUTE
Feedback
The work booklet was good and gave a thorough guide to the concepts, had good worked examples and practice questions.
Recommendation
I recommend that the teaching team maintain high quality in the work booklet by regularly reviewing and updating it.
Action Taken
In Progress
Source: SUTE
Feedback
Recorded lectures and tutorial videos need to be updated and refreshed on the Moodle site.
Recommendation
I recommend that the unit coordinator and the chemistry teaching team collaborate with the Head of Course to develop a strategic approach for updating the lecture and tutorial videos as soon as possible.
Action Taken
In Progress
Source: SUTE
Feedback
Provide some feedback for Assessment 3 Online Test.
Recommendation
In the future, the marking team should ensure they implement feedback mechanisms to help students receive the support they need to succeed.
Action Taken
In Progress
Unit learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  1. Apply concepts of atomic structure to explain molecular bonding and nuclear reactivity
  2. Apply chemical concepts to healthcare situations
  3. Identify categories of organic compounds and their potential chemical interactions
  4. Perform basic chemical calculations.

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4
1 - Online Quiz(zes) •
2 - Written Assessment • • •
3 - Online Test •
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
• Introductory Level
• Intermediate Level
• Graduate Level
Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4
1 - Communication • • • •
2 - Problem Solving • • • •
3 - Critical Thinking • • • •
4 - Information Literacy • • • •
6 - Information Technology Competence • •
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
• Introductory Level
• Intermediate Level
• Graduate Level
Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10