Dr. Chasta Parker

Chem 104: Chemistry & Problem Solving Fundamentals (3 credit hours)

Fall 2015 Section 003 and 004

Office: Sims 109A

Email: parkerc@winthrop.edu

Phone: 323-4923

Class Meeting Time: Section 003 Friday 8:00 - 9:15 am Sims 105

Section 004 Friday 11:00 – 12:15 pm Sims 112

Office Hours: Held in Sims 109A

Monday 9:30 - 11:30 am, Wednesday and Friday 9:30 – 10:30 am

Other times by appointment only.

Required Materials:

1) ALEKS Online Learning System – You must purchase and register for our course ASAP. Please see the course blackboard site for further information.

2) Daily access to internet. You are responsible for:

a. Working with ALEKS.COM to complete course objectives.

b. Checking your WU email account.

c. Checking the course Blackboard site - online.winthrop.edu (Login instructions and Blackboard tutorials: www2.winthrop.edu/webct/Blackboard_Training_Tutorials.html)

3) Calculator – (NO CELL PHONES) Any scientific calculator is appropriate however, I highly recommend TI-30XIIS or TI-30XA series.

Recommended Materials:

Text Book – Introduction to Chemical Principles, 11th ed., by H. Stephen Stoker

Purpose:

To prepare you to study general chemistry by focusing on problem-solving strategies and application of chemical concepts such as modern atomic structure, chemical equations and reaction stoichiometry, solutions, chemical reactions, and chemical nomenclature.

ULC: Winthrop’s University-Level Competencies (ULCs) identify learning outcomes that apply across all undergraduate programs and that all Winthrop graduates attain. These capacities are essential preparation for working productively and living meaningfully in the contemporary and emerging world.

Competency 1: Winthrop graduates think critically and solve problems.

Winthrop University graduates reason logically, evaluate and use evidence, and solve problems. They seek out and assess relevant information from multiple viewpoints to form well-reasoned conclusions. Winthrop graduates consider the full context and consequences of their decisions and continually reexamine their own critical thinking process, including the strengths and weaknesses of their arguments.

Competency 4: Winthrop graduates communicate effectively.

Winthrop University graduates communicate in a manner appropriate to the subject, occasion, and audience. They create texts – including but not limited to written, oral, and visual presentations – that convey content effectively. Mindful of their voice and the impact of their communication, Winthrop graduates successfully express and exchange ideas.

Attendance: You are expected to be on time and attend ALL classes for the entire class period. You cannot make-up any of the in classwork (which will be a part of your participation grade). If you do miss a class, it is your responsibility to obtain all information/notes from another STUDENT in the class.

Cell Phones: Use of the cell phone in class for ANY purpose is strictly prohibited and will result in a loss of 5 points from the overall course grade each time you use your phone during class.

Academic Misconduct: Plagiarism and cheating of any kind will result in severe penalties. Depending on the situation (at the discretion of the instructor), a student can expect at a minimum to receive an F (0 points) on the assignment. More severe penalties can include an F in the course and/or institutional penalties. This course is a hybrid course; therefore the guidelines for cheating are a little different than those in a traditional classroom setting. You should be completing all online work by yourself. You should not be working with anyone else as you complete the online assignments. You may work with others on problems from the textbook or other assignments as noted by the instructor. All students will sign a code of conduct that will be turned in prior to receiving any grade in the course. You should carefully read the Winthrop University Student Conduct Code printed in the Winthrop University Student Handbook: www2.winthrop.edu/studentaffairs/handbook/StudentHandbook.pdf

Students with Disabilities: Winthrop University is dedicated to providing access to education. If you have a disability and require specific accommodations to complete this course, contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS) at 803-323-3290. Once you have your official notice of accommodations from the Office of Disability Services, please inform me as early as possible in the semester.

Grades: Grades will be posted on the course blackboard site. ALEKS will keep track of some of the grades, but will NOT accurately reflect your overall course grade. If you have questions regarding a grade, please contact me immediately, do not wait!

COURSE GRADE COMPONENTS AND BREAKDOWN

ALEKS will conduct an initial assessment in order to determine your background in Chemistry and what you are ready to learn and what you need to learn prior to moving to new topics. Be certain that you take time to complete the assessment carefully WITH NO OUTSIDE HELP. If you use help then ALEKS will not be able to accurately gauge your preparedness for the course work. There is no grade associated with this assessment and therefore you should focus solely on completing the assessment to the best of your ability.

12% ALEKS On-Time Completion of Topics: This grade is for completing assignments on time and keeping up with course topics. You should complete as much of the current topic as possible prior to covering the topic in class. The completed topic will be due several days after we cover the material in class. It is critical that you keep pace with the course although the beauty of an online course means that you can move as quickly through the topics as you wish.

25% ALEKS Mastery of Topics: In ALEKS, your progress is monitored by a pie chart. This chart has all of the topics to be mastered this semester. As you master a topic, you will complete parts of the pie. Mastery requires retention. Therefore, you must master the topic and then prove retention through the successful completion of the assessments (see below). Whatever percentage of the pie you master, will be worth 25% of your grade in this course.

12% Participation: We only meet once a week. Therefore it is imperative that you attend classes, for the entire class. Classwork assignments will be due at the end of almost every class and will be used to ensure attendance and participation. No in class assignments can be made up. Blackboard discussions, the completion of the course evaluation (at the end of the semester) or other assignments will also be a part of this grade.

24% Progress Assessments (4 @ 6% each): Four progress assessments will be conducted in ALEKS. These will occur after chapters 5, 8, 11, and 13. You will not be able to continue through ALEKS until these assessments are completed. They will test your knowledge on all prior material. Your grade will be based on the number of topics mastered after the assessment is complete. This means that even though you may have mastered a topic prior to the assessment, if you are unable to answer a question correctly on a topic, the topic will be removed from the list of mastered topics. You will have an opportunity to go back and re-master topics prior to the end of the semester to increase your Mastery of Topics grade.

27% Final Exam: The final exam will be comprehensive and will be conducted in a computer lab and monitored. The final for this course will be held on:

Final Exam: The final will be comprehensive and held in CARROLL HALL 221/222:

SECTION 003: Monday, December 14^th from 8:00 am – 10:30 am

SECTION 004: Saturday, December 12^th from 8:00 am – 10:30 am

*Grade Assignments: