The aim of this module is:

(i) to equip students with the basic quantitative transferable skills required for the first year of a Chemistry degree programme. (60% of module)

(ii) to broaden a student's perspective of chemistry whilst developing their general transferable skills with a focus on communication and employability. (40% of module)

The overarching leaning outcome is for students to have the key skills that will equip them to perform well in the rest of their chemistry degree programme.

The learning outcomes can be divided into two areas: Quantitative and General Key Skills.

Quantitative key skills:

By the end of this module a successful student should be able to handle:

• Simple volumetric calculations as required for titrations in analytical chemistry
• Basic algebraic manipulation and functions needed for kinetics, thermodynamics and quantum mechanics
• Elementary geometry required for the understanding of molecular shapes and solid state chemistry
• The representation of data via graphs, particularly straight line graphs, and the manipulation of data in spreadsheet programs for data analysis
• The basic idea of a derivative and an i ntegral for use in physical chemistry
• The physical concepts of energy, momentum and angular momentum

General key skills:

By the end of this module a sucessful student will have been exposed to:

• The importance of chemistry in the development of our society
• The future of chemistry
• The representation of chemistry in the media

In addition successful students will have developed their:

• investigative, critical, writing and presentation skills.
• employability skills.

This section of the module will be the responsibility of Mrs Gita Sedghi who will head the workshops using staff and student demonstrators as appropriate. The syllabus will involve:

• Concepts of proportion: calculation of molarity, concentration after dilution, using results of titrations
• Simple re-arrangement algebra, order of operations in brackets, quadratic equations, exponents and logarithms, the exponential function, trigonometric functions
• Calculation of volume, identification of (molecular) shape, trigonometry and geometry
• Drawing graphs, linearizing data, what to do with gradients and intercepts in practical examples
• Data analysis with spreadsheet programs
• Derivative as gradient, rates of change
• Integration as the opposite of differentiation
• Chain and product rules in differentiation
• Stationary points of functions, maxima and minima
• Forms of energy, conversion and conservation of energy– why it is important for Chemistry
• What are momentum and angular momentum?

This section of the module will be the responsibility of Dr Susan Barlow with lectures given mainly by chemistry staff and tutorials given by personal tutors.

Presentations

The presentations will be chosen to encourage students to consider:

• Introduction: What module is about, how it works (Dr Barlow)
• Historical aspects of chemistry (Dr Higgins)
• Chemistry and nantotechnology (Professor Brust)
• Chemistry and medicinal chemistry (Professor O'Neill)
• Library resources (Clair Sharpe, Library)
• Careers (careers service)
• Various aspects of chemistry, including research within the Chemistry Department (e.g. femotsecond chemistry, Dr Arnolds)

Assessed Tasks

Students will be expected to complete six assessed tutorial tasks as part of this module and attend and comment on/ review the lectures.

•  A short oral presentation (no PowerPoint) and group discussion on why they chose to study chemistry.
• Writing a newspaper article based on a current research topic in the news (e.g. malaria, global warming).
• A structured discussion on a topic of current scientific interest. (e.g. nuclear power)
• A library-based exercise to introduce them to the library catalogue and encourage them to visit the library.
• A PowerPoint presentation on the impact of chemistry in society, medicine or nanotechnology.
• A final written essay based on the general key skills section on subjects such as the 'impact of chemistry in society, medicine or nanotechnology' or 'why should we study chemistry?'

Quantitative key skills:

The quantitative key skills will be taught in problem solving workshops with a lecture at the start of each.  Students will work through problem modules divided into fundamental, intermediate and advanced levels. All students will have to demonstrate ability in fundamental and intermediate levels, progressing on to the advanced level based on performance.  Each workshop will involve a combination of textbook questions and separate set written questions. Introductory spreadsheet analysis will be taught over two afternoons using a workbook style script.

General key skills

This general key skills section will consist of a series of presentations on different aspects of chemistry, given mainly by members of the Chemistry Department, to encourage students to look at the wider aspects of the subject, including its history and its relationship to other areas such as nanotechnology and medicine. Presentations will also be given to develop the investigative skills of the students within chemistry and to encourage career planning. Students will be given a series of tasks to complete. Where possible, these will be based on material from the presentations and will develop their key skills, particularly in writing and presentation. These tasks will involve individual and team exercises with a variety of oral and written components. To provide support for the tasks, students will receive tutorials (to be given by their personal tutors) in which the skills required for the set tasks will be discussed and developed.

Extensive use of Vital and email will be made by this module, with students being expected to consult Vital to view announcements, obtain information on presentations and tutorial tasks and submit assessments.

Chemistry C. E. Houscroft and E.C. Constable 2nd Edition, Prentice Hall, 2002

Maths for Chemists Volume I: Numbers, Functions and Calculus by M. Cockett and G. Doggett (Royal Society of Chemistry).

Students will be directed towards relevant articles in the media, including scientific journals.