MADLaT 2009
Session 14
The CHEM 0900 Preparatory Chemistry Online
Course at the University of Manitoba: A combination of new technology learning tools and self-guided reading activities.
François Gauvin, Ph.D.; Instructor,
Department of Chemistry and
Cheryl McLean, Ph.D.; Director,
Distance and Online Education

(I)
 The CHEM 0900 Preparatory Chemistry course
 Description of the course
 Reasons for online offering
 Course program (an original approach)
 Five main themes (step-by-step process)
 Integrated coverage of chemical nomenclature
 Course objectives
 To fulfill CHEM 1300/1310 prerequisites
 Classified through Bloom’s taxonomy

(II)
 Course format
 One Module per main theme
 Subthemes or topics are covered in Units within modules
 Self-guided readings and online learning activities
 Course activities
 Formative (online)
• Tutorials, Nomenclature quizzes, Virtual lab experiments
• Flash animations and audio PowerPoint presentations
 Summative
• Online tests (Problem Sets)
• Final examination (invigilated)

The CHEM 0900
Preparatory Chemistry Course
 Non-credited, Pass or Fail course
 For students with little or no background in chemistry
 To achieve prerequisites for 1 st -year chemistry (high school chemistry)
 For individuals who need a refresher course in chemistry
 No wet-laboratory component
 Offered on-campus in Fall and Spring terms
 Enrollment: >100 in Fall and >50 in Spring
 Offered online all year around

 Students
• 60-70% (4000) live in Winnipeg
• 30% (2000) live outside Winnipeg
• 500 Military students
 Flexibility
• Flexing geography
• Work part/full time – flexing their time
 Study when and where they choose

 Online resources (labs)
 Animation
 Web sites
 Colour
 Interaction: discussion groups, email, interactive testing…

(I)
 Content specialist background
 17 years of college and 1 st -year chemistry teaching
 Teaching in English and French
 In Québec and Manitoba
 National and international chemical education
 Observations
 Introductory chemistry versus textbook content
 Rethinking of course structure (flow of concepts)
 Grouping of topics within five major themes
 Distribution (integration) of nomenclature within themes

(II)
1.
Let’s start from the beginning
 (Basic concepts of science)
2.
What’s the "Matter"?
 (Composition, structure, and properties)
•
Language of chemistry, Part 1: The Elements
3.
How much or how many?
 ("Amounts" of matter)
•
Language of Chemistry, Part 2: Binary acids & compounds
4.
Let’s not overreact!
 (Description of chemical reactivity)
•
Language of chemistry, Part 3: Oxoacids and polyatomic ions
5.
The third state of matter:
 “It’s a gas!"

 CHEM 1300/1310/1320 1 st -year courses
• CHEM 1300 Structure and Modelling in Chemistry
• CHEM 1310 Chemical Reactivity
• CHEM 1320 Introduction to Organic Chemistry
• List in Course Syllabus (p.3)
 Classified with Bloom’s taxonomy
 Basic knowledge, Comprehension, Application,
Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation
 Labelled Learning Objectives (e.g. p. 2, U1 M3)

Module 1: Let’s start from the beginning
 (Basic concepts of science)
Module 2: What’s the "Matter"?
 (Composition, structure, and properties)
•
Language of chemistry, Part 1: The Elements
Module 3 How much or how many?
 ("Amounts" of matter)
•
Language of Chemistry, Part 2: Binary acids & compounds
Module 4: Let’s not overreact!
 (Description of chemical reactivity)
•
Language of chemistry, Part 3: Oxoacids and polyatomic ions
Module 5: The third state of matter:
 “It’s a gas!"

(Basic concepts of science)
1. Definitions
 chemistry, matter, and science
2. The scientific method
 observation (quantitative & qualitative), hypothesis, experiment, and theory (model)
3. The levels of chemistry
 Macroscale (human level), nanoscale (model), and symbolic (linkage)

(Composition, structure, and properties)
1. Matter
 Physical and chemical properties
2. The early atomic theory
 Historical perspectives (Democritus and Dalton)
 Language of chemistry: Introduction to nomenclature
3. Towards the elementary particles
 "Electrical" properties of matter (Franklin, Volta, & Faraday)
4. Building atoms and molecules
 Protons, electrons, and neutrons
 Isotopes and ions
 Language of chemistry: Part 1

("Amounts" of matter)
1. Nanoscale level
 Mass of extremely small particles
 Nail mass units vs Atomic mass units
 Relative masses of the elements
2. Macroscale level
• Measuring masses at the human scale
• Avogadro’s number and number of particles
• Grams and moles units (nano – macro connection)
 Language of chemistry: Part 2

(Description of chemical reactivity)
1. Introduction
 "Nothing can be destroyed, nor be created!"
2. Chemical equations
 Representations of reactions
3. Chemical stoichiometry
 Amounts of matter in reactions
4. Reactions in solution
 Common medium for chemical reactions
5. Applications of stoichiometry
 Language of Chemistry: Part 3

("It’s a Gas!")
1. Introduction to gases
 General properties of gases
2. Simple gas laws and ideal gas law
 Pressure, volume, and temperature
3. Applications of gas laws
 Amounts and stoichiometry
4. Kinetic molecular theory of gases
 Ideal vs real gases

 Assigned reading/viewing (p. 3 of U1 M3)
 "How to proceed" rubrics (p. 3 of U1 M3)
 Original instructional content
 Texts, Audio PPT presentations, animations
 Learning activities
 Go over textbook examples
 Additional sorted exercises in textbook
 Tutorials and Online Tests
 Virtual laboratory experiments

 Formative (online)
 Tutorials (Pearson’s MasteringChemistry)
 Nomenclature Quizzes (ANGEL)
 Virtual laboratory experiments (Late Nite Labs)
 U of M - made Flash animations
 Audio PowerPoint presentations (Articulate)
 Summative
 Online tests (Pearson’s MasteringChemistry)
 Final examination (invigilated)