Course Outline

COURSE CODE: CHP02 COURSE TITLE: Preliminary Chemistry A

1. SEMESTER/YEAR: Semester 1, 2023

2. MODE OF DELIVERY/LOCATION: Blended (campus-based) at Emalus, Labasa, Laucala, Solomon Islands

and Tonga.

3. PRE-REQUISITES: Admission to Preliminary Programme.

4. COURSE CO-ORDINATOR: Veena Bilimoria

Office: Level B, Library, Laucala Campus, USP.
E- mail: [Link]@[Link]

5. TEACHING TEAM - COURSE FACILITATORS:

Name: Sharneet Chand - Chemistry Facilitator Name: Luisa Tegu - Chemistry Facilitator
(Laucala campus) (Laucala campus)
Office: Level B, Library, Laucala Campus, USP. Office: Level B, Library, Laucala Campus, USP.
Email: [Link]@[Link] Email: [Link]@[Link]

Name: Mary Maedia Paoni - Chemistry Facilitator Name: Sanal Nandan - Chemistry/Biology
(Solomon Is campus) Facilitator (Labasa campus)
Office: Facilitators Room, 2nd floor, Kausimae Office: 1st Floor, Gurbachan Singh Mall,
Building, Honiara Campus, USP. Pacific TAFE Centre, Labasa Campus, USP.
Phone: (677) 21307 / Ext: 309 Phone: +679 7786000
Email: [Link]@[Link] Email: [Link]@[Link]

Name: Finau Kakala - Chemistry/Biology Name: Debbie Melsul - Chemistry/Biology

Facilitator (Tonga campus) Facilitator (Emalus campus)
Office: CCE Building, Tonga Campus, USP. Office: Office 3, New Chinese Wing, Emalus
Phone: (676) 29055 / Ext: 219 Campus, USP.
Email: [Link]@[Link] Phone: (678) 22748 / Ext: 243 or 244
Email: [Link]@[Link]

• Please check on Moodle for the Consultation Hours of Course Coordinator and Course Facilitators,
which will be finalized by week 3 once the teaching timetable is confirmed.

CHP02 Course Outline – Semester 1 – 2023 Page 1

6. EMERGENCY CONTACT
Name: Ms. Rosalia Fatiaki
Phone: 32 37115
Email: [Link]@[Link]

7. CONTACT HOURS and TIMETABLE

LAUCALA BLENDED Students:
1. Follow the updated timetable on Moodle. Refer to “Timetable and Sign-up” section of the CHP02
Moodle page. PLEASE DO NOT follow the timetable on Student Online Services (SOLS).
2. Laucala Blended Students weekly teaching contact hours are given below:
i) TWO x 1 hr face-to-face Lecture class per week, beginning in week 1 (13th - 17th Feb) till week
14.
ii) ONE x 2 hrs face-to-face Tutorial class per week, beginning in week 1 (13th - 17th Feb) till week
14.
iii) ONE x 3 hrs face-to-face Lab class per week, beginning in week 3 till week 12.
You need to attend the above classes as attendance is IMPORTANT and will help develop your
knowledge & problem-solving skills, thus enabling you to successfully complete this course.
PLEASE NOTE: To be eligible to pass this course, minimum 75% lab attendance requirement should
be met.
3. Laucala students need to sign - up for ONE Tutorial & Lab class on MOODLE. Signing - up closes at the
end of week 2, 11:59pm Friday 24th February 2023 – week 2.

LABASA, SOLOMON IS, TONGA & EMALUS Campus Regional BLENDED Students PLEASE NOTE:
Please enquire with the Chemistry Facilitator at your USP campus or with the PTAFE Campus
Coordinator, with regards to signing-up for your local face-to-face Tutorial and Lab classes.
Regional BLENDED students weekly teaching contact hours are given below:
i) TWO x 1 hr live Zoom lectures per week, beginning in week 1 (13th - 17th Feb) till week 14 -
recordings available on Moodle.
ii) ONE x 2 hrs face-to-face Tutorial class per week, beginning in week 1 (13th - 17th Feb) or week
2 till week 14.
iii) ONE x 3 hrs face-to-face Lab class per week, beginning in week 3. (Chemistry Facilitator at
your campus will confirm the weeks for lab classes).

