Syllabus

Science Prerequisites for Health Professionals

CHEM 1011: General Chemistry II – Lab

Credits - 1 (Lab)

Description

This lab course is at a level for introductory level, college general chemistry II course. An emphasis is placed on understanding the concepts of the labs and the scientific method. Since today’s healthcare professionals are expected to have a general understanding of how science and the scientific method contribute to their profession, this course is appropriate for students preparing for a program in the health sciences as well as those who need a working knowledge of general chemistry for a number of applications. The hands-on labs will be performed in the home of the student using a designated lab kit. Course pre-req: one semester of college chemistry with lab and second semester of college chemistry lecture.

Materials

Resources

Lab Material

It is mandatory for students enrolled in lab to order a lab kit.

The kit must be purchased directly through Hands-on Lab and cannot be purchased secondhand or from another vendor as the unique kit code is vital and is assigned to each student at the time of purchase.

Note: Kits can take 5–7 business days to arrive. On or after your course start date, you can go to the HOL/Science Interactive module in your course to order your lab kit.

For customer service concerns, please use the HOL/Science Interactive dedicated phone line (720-360-4034).

Do not start any experiments until you read the instructions within the individual course modules. If you decide to return your LabPaq you will have to pay the return shipping charge plus a restocking fee.

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

Program Outcomes

In lecture courses, students should be able to:

  • Communicate scientific concepts and information clearly.
  • Illustrate fundamental laws, theories, and principles of scientific disciplines.
  • Apply knowledge and critical thinking skills to scientific problems.

In lab courses, students should be able to:

  • Ask a question or define a problem that can be tested.
  • Hypothesize possible result(s).
  • Plan and/or conduct an investigation individually and/or collaboratively to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence.
  • Analyze data using tools, technologies, and/or models (i.e. computational, mathematical, graphical, etc.) in order to make valid and reliable scientific claims or determine an optimal design solution.
  • Communicate the results by constructing an explanation based on multiple pieces of valid and reliable evidence obtained from a variety of sources (including students’ own investigations, models, theories, simulations, peer review) and the assumption that theories and laws that describe the natural world operate today as they did in the past and will continue to do so in the future.
  • Apply scientific ideas, principles, and/or evidence gained from various experiments, as well as other observations and/or research, to provide an explanation of phenomena and solve design problems, taking into account possible unanticipated effects.

Course Objectives

After completing the lab section of this course, students should be able to: 

  1. Utilize basic scientific equipment safely and accurately.
  2. Make, record, and report experimental observations.
  3. Create and analyze Excel-based graphs of experimental data.
  4. Perform calculations based upon collected data.
  5. Describe many aspects of various physical and chemical equilibria, including their kinetics and energy considerations.
  6. Relate properties and reactivity of some inorganic 
  7. and organic compounds.
  8. Effectively communicate experimental information in a scientific writing style.

SELF PACED DESIGN

On the course start date, students will have access to orientation. This must be completed to be able to gain access to the first module in the course. Students must complete the first module to gain access to the next one. We recommend that students spend about 15 hours per week to complete a course in 16 weeks. When trying to complete the course in less than 16 weeks, we typically see students do this successfully within 12-14 weeks. Instructors will be timely in grading and feedback, but it will not be instant.

Assignments

Course Details

The General Chemistry II course is divided into 16 weeks. For the lab component of this course, most weeks contain a short introductory video, followed by information on that week’s activity assignment.

Laboratory Assignments

Most of the weeks include a laboratory assignment. Introductions to a week’s laboratory assignment can be found in that week’s learning module. However, the actual lab work will be completed in the completed in the HOL/Science Interactive Cloud website. 

You will perform all laboratory assignments in a non-laboratory setting, such as your kitchen. The labs include four prerequisite labs that can be done before the lab kits arrives,  and 10 graded laboratory assignments distributed throughout the course.  Each lab in the HOL/Science Interactive Cloud website includes pre-lab questions, the experiment, and post-lab evaluation questions. There is a lab video that accompanies each lab. This will give you some details about the lab and suggestions for things that will make the lab go smoothly. It will also connect the lab to the chemistry content.  Parts of the lab are graded automatically within HOL/Science Interactive. Data and free response questions are graded by your instructor.  

Laboratory Report

One originally written lab report turned in as a Word document or .pdf file in Brightspace, is assigned for the “Titration for Acetic Acid in Vinegar” experiment, found in Week 7. Guidelines for writing a lab report can be found in the document “How to Write Lab Notes and Lab Reports” published by Hands-on Labs. This can be found in the Week #7 Lab module. The lab report is due in Week 8.

