Welcome to CHEM 201P, Preparation for General College Chemistry

An online course CRN 73664

Dr. Greg Baxley  gbaxley@cuesta.edu  546-3100  ext. 2669   Office  # 2306

 This course is designed for students who meet the general chemistry prerequisites but want additional preparation prior to enrolling in college-level classes. Taking this course will strengthen your mathematical skills and problem solving abilities for material covered in your introductory or high school course. Enrollment requires earning C or better grades in a one year high school sequence or one term of college-level chemistry and algebra II.

The class is offered during the last 9 weeks in an online format. The online format means that students should expect to spend 4 hours per week with videos, tutorials, and other online participation each week, plus additional time for homework and reading.

There are optional class meeting/help sessions tentatively scheduled for Thursdays1:00-2:00 pm.

Students should consider taking Chem 201P if they have met the general chemistry prerequisites AND:

• Have had a significant time lapse since completing those courses (3 or more years),
• Feel like their learning in the prerequisite course was insufficient,
• Have attempted general chemistry and not passed due to not being prepared, OR
• Need additional practice with mathematical skills and word problems.

 Is Hybrid/Distance Learning for You?  Before you enroll in a distance learning class, students need to make an honest assessment of their level of personal discipline and ability for independent learning style that an online course requires. You will be working on your own and teaching yourself with the help of computer software, internet forum discussion questions, tutorials, and videos. You have to be proficient with and enjoy working with computers. Please take the following exploratory Self assessment surveyLinks to an external site. and judge for yourself.

Necessary Computer Equipment/Skills.  You must have a computer, either a PC with a recent version of Windows or a Mac, as well as internet access and e-mail. You can find specific requirements at   http://www.cuesta.edu/student/aboutacad/distance/faqs_technical.htmlLinks to an external site.. You will need an internet connection to complete the online lessons and access the class web page. Computer skills required are downloading and printing documents, using your Cuesta email account, accessing your Canvas account, posting discussion questions, watching videos, and using Mastering Chemistry (MC). Software and computer requirements for MC can be found at the Mastering Chemistry siteLinks to an external site., and essential technology in general is at the Cuesta College technology siteLinks to an external site.. Assistance with basic computer skills is not provided.

Participation and Access: The course will be available through Canvas in the week prior to the start date. Students must activate their Canvas and Mastering Chemistry accounts to complete assignments that will be due on Monday, Oct 30 (the 2^nd week of class).

Contact:  email is the best way to contact me about the course, and Piazza is the best way to ask questions related to HW or course material. Piazza posts usually answered within 8 hours, usually much less.

Office Hours:                both online or in person, TBA

Prerequisites:              Math 27 or intermediate algebra,   AND  Chem 210FL (grade of “C” or better) 

 Course Description:  Presents problem-solving and fundamental reasoning skills needed for success in CHEM 201A, General College Chemistry I. This course is designed for students who meet Chem 201A prerequisites but need additional preparation prior to enrolling in Chem 201A. Topics include techniques for chemical problem solving, dimensional analysis, unit conversion, chemical nomenclature, fundamentals of chemical reactions, and principles of stoichiometry including mass, mole, and volume calculations.

 Required materials:  

• Canvas account (free)
• MasteringChemistry account can be purchased through Canvas
• scientific calculator non-programmable  for exam and quizzes with Exponential notation (EE or EXP on most calculators,) and logs (LOG and LN).  No TI-8X series calculators for exams or quizzes.

Student learning outcomes:  Upon completion of this course, a student should be able to:

1. Solve numerical and unit conversion problems with correct units and significant figures.
2. Solve problems related to chemical stoichiometry.
3. Demonstrate proficiency in chemical nomenclature.

Assistance: I am here to help you learn and enjoy the course material.  If you are having trouble, please contact me early, and often.  If you cannot come to office hours, please use Piazza discussion forums, or call or email with your questions.  I encourage relevant questions during class periods. 

Tutorial servicesLinks to an external site. are free for Cuesta students:

Withdrawal:  If you discontinue the course for ANY reason, you are responsible for making an official withdrawal. 

Evaluation:

Homework:  Required problems and tutorials will be assigned via Mastering Chemistry and suggested problems will be provided for each chapter.  The required problems represent the bare minimum; you are strongly encouraged to work the suggested problems and worksheets for extra practice.  Think of it as a challenge to get them all right eventually.  Don’t slack off and skip the suggested HW.  Don’t let others do your homework for you; do some practice on your own.  There may be some other paper based HW assignments.

