Advanced Skills & Practical 1 - CHE00033I
Module summary
This module builds on the Stage 1 modules Introductory Skills & Practical 1 and Introductory Skills & Practical 2, complementing the core theoretical content of the Chemistry degree programme by further developing the skills that students require to become a professional chemist.
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Semester 1 2025-26 |
Module aims
Building on the Stage 1 modules Introductory Skills & Practical 1, and Introductory Skills & Practical 2, this module will continue the development of the skills that complement the core chemical knowledge of the degree programme. Specific aims are:
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To further develop students’ practical laboratory skills and understanding of the practical work, introducing new techniques and consolidating prior knowledge with practice
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To develop students’ comprehension of safety and risk assessment in Chemistry
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To introduce students to scientific writing skills to meet the standards of publication
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To develop students’ knowledge of key analytical techniques to include, for example, application of multi-dimensional and multinuclear NMR
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To develop students’ employability skills, and transferable skills, through group work, problem solving, and the study of “real world” chemistry applications
Module learning outcomes
Students should be able to:
- implement a range of intermediate-level experimental techniques in the practical laboratory, and understand the theory that underpins the techniques and experiments
- identify, categorise, record and mitigate increasingly complex safety implications of practical work, including being able to conduct a risk assessment.
- review the scientific literature to plan safe experimental procedures and be able to prepare selected elements of scientific writing to a standard commensurate with publication
- analyse a broad variety of increasingly complex instrumental/spectroscopic data to identify molecules and solve chemical problems
- demonstrate transferable and problem-solving skills, working in groups to solve problems based on industrially-relevant scenarios
- apply the principles of Physical Organic chemistry to the experimental determination of reaction mechanism and interpret relevant kinetic data
Module content
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Global Challenge
This set of exercises and sessions (introduction, teamwork/private study, assessed group presentation) focuses on working in teams to solve “real world” problems involving sustainability.
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Practical work
Building directly on the experience developed in the Stage 1 modules Introductory Skills & Practical 1, and Introductory Skills & Practical 2, this element introduces more advanced practical techniques and consolidates students’ prior knowledge. The laboratory exercises (10 lab days) are overseen and taught by laboratory demonstrators. Information is provided in a variety of formats, including introductory lectures, instructional videos, experimental scripts, online experimental briefings, notes and interactions with the demonstrators. Detailed instruction on safety aspects is included, to complement the practical instruction in advanced techniques.
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Scientific Communication
Primarily using guided self-study, students are introduced to and taught key ideas for the presentation of chemical information (presenting experimental data, spectra etc.).
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Advanced Techniques for Structure Determination
A series of lectures develops understanding of key analytical techniques in greater depth, covering the application to a wider range of problems. The workshops allow students to practise hands-on interpretation with guidance.
- Physical Organic chemistry & Conformational Analysis
A combination of lectures and workshops are used to introduce this important area of study, which underpins practical work and lectures later in the year.
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PC Workshops
A number of PC workshops are used to introduce students to elements of data analysis, including coding, online literature searching and risk assessment.
Indicative assessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Closed/in-person Exam (Centrally scheduled) | 40.0 |
| Essay/coursework | 35.0 |
| Groupwork | 25.0 |
Special assessment rules
None
Additional assessment information
Candidates are allowed to bring up to four sides of A4 pre-prepared notes into this open book assessment for reference.
In addition to the practical assessment listed in the assessment section, students must complete a risk assessment exercise and a series of safety modules. These pass/fail assessment components do not bear numerical marks but both components MUST be passed in order for students to progress. These components will not influence the mark for this module.
These assessment tasks are recorded under the module catalogue entry "CHE00039I Advanced Skills & Practical 1: lab work assessment.”
Indicative reassessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Closed/in-person Exam (Centrally scheduled) | 40.0 |
| Essay/coursework | 35.0 |
Module feedback
For the Global Challenge Group Exercise, students will receive formative verbal feedback during the exercise, and emailed summative feedback.
Throughout the laboratory exercises, students will receive formative verbal feedback on their ongoing performance from demonstrators, to help them improve their understanding and skills.
General feedback on the Scientific Writing formative work, at the cohort level, is provided via a series of screencast discussions, after the mid-semester break.
The Scientific Writing formative work informs the Practical Portfolio assessment, for which email feedback is provided several weeks after submission.
The Advanced Techniques for Structure Determination lectures are supported with workshops, in which students receive formative verbal feedback on their work.
The Physical Organic workshop provides formative verbal feedback on the understanding of the concepts.
Closed exam results are returned to the students within 5 weeks. Outline answers and examiners reports for each question are are made available via module page of the VLE. Arrangements are made for students to view their scripts in a supervised setting.
Indicative reading
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Dean, Jones, Holmes, Reed, Weyers and Jones, “Practical Skills in Chemistry”
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Vogel, “Practical Organic Chemistry”
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Cranwell, Harwood and Moody, “Experimental Organic Chemistry”
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Burrows, Holman, Lancaster, Overton, Parsons, Pilling, Price, “Chemistry3”
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R. H. Hill & D. C. Finster, “Laboratory Safety for Chemistry Students”