Your marks will be displayed at iLearn.  It is your responsibility to regularly verify that the records displayed at iLearn (Tools -> Grades) are correct. 

If you have difficulty attending and participating in a hurdle assessment task, please contact the Unit Convenor as soon as possible as, there may be alternatives available to make-up a missed task.  If there are circumstances that mean you miss a hurdle assessment task, you can apply for special consideration. Please note that special consideration applications must be made within five working days of the assessment task due date.

Final grade: 

• Your final grade will be based on the mark from the aggregation of your individual assessments (practical, quizzes, mid-session test, final exam), noting that you must satisfy all hurdles (participation, mid-semester and final exam) to pass CBMS107 overall.

Attendance at practical classes and tutorial classes: 

• You must attend and participate in all four practical classes to pass CBMS107.
• You must attend and participate in at least 10 of the 12 weekly tutorials to pass CBMS107.
• Please note that if you miss a practical class or a tutorial class, we are not required to offer you a make-up class.

Mid-session test: 

• The mid-semester test is a hurdle assessment and you will need to get >= 40% to meet the hurdle.  In the event that you make a serious first attempt at the mid-semester test, you will be provided with an opportunity to sit a new test to meet the hurdle.  The faculty define a serious attempt as a mark of 10% below the hurdle, which in this instance is a mark between 30-40%. You will NOT be given a second attempt to pass the mid-semester test if you get below 30% in your first attempt.
• The mid-session test will be held in Week 7, as this will allow failing students to withdraw without academic penalty.  Note that the last day to withdraw without academic penalty is Sunday 28 April 2019.
• Students that fail the mid-session test hurdle will be able to re-sit the test during the second week of the semester break.  This week has been chosen in order to allow failing students to withdraw without academic penalty.
• Students that are unable to re-sit the test during the semester break (e.g. they are overseas) will be allowed to sit the test in Week 8. This option is not optimal and should be avoided, as students failing to pass the mid-semester test won't be able to withdraw without academic penalty.

Final exam:

• The final exam is a hurdle assessment and you will need to get >= 40% to meet the hurdle.  In the event that you make a serious first attempt at the final exam, you will be provided with an opportunity to sit a supplementary final exam.  The faculty define a serious attempt as a mark of 10% below the hurdle, which in this instance is a mark between 30-40%. You will NOT be given a second attempt to pass the final exam if you get below 30% in your first attempt.

Information on Supplementary Exams:  If you receive special consideration for the final exam, a supplementary exam will be scheduled in the interval between the regular exam period and the start of the next session.  By making a special consideration application for the final exam you are declaring yourself available for a resit during the supplementary examination period and will not be eligible for a second special consideration approval based on pre-existing commitments.  Please ensure that you are familiar with the policy prior to submitting an application. You can check the supplementary exam information page on FSE101 in iLearn (bit.ly/FSESupp) for dates, and approved applicants will receive an individual notification one week prior to the exam with the exact date and time of their supplementary examination.

The final CBMS107 examination is a hurdle.  If you are given a second opportunity to sit the final examination as a result of failing to meet the minimum mark required, you will be offered that chance during the supplementary examination period and will be notified of the exact day and time after the publication of final results for the unit.

Communication

During the semester, the CBMS107 iLearn site will be used to communicate important information to you.  In addition, email will be sent by email to your student email account on a frequent basis.

We cannot overstate the importance of regularly checking your email and the CBMS107 iLearn site.

Classes

See https://timetables.mq.edu.au/2019 for class times and locations.

• Lectures:

While we hope that you will join us for lectures, it is important to note that lectures will be live streamed, as well as recorded (available at the CBMS107 iLearn site).  Lectures will be used to emphasise key points and concepts.  Where possible, studying lecture materials before coming to class will help you get the most out of the lectures. 

• Tutorials: 

During tutorials, the problems assigned (available at the CBMS107 iLearn site) will be discussed.  We recommend that you work on the tutorial question sets before coming to class, so that you can take full advantage of the exercises. 