CHP02 Course Outline – Semester 1 – 2023 Page 2

8. COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course provides students with an opportunity to develop their knowledge and understanding in
basic chemistry and prepares students for courses in Foundation Level Chemistry. The major focus of
this course is on the basic concepts in chemistry, atomic structure and chemical bonding and reactions,
inorganic substances, and states of matter – solids, liquids, solutions, and gases. The course is also
laboratory oriented and tailored to enhance students’ basic experimental skills.
9. COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES (CLO)
After completing this course, you should be able to:
1. Identify the pollutants in the environment, and their effects on the environment.
2. Solve problems that revolve around the concepts of scientific method, chemical formula, and
stoichiometry.
3. Explain the reactivity, atomic structure and chemical bonding in materials using the periodic table.
4. Classify matter by its state and bonding behaviour and apply concepts of the kinetic theory of
gases and gas laws.
5. Carry out prescribed experiments and report results in a scientific format.

PROGRAMME GRADUATE OUTCOMES

On completion of this programme, students are expected to be able to:
1. Use effective communication skills (listen, speak, read, write) and present effectively.
2. Demonstrate an ability to solve basic mathematical problems and interpret and analyze data and
present in an appropriate format.
3. Develop an understanding of the scientific method and be able to frame and test hypothesis
4. Select variety of technologies, demonstrate an understanding of scientific techniques, and apply
appropriate technologies for solving problems.
5. Demonstrate basic knowledge and understanding of academic subjects chosen.

10. USP GRADUATE OUTCOMES

The USP graduate outcomes are as follows:
1. Communication: Graduates will be able to communicate ideas clearly and persuasively in
structured formats using language and other modes of communication that are appropriate for
context, audience and specific disciplinary conventions.
2. Creativity: Graduates will extend boundaries of current knowledge in a particular discipline or
profession.
3. Critical thinking and quantitative reasoning: Graduates will be able to evaluate multiple
perspectives and arrive at a reasonable independent judgement based on evidence.
4. Ethics: Graduates will demonstrate a commitment to high ethical standards in scholarly,
professional and socio-cultural practices.
5. Pacific consciousness: Graduates will recognize the cultural heritage and diversity of Pacific
societies for sustainable development in a contemporary environment.
6. Professionalism: Graduates will demonstrate the ability to carry out tasks to acceptable standards
within their profession and occupations.
7. Teamwork: Graduates will work together in a respectful and collaborative manner to complete
tasks within teams to achieve an outcome.

CHP02 Course Outline – Semester 1 – 2023 Page 3

11. COURSE CONTENT
Week Focus for Each Week

Intro, Student Portals – Student Online Services (SOLS), Moodle.

1 Topic 1: Introduction to Basic Concepts
Unit 1: Chemistry and Our Environment
2 Unit 2: Scientific Method, Measurements and Significant Figures

3 Unit 3: Classes of Matter

4 Unit 4: Chemical Formulae

5 Unit 5: Chemical Equations and Calculations

Topic 2: Atomic Structure, Chemical Bonding, and Inorganic
6 Substances
Unit 6: Atomic Structure and the Periodic Table
7 Unit 7: Chemical Bonding and Periodicity
Mid-semester break week
8 Unit 7: Chemical Bonding and Periodicity
9 Unit 8: Inorganic Substances
10 Topic 3: States of Matter
Unit 9: Solids
11 Unit 10: Liquids

12 Unit 11: Gases

13 Unit 12: Solutions and Solubility

14 Final Exam Paper format & revision classes

12. PRESCRIBED TEXT AND OTHER RESOURCES

There is NO prescribed textbook for this course.
You should have already received the following course materials for CHP02:

1. The Introduction and Assessment (I & A) book.

2. Course Books

The two Course Books, which will guide you through the theories, problem solving and application
concepts of the course and contain many worked examples. It contains three topics, covered in a
series of units 1 - 12.

3. Lab Manual
The Lab Manual provides vital information about:
• all aspects of the required experimental work.
• important practical techniques which you should master.
• how to handle important basic chemistry apparatus and instrumentations.

CHP02 Course Outline – Semester 1 – 2023 Page 4

 The first section of the Lab Manual is called “Introduction to Laboratory work” and is concerned with
some of the basic, practical concepts of working in a chemistry lab, safety regulations, and some lab
report conventions for your reference throughout the course.

4. A Moodle course page ([Link]

Supplementary materials are placed on CHP02 Moodle page. You can simply access these via the
USP web page using your ID (as username) and password. (Refer to “How to login to Moodle”
section in the Introduction and Assessment (I & A) book).

Please contact your USP Campus or Centre IMMEDIATELY if you are missing any of the materials
mentioned above.

