SLE133 - Chemistry in Our World

Unit details

Year:

2024 unit information

Enrolment modes:Trimester 1: Burwood (Melbourne), Warrnambool, Waurn Ponds (Geelong)
Trimester 2: Online
Credit point(s):1
EFTSL value:0.125
Previously coded as:SLE150
Unit Chair:Trimester 1: Lawrence Webb
Trimester 2: Tim Connell
Prerequisite:

Nil

Corequisite:

SLE010

Incompatible with:

SLE131 and SLE150

Typical study commitment:

Students will on average spend 150 hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit.

This will include educator guided online learning activities within the unit site.

Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - on-campus unit enrolment:

Trimester 1: 3 x 1 hour lectures per week, 1 x 1 hour seminar per week, 5 x 3 hour practical experience (laboratory) per trimester.

Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - online unit enrolment:

Trimester 2: Online independent and collaborative learning including 3 x 1 hour online lectures per week, 1 x 1 hour online seminar per week, 5 x 3 hour practical experience (laboratory) per trimester.

Students must attend and participate in practical experiences (laboratory) at the Waurn Ponds (Geelong) campus or Burwood (Melbourne) campus on the scheduled days in the intensive week (typically week 11).

Note:

Students in Bachelor of Science courses (S320, D331, D311, 321, D304) with high (30 or more) achievement in VCE chemistry (or equivalent) are recommended to choose SLE155 Chemistry for the Professional Sciences rather than the more foundational unit SLE133 Chemistry in our World. Students without a high achievement in VCE chemistry (or equivalent) are recommended to choose SLE133. Students in S323 with a background of high achievement in VCE Chemistry 3 and 4 (or equivalent) may choose to replace SLE133 Chemistry in Our World with an elective unit.

Content

SLE133 is a foundation unit designed to develop and consolidate student understanding and skills in basic chemistry. The learning and assessment activities provide students with the opportunity to study atoms, molecules, and ions, how they change during a chemical reaction and how bonding affects properties like intermolecular interactions, boiling points, ease of evaporation and the ability of substances to dissolve in water. Students will engage in laboratory work to develop their hands on skills in chemical safety, measurement and their ability to perform calculations related to substance measurement. Students will then apply these concepts of bonding, chemical change and measurement to determine the acidity and basicity of substances.

This unit can be taken as a stand-alone unit for students who need some awareness of chemistry to broaden their degree or can be taken as a foundation for further studies in biochemistry, chemistry, and related areas like food and nutrition, molecular biology and science education.

ULO These are the Learning Outcomes (ULO) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can: Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes
ULO1

Explain a range of introductory level chemical concepts and phenomena by using scientific language, conventions, and notation.

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities
GLO2: Communication

ULO2

Identify and apply chemical concepts (individually or in combination) to calculate and determine solutions to simple chemical problems.

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities
GLO5: Problem solving

ULO3

Identify gaps in understanding and/or skills by reflection and proactively take responsibility for self-managing their learnings by taking positive action.

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities
GLO2: Communication
GLO6: Self-management

ULO4

Working responsibly and safely in a chemical laboratory following safety guidelines and procedures.

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities
GLO6: Self-management

ULO5

Identify and accurately record the key observations and results of laboratory experiments and link these to relevant chemical concepts to draw appropriate conclusions.

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities
GLO2: Communication
GLO4: Critical thinking
GLO6: Self-management

Assessment

Assessment Description Student output Grading and weighting
(% total mark for unit)
Indicative due week

Assessment 1
Learning reflection

Written online feedback 10% Weekly

Assessment 2
Practical reports 

Five laboratory worksheets 30% (5 x 6%) At the end of each laboratory class

Assessment 3
Online quizzes

Ten online multiple-choice quizzes 20% (10 x 2%) Weekly
End-of-Unit Assessment  Timed online test 40% End-of-Unit Assessment Period

The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.

Hurdle requirement

To be eligible to obtain a pass in this unit, students must achieve at least 50% in the practical component, in addition to the normal requirement of at least 50% overall for the unit.

Learning Resource

Prescribed text(s): Blackman, et al, Chemistry: Core Concepts, 2nd Ed, 2019, Wiley 

The texts and reading list for the unit can be found on the University Library via the link below: SLE133 Note: Select the relevant trimester reading list. Please note that a future teaching period's reading list may not be available until a month prior to the start of that teaching period so you may wish to use the relevant trimester's prior year reading list as a guide only.

Unit Fee Information

Fees and charges vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study and their study discipline, and your study load.

Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.

Use the Fee estimator to see course and unit fees applicable to your course and type of place.

For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current Students website.