Discussion Board Posts

Discussion questions cover interesting current events or materials that contribute to a deeper understanding of key concepts and allow you to interact with your classmates and the instructor. There are a total of two required discussion questions found in weeks 6 and 12. 

To earn full credit: you will need to post a response, respond to the original posts of at least two other students, and then contribute to an ongoing discussion. For special cases where one or two students are accelerating faster through the course, the instructor will participate in the discussion so that everyone has the opportunity to interact.

Discussion Question Guidelines

  1. Read the assignment carefully so that you are familiar with the materials that you need to cover and how to craft your post.
  2. Respect each other’s ideas, feelings, and experience. Some of the questions involve areas of disagreement. Expect your classmates to have different opinions.
  3. Use proper writing style. Correct spelling and sentence structure are expected just as if you were writing a regular paper. Use spell check and grammar check before you submit.
  4. Create your post in a word document initially. That way you can save a copy and use spell check and grammar check.
  5. Cite the sources that you use to write your response. Follow the AMA guidelines.
  6. Avoid posting large blocks of text. Break your writing into paragraphs and use a space between paragraphs to make your posting easier to read online.
  7. Subscribe to the discussion so that you get email updates when there is activity.
  8. Use the “reply” button rather than the “compose” button when responding to someone else’s post.
  9. When responding to a classmate, address them by name.
  10. Do not use postings such as “I agree,” “I don’t know either,” or “ditto.” They do not add to the discussion, take up space on the Discussions, and lower your grade.
  11. Everyone benefits from an active discussion. Check back frequently to see what others are saying.
  12. Plan your time carefully. You will need to give your classmates time to respond to your postings. This is an asynchronous class where students will be in different points of the class.

Lab Final Exam

The final exam is CLOSED book, CLOSED notes, timed and proctored by ProctorU. If you use the official UNE whiteboard (see Materials Section, above), you will be required to show your proctor that your whiteboard is clear at the beginning of your testing session, and you must erase your whiteboard in front of the proctor before disconnecting from your session. If you do not do this, your exam will not be credited. You will also be required to set up a UNE-compliant webcam as described above in the “Materials” section.  

You may use:

  • The provided PDF entitled “Chem 1011 Exam Information and Equations”
  • The official UNE whiteboard, marker, and eraser
  • A stand-alone scientific, non-programmable calculator
  • Nothing else

Detailed instructions for registering for your exams with ProctorU are located in Brightspace’s Welcome and Getting started module.

The lab final consists of 40 multiple choice questions and you can have up to 120 minutes to complete it.  

Your exam scores will be available after you take the exam, but exams will not be released to students for review. Please contact your instructor for specific feedback.

Grading Policy

Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:

Grade Breakdown

Assignment CategoryPoints Available
Lab Component
Lab Assignments60%
Lab Discussions 10%
Lab Report15%
Lab Final Exam15%
Total100%

Grade Scale

Grade Points Grade Point Average (GPA)
A 94 – 100% 4.00
A- 90 – 93% 3.75
B+ 87 – 89% 3.50
B 84 – 86% 3.00
B- 80 – 83% 2.75
C+ 77 – 79% 2.50
C 74 – 76% 2.00
C- 70 – 73% 1.75
D 64 – 69% 1.00
F 00 – 63% 0.00

Schedule

Week

Assignments

1

Prerequisite labs (Laboratory Safety, Getting Started)

2

Lab Activity: Colligative Properties and Osmotic Pressure

3

Lab Activity: Reaction Order & Rate Laws

4

No lab activity

5

Lab Activity: Equilibrium and LeChatelier’s Principle

6

Lab Activity: Determination of Ka for a Weak Acid

&

Week 6 Discussion 

7

Lab Activity: Titration for Acetic Acid in Vinegar

8

Lab Report: Titration for Acetic Acid in Vinegar

9

Lab Activity: Determination of Water Hardness Using a Titrator

10

No lab activity 

11

Lab Activity: Oxidation/Reduction Activity Series

12

Lab Activity: Electrochemical Cells and Cell Potentials

&

Week 12 Discussion

13

Lab Activity: Anions, Cations, and Ionic Reactions

14

Lab Activity: Naming Organic Compounds;  Stereochemistry 1, Structural Isomers

15

No lab activity 

16

Lab Final Exam

Student Resources

Online Student Support

Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you - they will monitor course progression and provide assistance or guidance when needed. Please don’t hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, course materials, billing, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies.

Questions? Submit your student support request.