5. There is NO prescribed textbook for this course.

6. The textbooks listed below are only recommended reference books for this course. It is NOT
compulsory to own a copy of any of the textbooks below.

i. Chang, R. and Overby, J. (2019) Chemistry. 13th ed. New York: McGraw Hill Education.
ii. Malone, L.J., Dolter, T.O. and Gentemann, S (2013). Basic Concepts of Chemistry. 9th ed., John
Wiley & Sons.
iii. Aylward, G.H. and Findlay, T.J.V. (2008). SI Chemical Data Book, 6th ed., Brisbane: John Wiley
& Sons.
NOTE: You may find it useful to refer to these recommended books from time to time. However,
we do not expect you to own personal copies of recommended reference books.

7. E-Books

i. [Link]
ii. [Link]
istry_(Ball)
iii. [Link]
_The_Central_Science_(Brown_et_al.)
iv. [Link]

8. Open Educational Resources (OERs)

i. [Link]

CHP02 Course Outline – Semester 1 – 2023 Page 5

13. ALIGNMENT OF LEARNING OUTCOMES, ACTIVITIES AND ASSESSMENT
The following table demonstrates the alignment of the course learning outcomes to appropriate
activities and assessments and the links to programme and USP graduate outcomes.
Course Programme USP Associated Teaching and Learning Assessment Tasks
Learning Graduate Graduate Activities
Outcomes Outcomes Outcomes
(CLO) (PGO) (UGO)
CLO 1 5C 3B All Fiji & Regional Blended students: Continuous assessment (50 %):
CLO 2 2 M, 3 C, 4 3B 1. 1 x 1-hour F2F lectures/live Zoom 1. Test 1 Paper (15 %) (CLO 1 &
C&5C lectures, lecture capture recordings 2)
CLO 3 4C&5C 3B available on Moodle (Wk1 – 14) 2. Test 2 Paper (15 %) (CLO 3)
CLO 4 2M&5C 3B 2. 1 x 2-hours F2F Tutorials (Wk1 – 14) 3. F2F labs, lab reports and
3. 1 x 3-hours F2F Labs (Wk 3 – 5, 7 – online lab (20 %) (CLO 5)
CLO 5 2 M, 3 C, 4 1 B, 3 B &
10 & 12)
C&5C 6B Note: Final Exam Paper (50 %) (CLO 1, 2,
i) F2F – Face-to-Face 3 & 4)
ii) Wk – Week Overall Total (100 %)

14. ASSESSMENT
14.1 ASSESSMENT PORTFOLIO – Please refer to ASSESSMENT PORTFOLIO and updated due dates on
Moodle.
Assessment Nature of task CLOs Weighting Wk Due
1) Labs 1) Participation in laboratory classes by conducting 7 experiments CLO 5
and submission of individual lab reports for 7 labs conducted and
attempting 1 online lab quiz.
Ongoing
(Wk 3 – 5,
Minimum 75% lab attendance required to be eligible to pass the
20.0 % 7 – 10 &
course.
12)
Assessment of quality of student involvement in learning and
developing practical/laboratory skills and report writing skills.
A General Lab Report Rubric is provided in the CHP02 Lab manual
and in the I & A book as well.
2) Test 1 Combination of short and long answer type questions based on CLO 1
3) Test 2 theory/knowledge and problem-solving concepts. This Test 1 –
combination provides opportunities to display abilities ranging 30.0 % Wk 6
from pure description through to explanation and problem (15 % for
solving. each Test) Test 2 –
1) Test 1 coverage: Unit 1 – 5 (Wk 6) – 15 % Wk 11
2) Test 2 coverage: Unit 6 – 8 (W11) – 15 %
5) Final Combination of short and long answer type questions based on CLO 1
Examination theory/knowledge and problem-solving concepts. This
combination provides opportunities to display abilities ranging
50.0 % Wk 16 or
from pure description through to explanation and problem
17
solving.
NOTE: Must score 20.0 % or more out of 50.0 % to be considered
a pass.
TOTAL NOTE: Must score 50.0 % or more out of 100.0 % to be
100.0 %
considered a pass.

CHP02 Course Outline – Semester 1 – 2023 Page 6

14.2 PASSING THE UNIT
In order to be awarded a pass in this unit, students must:
i) Attend 75 % of the Laboratory classes.
ii) Achieve an overall mark of at least 50 % in the course.
14.3 GRADE DISTRIBUTION

A+ A B+ B C+ C D E
85-100 78-84 71-77 64-70 57-63 50-56 40-49 0-39

14.4 ASSESSMENT POLICIES AND REGULATIONS

For detailed regulations, please refer to the USP Handbook and Calendar.