Quizzes:  There will be about 6 quizzes in class throughout the semester.  The quiz questions will be similar to homework and worksheet questions, so make sure you do the work! The lowest quiz grade will be dropped.

Exam:  There will be one final exam during finals week on Monday.

Approximate Point Distribution:                                                                                  Approximate Letter Grades

Approx  %

        Online discussion participation                              40              13%                                A          90.00-100%

        Quiz                                           (20 pts each)         100              29%                                B          80.00-89.99%

        HW                                                                           100              29%                                C          70.00-79.99%

        Final                                                                          100              29%                                D          60.00-71.99%

                                                                                                                                                        F          below 65%

        Approximate Point Total                                                            340

Plus/Minus grades:   Cuesta College allows for +/- grading, which will be used in borderline cases, usually based on the final exam score (state law does not allow grades of “C-” at CA Community Colleges). Plus/minus grades will earned for totals of approximately 78-82% and 88-92%.

Classroom Etiquette:  Please be considerate of your other classmates in class or online.  See the online etiquette note below.

Academic Honesty:  I'm really not sure why you would cheat in the class. It's all for your benefit. However, academic dishonesty in any form, such as copying HW or quizzes, letting someone copy your HW or quizzes, or unauthorized aids on exams will not be tolerated.  Do not copy anyone else's work.  This is not learning, it is cheating.  If you violate the academic honesty policy, you may receive a “0” for the assignment AND an equivalent assignment, or an F for the course.  Be sure to give proper citations when quoting or paraphrasing sources of information.  Enter all calculations into your own calculator.  See the Cuesta College catalogLinks to an external site. for official student conduct policiesLinks to an external site..

While you are encouraged to study in groups, assignments turned in must represent your own work, which means your own thoughts in your own words. No one learns effectively by merely copying someone's paper.

Regular and Effective Instructor Contact will be met through threaded discussion forums, announcements to students, email contact, and office hours. I will respond to questions posted in Canvas within 24 hours, and usually in less than 12 hours. Assignments will be graded, with comments, within one week. Each student is expected to contribute to a minimum of one discussion post per week (see point distribution above).

Authenticating Student Identity will be conducted using the Learning Management System (Canvas) and Mastering Chemistry, each of which requires students to log into the program using a secure login and password to access. You must use your official Cuesta College email address for Mastering Chemistry (like marie_curie@my.cuesta.edu)

Netiquette and Online Course Participation

Use respectful and professional language in your forum discussions. Respect the learning progress of your peers.

Please do not use texting language, lol (SCNR).

Emoticons are acceptable ways to show emotion.

Avoid ALL CAPS as they come across like YOU'RE SCREAMING.

You are expected to read all forum posts, and to make at least 8 posts or responses with specific details in the discussion forums this term. Try to give guidance rather than provide exact answers..

All messages are public, so be professional and courteous when you post.

Make your posts and replies specific to a particular problem or issue.

Complete sentences and thoughts are mandatory for forum posts.

You must log into Canvas at least once per week.

Technical Issues?  For issues related to accessing Cuesta's Canvas Site, email: support@my.cuesta.edu. Mastering Chemistry (MC) technical issues are best resolved by clicking the appropriate links in the MC system. 

Drop/Withdraw Policy.  Students will be dropped if their MC or Canas accounts are not activated or not used for any period longer than 14 consecutive days. If you decide to withdraw, you must do so according to Cuesta’s drop policy.  http://www.cuesta.edu/student/aboutacad/acad_policies/dropcourse.htmlLinks to an external site.

Note: If you have any special concerns or disabilities that could affect your learning, please see me or contact DSPS
at 546–3148 as soon as possible. DSPS testing forms must be submitted at least 2 days prior to testing. 
http://www.cuesta.edu/student/servs_classes/dsps/Links to an external site.  

Chem 201P Schedule  Fall 2020

Week 10  10/19	Sig figs, scientific notation, metric prefixes, and conversions
Week 11  10/26	Density and more conversions                  Last Date to drop without a "W"
Week 12  11/2	Compounds and reactions
Week 13  11/9	Moles
Week 14  11/16	Limiting reactants                                     Last Date to drop with a "W":
Week 15  11/23	Molarity and stoichiometry
Week 16  11/30	Oxidation/reduction and pH
Week 17  12/7	Thermo
Week 18  12/14	Final Exam        Tuesday       timed, must take on Tuesday 12/15  between 8:00 am to 6 pm
This schedule is subject to change.  Changes will be announced in class and posted to the Canvas Calendar.