Online Peer Support

Togetherall is a 24/7 communication and emotional support platform monitored by trained clinicians. It’s a safe place online to get things off your chest, have conversations, express yourself creatively, and learn how to manage your mental health. If sharing isn’t your thing, Togetherall has other tools and courses to help you look after yourself with plenty of resources to explore. Whether you’re struggling to cope, feeling low, or just need a place to talk, Togetherall can help you explore your feelings in a safe supportive environment. You can join Togetherall using your UNE email address.

Instructor and Support Contact Information

Check Brightspace for specific instructor and support specialist contact information.

Student Lounge

The Student Lounge Discussion Forum is a designated support forum in which students may engage with each other and grapple with course content. Feel free to post questions, seek clarification, and support each other, but be mindful of UNE's Academic Integrity Policy.

Your instructor will monitor this forum. However, if you are seeking specific and timely answers to questions about course content or your personal grades, please contact your instructor via course messages. For questions about course materials, program policy, and how to navigate and proceed through the course, please contact your Student Service Advisor through the Student Portal.

Policies

Proctored Examinations

Your course may have proctored exams. Please see your course for full details, access, testing requirements, and guidelines.

Students must follow all proctoring requirements for their exams to be credited. Please contact your instructor for specific feedback.

Exam Attempts Policy

Students will receive two attempts at all proctored examinations. The higher score of the two attempts will be calculated into the final grade.

All students are encouraged to use a second attempt on their exams in order to improve their overall performance in the course.

Course Discussions

Discussion topics cover events or materials related to this course that contribute to a deeper understanding of key concepts and allow you to interact with your classmates and the instructor. Each discussion topic may require you to conduct internet research, read additional materials, visit a specific webpage, AND/OR view a short video before writing a response following the specific guidelines in the discussion topic prompt.

To earn full credit you will need to post a response to the discussion topic, respond to the original posts of other students, and then contribute meaningfully to an ongoing discussion. You may need to post your initial response before you will see any posts from your classmates. For special cases where one or two students are accelerating faster through the course, the instructor will participate in the discussion so that everyone has the opportunity to interact.

Please see Brightspace for a full description, along with specific guidelines, for each discussion topic. Discussion board assignments should be completed, along with all other assignments in the course, in the order that they appear. Due to the course design, you may be unable to take a proctored exam if you do not complete all assignments that appear prior to that exam.

Please also refer to the Grading Policy/Grade Breakdown section of the syllabus to learn the percentage of your grade that each discussion is worth.

Technology Requirements

Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Programs: Technical Requirements

Course Length

A schedule of lectures and assignments is included in this syllabus. This is, however a self-paced course and you can complete the course in less time.

  1. Courses in the SPHP program are equivalent to one-semester courses designed to be completed in 16 weeks
  2. Enrollment in the course begins the day your section opens which is listed in the Academic Calendar found on the Student Success Portal.
  3. Course start and end dates are in respect to Eastern Time.

Withdrawal and Refund Policies

Please visit the enrollment page to review the withdrawal and refund policies.

Grade Policy

Students are expected to attempt and complete all graded assignments and proctored exams by the end date of the course. View the incomplete grade policy..

Transcripts

Due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, only the student may request official transcripts. This may be done online by going to the University of New England Registrar website and following the directions on the page.

Academic Integrity

The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable.

Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:

  1. Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
  2. Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
  3. Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
  4. Multiple submission of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
  5. Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.

Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.

Using Generative AI When Completing Coursework

Generative AI (GenAI) applications (like ChatGPT) have proven to be powerful and effective tools, and students are encouraged to become familiar with and use them. However, as with any tool, students must use GenAI in ways that support learning, not replace it. Learning to use AI responsibly and ethically is an important skill in today’s society.

In their courses, students are not allowed to use advanced automated tools, such as generative AI tools, on assignments unless explicitly directed to do so. Each student is expected to complete each assignment, including labs and quizzes as applicable, without substantive assistance from others, including automated tools.

Using AI-content generators to complete assignments without proper attribution violates academic integrity. By submitting assignments in UNE courses, you pledge to affirm that they are your own work and you attribute use of any and all tools and sources.

Unauthorized Use

Unauthorized use of AI is treated as a violation of academic integrity.

Citing AI Use

If permitted, students should indicate and cite any use of AI tools. 

Instructor responsibility

Instructors should clearly reiterate, using UNE Online’s Policy, how students can use AI tools in their courses, and communicate this policy to students at the beginning of the semester. 

Student responsibility

Students must follow the academic integrity policy of the University of New England.