Plagiarism, copying materials from other sources without proper referencing and acknowledge of the
source is a serious offence and will be dealt with severely. In the Regulations Governing Academic
Misconduct section of the USP Handbook & Calendar plagiarism is defined as “the copying of another
person’s creative work and using it as one’s own – without explicitly giving credit to the original
creator. Work copied without acknowledgement from a book, from another student’s work, from the
internet or from any other source”. If lecturer is satisfied that plagiarism has occurred, they will
report the matter to the Head of School. They can reduce marks appropriately. If the matter is seen
as serious enough it can be taken to the Student Disciplinary Committee by the Head of School.

15. IMPORTANT DATES

Refer to 14.1 ASSESSMENT PORTFOLIO.

16. ADDITIONAL COURSE ATTENDANCE

16.1 TUTORIALS
4. Attendance to Tutorial classes from week 1 – 14 is very important to all students. Students can
choose their Tutorial & Lab classes by signing-up in the course shell on Moodle (Laucala Blended
students). LABASA, SOLOMON IS, TONGA & EMALUS Campus Blended Students – Please enquire
with your campus Chemistry Facilitator or with the PTAFE Campus Coordinator with regards to the
timetable and signing-up for your local face-to-face (F2F) Tutorial and Lab classes.

16.2 LABORATORY SESSIONS

To be eligible to pass this course, minimum 75 % lab attendance and submission is MANDATORY.
Refer to the Lab schedule on CHP02 Moodle shell.

16.3 ONLINE WORK

You are expected to attend face-to-face/online lecture classes, read lecture ppt notes, attend face-
to-face tutorial class and lab class, and attempt the online lab quiz on Moodle.

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17. STUDENT SUPPORT

17.1 ONLINE HELP & e-Learning INFORMATION

All information and material will be provided on Moodle: [Link] You can login using
your USP username and password.

17.2 STUDENT SUPPORT

Please communicate your learning needs to either your facilitator, your Campus Learning Support
facilitator or directly to the Course Coordinator, if you face any problems or challenges in this course.

18. EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS

18.1 STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES
Students are expected to:
1. Spend enough time on Moodle and other activities required in the course.
2. Attend and be punctual to all lectures, tutorials, lab classes, team meetings etc., unless
hampered by illness in which case you must inform your course coordinator and team members.
3. Facilitate the course coordinator with any proof that he/she was sick and unable to attend
classes or assessment at the earliest possible time to avoid getting a zero mark for the missed
assessment.
4. Switch off their mobile phones (or keep them on silent mode), during the class.
5. Maintain proper attire for the laboratory, clothing, shoes etc. – applicable to students doing
face-to-face laboratory classes.
6. Sign-up for Tutorial and Lab classes on Moodle (Fiji students); sign-up on notice boards at your
respective regional campus (Regional students) by the end of week 1.
7. Read the assigned work and lecture notes before coming to the class.
8. Make any necessary preparations and calculations for the weekly tutorials and attempt at least
50 - 60% of the tutorial questions.
9. Carry out any research required for any work and assessments.
10. Read the individual experiments from the Lab Manual for weekly Lab class, research and answer
the pre-lab questions prior to attending a Lab class.
11. Own a pair of closed shoes and lab coat (lab safety gear) before attending a lab class.
12. Abide by all the safety rules and regulations as outlined in the "Basic Safety Rules in Laboratory"
form, available on Moodle in “Lab Resources” folder and should avoid any disorderly behavior in
Chemistry labs.

18.2 STUDENT WORKLOAD

Student Workload Blended Mode in Hours

(Learning Hours Per Semester)
Lectures (lecture capture videos) 14
Tutorial preparation and participation 42
Tests preparation and participation 18
Labs preparation and participation 32
Exam preparation and participation 18
Discussions: Moodle, Intro Forum etc. 6
Library/Online research 5
Related reading 5
Total 140 hrs

CHP02 Course Outline – Semester 1 – 2023 Page 8

  Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev
Father of the Periodic Table (1834-1907)

"Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs

to those who prepare for it today." – Malcolm X

“I’m not telling you it’s going to be easy- I’m telling you it’s
going to be worth it.” – Art Williams

We hope you will enjoy your learning journey!

Best Wishes from,

Chemistry Team, College of Foundation Studies (CFS),
Pacific Technical and Further Education (Pacific TAFE), USP.

CHP02 Course Outline – Semester 1 – 2023 Page 9