Syllabus

Science Prerequisites for Health Professionals

CHEM 1020: Organic Chemistry I

Credits - 3

Description

This is the first semester course of a two semester sequence of organic chemistry. This course is designed to give the student, interested in the health professions, an introduction to structure, reactivity, and analysis of organic molecules. Students will be introduced to organic structures (functional groups, nomenclature, stereochemistry, and conformations) and then learn carbonyl reactions (nucleophilic additions to ketones/aldehydes and nucleophilic substitution to acid derivatives).  Students will apply these topics to biochemical settings. Finally, the course ends with an introduction to spectroscopic analysis. These topics will prepare students for entrance exams in the health professions and will prepare students to understand important biological pathways that the student will encounter in his/her professional studies. In addition, this course will lay the groundwork for more advanced understanding of the chemical reactivity topics covered in Online Organic Chemistry II.

The course is designed to take lecture and lab concurrently for four credits. However, students have the option to take the lecture only (three credits) or lab only (one credit).

Course Prerequisite: Two semesters of college level general chemistry.

Materials

Readings

All assigned readings are available freely online. Two main texts are listed below:

Schaller, C. (n.d.). Structure and reactivity in organic, biological and inorganic chemistry. 

Lumen Learning. (n.d.). Organic chemistry 1: An open textbook

Resources

  1. Required: Subscription to Achieve ($42). Enrollment details are available in Brightspace.
  2. Strongly Recommended:  An organic chemistry model kit such as this kit on Amazon.

Hardware

UNE-compliant webcam and whiteboard – To be used during proctored exams

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

Program Outcomes

In lecture courses, students should be able to:

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

In lab courses, students should be able to:

  1. Ask a question or define a problem that can be tested.
  2. Hypothesize possible result(s).
  3. Plan and/or conduct an investigation individually and/or collaboratively to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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

  1. Classify organic compounds by functional groups. 
  2. Predict acid-base chemistry of organic compounds.
  3. Evaluate the 3D structure of small organic compounds (isomers, naming, conformations, and stereochemistry).
  4. Articulate the factors that impact the nucleophilic addition to carbonyls, using curved arrows, reaction profiles, molecular orbitals, and thermodynamics.
  5. Articulate the factors that impact the nucleophilic substitutions to acid derivatives, using curved arrows, reaction profiles, molecular orbitals, and thermodynamics.
  6. Transfer an understanding of mechanism and intermediates to predict products of related reactions.
  7. Explain catalysis of carbonyl reactions in both organic reactions and enzymatic reactions.Analyze data from IR, 1H NMR, and 13C NMR spectroscopy to determine the structure of small organic compounds.

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

Worksheets

Each week, you will explore the new topics through the readings, videos, and worksheets. The worksheets are a place for you to take notes, draw, and try to answer problems. The materials are designed to help you walk through key ideas for the week. You can read the texts or watch the videos or play a game while you are doing the worksheets. You might find it effective to move back and forth between these activities. In fact, some of the videos will work through examples in the worksheets! Research shows that active engagement can increase your understanding and retention of the materials. To that end, you are strongly encouraged to print each week’s guided worksheets out first to have them on hand while reading or viewing the learning materials. As they are a form of practice and engagement, you will receive points for completion alone.  If you are not understanding a topic through these materials, please contact the instructor!

Achieve Homework 

Each week, you will complete one or two short homework assignments in the Achieve system.  These homework assignments will be a chance for you to assess your understanding of the key concepts covered during that week.

In these activities, you can view hints without being penalized. You are also able to attempt each question multiple times, but be aware that you will receive a small penalty (5%) for each attempt after your first. Note that you can compare your attempts to chart your progress with a question and review your work. Finally, be sure to review the feedback that you receive to better understand the correct responses.  You will be able to see the correct answer after you have submitted your assignment.

Achieve Quizzes

You will complete four shorter quizzes in the Achieve platform. These quizzes will be 20 questions and you will have 45 minutes to complete each one. Each quiz will be worth 20 points. They will usually cover 2-3 weeks of material and will ensure that you are retaining the material as we progress through the semester.

Discussion Boards

There will be four discussion boards this semester. There is an introductory board to foster a sense of community. There will be two discussion boards on topics of metacognition (how to study and learn). The last discussion board will involve a project analyzing who can be a scientist.  

Activities

There are six activities in this course (and one optional extra credit activity!). These activities will ask you to apply the knowledge that you are learning. You will create a concept map and an infographic to help you create and communicate connections between related chemistry ideas. At the first mid-term, you will assess your learning strategies and set goals for utilizing new metacognitive strategies. There are two case studies that ask you to apply your knowledge to new medically relevant situations.  One final assignment will involve you recording a description of how you solved a spectral problem. 

