Introductory Skills & Practical 1 - CHE00027C
Module summary
This compulsory module complements the core theoretical content of the Chemistry degree programme by introducing and developing the core skills that students require in order to become a professional chemist.
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Semester 1 2025-26 |
Module aims
This module will welcome students to the Department of Chemistry, and will begin to develop the vital skills that complement the core chemical knowledge of the degree programme. Specific aims are:
-
To introduce students to the more independent learning styles which are part of University-level learning
-
To introduce students to practical laboratory work at degree level, including core elements such as working safely in the laboratory, understanding and practice of key manipulative skills, making accurate records etc.
-
To develop mathematical/biological/physical background knowledge, in order to complement the students’ pre-University studies
-
To develop core mathematical and quantitative skills
-
To develop transferable skills in research, reasoning, and communication; team working, synthesising arguments to solve problems, and presenting findings, verbally and visually.
-
To develop students’ awareness of employability for chemistry graduates, including aspects of equality and diversity.
Module learning outcomes
Students should:
-
be able to employ the foundational principles of practical chemistry to conduct routine laboratory work safely, and to demonstrate competence in general laboratory skills
-
be able to carry out mathematical manipulations, including the manipulation of units
-
be able to use mathematical methods to solve chemical problems, including quantification of uncertainties.
-
be able to appreciate the molecular/chemical aspects of life processes, building the basic biological background needed for further chemistry modules.
-
develop transferable and problem-solving skills, with particular emphasis on communication.
-
appreciate the options and opportunities available to gain the required skills for employability, including equality and diversity principles.
Module content
Introductory sessions
These sessions introduce students to the Department of Chemistry, including key staff, key places and key support structures.
Practical work
Practical skills are taught in a variety of ways including a series of structured experimental exercises, conducted in the Teaching Laboratory, a series of practical theory lectures which provide the theoretical background to the practical exercises, and using PC classroom workshops.
Mathematics for Chemists
Mathematics is taught in a chemical context and covers selected topics from calculus, power series, vectors and statistics, in order to support fundamental chemical ideas later in the course. The sessions include opportunities for students to work through problems with guidance and supervision in order to develop their problem-solving skills in a 'hands-on' way. The Mathematics course is designed to support all the students with the mathematical aspects of the chemistry course, but in particular those who do not have a post-16 maths qualification. All students are provided with support materials for private study. Students may attend specific workshops as required to support particular topics they have difficulty with.
Building a Biological Background:
The Building a Biological Background course covers selected aspects of Biology/Biochemistry that are especially relevant for further core and option modules, familiarising students with biological/biochemical nomenclature.
Transferable Skills
These sessions help students to develop transferable skills in a wide range of areas such as team-working, problem solving, thinking/reading critically, working ethically and with integrity, independent learning, literature searching, referencing, handling information, synthesis of arguments from a range of different sources, abstract writing and oral/visual presentation skills. Broader aspects are also developed, such as awareness of equality and diversity. These sessions develop students’ transferable skills in order to support future learning in the course, and also focus on supporting students’ employability.
Indicative assessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Closed/in-person Exam (Centrally scheduled) | 50.0 |
| Oral presentation/seminar/exam | 25.0 |
| Practical | 25.0 |
Special assessment rules
Pass/fail
Additional assessment information
None
Indicative reassessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Closed/in-person Exam (Centrally scheduled) | 50.0 |
| Oral presentation/seminar/exam | 25.0 |
| Practical | 25.0 |
Module feedback
All components require a pass in order to complete the module. Students will be supported to achieve this requirement throughout.
Throughout the laboratory exercises, students will receive verbal feedback on their performance from demonstrators, to help them improve their understanding and skills. For Practical Skills Assessment 1, students will receive individual feedback, by email, on their performance and some more generalised feedback, by email. Any students with unsatisfactory performance in Practical Assessment 1 are required to attend a retraining session, after which they would also have opportunities to retake this assessment.
For the Safety Acknowledgement and Safety Quiz, feedback is provided immediately after completion. Any students with unsatisfactory performance are required to resubmit the assessment.
For the Mathematics for Chemists course, students undertake online quizzes on a weekly basis with immediate feedback. There are weekly workshops and drop in sessions where students have the opportunity to discuss their mistakes with the GTAs and the lecturer. Feedback from the assessment is provided at the start of semester 2.
The online Building a Biological Background test provides instant feedback after each question.
Indicative reading
-
Cockett and Doggett, "Maths for Chemists"
-
Voet and Voet, "Biochemistry"
-
Dean, Jones, Holmes, Reed, Weyers and Jones, “Practical Skills in Chemistry”
-
Vogel, “Practical Organic Chemistry”
-
Cranwell, Harwood and Moody, “Experimental Organic Chemistry”