• Practicals: 

​The practical classes for CBMS107 are run in 14SCO 320 and 14SCO 308 (note that these rooms are connected).  It is very important that you understand that you will not be allowed to enter the laboratory unless you are wearing enclosed footwear.  Safety glasses, laboratory coats and disposable gloves are supplied.  We cannot guarantee that the lab coats that we supply are in good condition, as they are shared across the unit.  We recommend that you consider purchasing your own laboratory coat, particularly if you are a science major.

Teaching and Learning Strategy

CBMS107 is a 3 credit-point, half-year unit and will require an average of 10 hours study per week (contact hours plus self-study time).  For students with weak chemistry backgrounds, more than 10 hours per week will be necessary to perform satisfactorily in this unit.

CBMS107 is designed to introduce you to the principles of the molecular sciences, including developing an understanding of the practical skills required to undertake simple chemistry experiments in an efficient and safe manner.  The lecture materials, tutorials and practical classes complement each other, and along with quizzes, have been developed to increase your understanding of the topics so that you can achieve the learning outcomes. 

The unit expectation is that you will:

·        Attend all lectures and/or watch the lecture recordings

·        Actively engage in the tutorial classes and attempt the set exercises

·        Demonstrate reasonable competence in all practical exercises

·        Spend an average of no less than 3 hours per week of private study in addition to class contact

If you prepare and attend all components of the unit and work consistently and continuously throughout the semester, you should be able to develop a strong understanding of the general chemistry and organic chemistry presented, and perform satisfactorily in this unit.  Students who try to memorise just before exams do not do well in this unit.  Instead a deeper understanding of the concepts is required. 

·        Lectures will be presented formally, although quizzes and general questions may be asked in class, demonstrations provided, and examples of problems worked through, to strengthen and increase understanding of the concepts.  Most lecture material will be available at the unit iLearn site, while other material will be provided in the lectures.   Please do not assume that the lecture notes or recordings are a suitable substitute for attending the lectures.  Based on observations of related units, we know that students fall behind and perform poorly if they do not attend the lecture classes.  Learning is an active process, and as such, you must engage with the material.  Reviewing lecture notes and relevant sections of the textbook (and beyond) before and after lectures is strongly recommended

·        Tutorials classes are run to assist your understanding of the course material.  Attempting the questions before the tutorial class to identify areas in which you need assistance is highly recommended.  Past experience has demonstrated that there is a strong correlation between success in the unit and participation in all activities, including the tutorial classes.

·        Practical classes are designed to develop basic laboratory skills, general safety practices, as well as critical and analytical thought.  Pre-practical questions are designed to make sure you are ready for the practical work and have grasped the relevant theory and necessary safety practices.  In-lab work is designed to teach you to appropriately record your experimental observations and to present your calculations in a detailed manner.  Post-lab exercises are designed to assess your understanding of the theory behind the experiments conducted.

A mid-session test hurdle has been introduced. You will need to get >= 40% in the test to meet the hurdle. In the event that you make a serious attempt at the test, you will be provided with an opportunity to sit a new test. The faculty define a serious attempt as a mark of 10% below the hurdle, which in this instance is a mark between 30%-40%. You will NOT be given a second attempt to pass the mid-session test if you get < 30% in your first attempt.

The value of the mid-session test has been changed from 15% to 20%, as it is now a hurdle assessment.

A weekly quiz has been introduced to tutorial classes.

Dr Damian Moran, Unit Convenor, 4WW 329, ph 02 9850 8299, email damian.moran@mq.edu.au.  Please see iLearn for consultation hours.

A/Prof Joanne Jamie, Lecturer, 4WW 231, ph 02 9850 8283, email joanne.jamie@mq.edu.au.  Please see iLearn for consultation hours.

Dr Damian Moran and A/Prof Jamie will be presenting the lectures.  Dr Damian Moran is the convenor of this unit and should be consulted in relation to administrative issues.