| Unit name | Biological Life Chemistry |
|---|---|
| Unit code | CHEM20011 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Crump |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
Either CHEM10010 Quantitative Chemistry I or CHEM10011 Quantitative Chemistry II |
| Co-requisites |
CHEM20007 Core Concepts of Chemistry |
| School/department | School of Chemistry |
| Faculty | Faculty of Science |
The broad scope of the course is to equip students with the necessary knowledge to begin to apply level 4 and 5 chemistry to the understanding of important concepts in the chemical and synthetic biology space. It does not seek to replicate a biochemistry degree but should provide undergraduates in chemistry with the necessary tools to explore the chemistry-biology interface unimpeded by lack of confidence or knowledge.
The specific aims are to:
These aims will be addressed over four taught courses each with 6 lecture equivalents, supported through a series of workshops and assessed work (outlined in the ‘intended learning outcomes’ and ‘assessment sections, below).
2.Nature’s Laboratory and Natural Products.
4.Biotechnology, Synthetic Biology and Bio-design.
By the end of the unit students will be able to:
In the components 2 and 3, we have deliberately used the term ‘lecture equivalents’. Chemistry units are often taught using traditional lectures delivered by one academic. As with life chemistry, this unit will diverge from that format and we will apply team teaching with no one academic delivering an entire course (minimum two). The unit will employ a blended learning approach involving a mixture of lecture, online resources, individual student-led enquiry and team-based student led enquiry.
Summary of approximate student workload:
Self-study and continuous assessment: 166 hours
Lectures/lecture equivalents: 24 hours
Tutorials/workshops: 6 x 1 hour (2 x 1 hour for courses 1 and 2 and 1 x 1 hour for courses 2 and 3) + 2 x 2 hour (used for summative assessment)
Total: 200 hours
Assessment for this unit consists of three summative assessments, outlined below.
Summative assessment 1: (50%) An exam focussing on the ‘Chemical Components of Life 2’ and ‘Nature’s laboratory and Natural Products parts of the unit. These activities will (i) support students’ ability to understand the structure and function of the chemical components on life. This supports ILO 1. (ii) Test their basic understanding of fundamental chemical mechanisms and how Nature applies these. This will be applied to problems outside of routine chemistry and lends itself well to applied problem solving. This supports ILO2.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. CHEM20011).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an
assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