Midterm Exams

You will complete two mid-term exams in the Achieve platform. These quizzes will be worth 50 points each. The exams will be 25 questions and you will have 60 minutes to complete them. You will have two exam attempts with the highest being kept. They will usually cover 3-5 weeks of material and will ensure that you are retaining the material as we progress through the semester.

Final Exam

This will be a cumulative exam.  It will be a timed and proctored exam. There will be approximately 50 questions.  You will have 90 minutes to complete the exam, and you will be allowed to use an approved whiteboard, as well as your modeling kit. You will have two exam attempts with the highest being kept. This assignment is worth 100 points toward your final grade. 

This exam must be taken through ProctorU. See UNE’s Online ProctorU Site for information about signing up and scheduling your exam. A UNE-compliant webcam is required (see the Course Materials section, above, for more information).

For proctored finals, grades will be posted 48-72 hours after taking the exams. At that time, you can expect an unofficial transcript.

Grading Policy

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

Grade Breakdown

Assignment CategoryNumber of Assignments & PointsTotal Point Values
Achieve Homework12 x 10 pts, 8 x 5 pts160 points
Achieve Quizzes 4 x 20 pts80 points
Worksheets14 x 5 pts70 points
Discussions Boards4 x 10 pts40 points
ActivitiesInfographic (10 pts), Concept Map (10 pts) , Metacognitive Goal-Setting (10 pts), Case Study 1 (25 pts), Case Study 2 (20 pts), Spectral Video (20 pts), Meme (5 pts, extra credit)95 points (+5 points extra credit)
Midterm Exams2 x 50 pts100 points
Final Exam1 x 100 pts100 points
Total645 points

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

Topic

Assignments

1

Structure, Bonding, and Representation of Organic Molecules

Discussion #1
How to Use Achieve
2 Worksheets
2 Achieve HW

Create an infographic

2

Acid-Base Chemistry of Organic Molecules

2 Achieve HW
3 Worksheets
Quiz #1
Discussion Week 2-5

3

Structure and Properties of Alkanes

2 Achieve HW

Worksheet

4

Cyclic Conformations

Worksheet
Achieve HW
Quiz #2

5

Stereochemistry

Worksheet
Achieve HW
Isomer Concept Map

6

Review and Apply: Molecular Structure

Metacognitive Assessment and Goal-Setting
Case Study #1
Midterm Exam #1

7

Introduction to Carbonyl Reactions

2 Achieve HW
Worksheet
Discussion Week 7-11

8

Nucleophilic Addition to Aldehydes and Ketones

2 Achieve HW
Worksheet
Quiz #3

9

Introduction to Nucleophilic Substitution to Carboxylic Acid Derivatives

2 Achieve HW

Worksheet

Optional Extra Credit

10

Nucleophilic Substitutions to Carboxylic Acid Derivatives Part II

Worksheet

Achieve HW

Quiz #4

11

Enzymatic Catalysis

Worksheet
Achieve HW

12

Review and Apply: Carbonyl Reactivity

Case Study #2

Midterm Exam #2
Discussion Week 12-15

13

Introduction to Spectroscopy: IR and 13C NMR Spectral  Analysis

Worksheet
Achieve HW

14

Spectroscopy: 1H NMR Analysis

Worksheet
Achieve HW

15

Spectroscopy: Combined Spectral Problems

Worksheet
Video Explanation

16

Review and Apply: Final Exam

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? Visit the Student Support Science Prerequisites page

Instructor and Support Contact Information

Check Brightspace for specific instructor and support specialist contact information.

Student Lounge

The Student Lounge Discussion Board 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. The University of New England has contracted with ProctorU to provide students with the most convenient online exam proctoring system. This system provides a simple, no cost to the student, secure, online proctor for exams and allows the student to take all the exams at home and on their own schedule.

Upon enrollment into the course, each student will register with ProctorU and establish a login name and password. This will give the student access to all of ProctorU's services. When ready, students will schedule each of their proctored exams with ProctorU. Exams must be scheduled at least 72 hours in advance to avoid fees. Prior to taking their exams, students must be sure that they have downloaded any required additional software. They must also be sure their testing site's connection meets the minimum requirements by using ProctorU's "Test It Out" utility.

Upon the exam day and hour, students will log in to ProctorU and click on "exams". After following the procedures outlined at ProctorU's website, the student will log in to Brightspace and locate their correct exam. The proctor will then allow student access to that exam.

Students must use ProctorU and 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. Students can schedule their second attempt by following the same ProctorU instructions as with the original exam.

All students are encouraged to utilize 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.