SLE133 - Chemistry in Our World
Unit details
| Year | 2026 unit information |
|---|---|
| Enrolment modes: | Trimester 1: Burwood (Melbourne), Warrnambool, Waurn Ponds (Geelong) Trimester 2: Online |
| Credit point(s): | 1 |
| Previously coded as: | SLE150 |
| EFTSL value: | 0.125 |
| Unit Chair: | Trimester 1: Vipul Gupta Trimester 2: Tim Connell |
| Prerequisite: | Nil |
| Corequisite: | SLE010 |
| Incompatible with: | SLE131 and SLE150 |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - on-campus unit enrolment: | Trimester 1: 3 x 1 hour lectures per week, 1 x 1 hour practical experience (workshop) (week 1), 1 x 2 hour practical experience (workshops) per fortnight, 5 x 3 hour practical experience (laboratory) per trimester. |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - online unit enrolment: | Trimester 2: Online independent and collaborative learning including 3 x 1 hour online lectures per week, 1 x 1 hour online practical experience (workshop) (week 1),1 x 2 hour online practical experience (workshops) per fortnight, 5 x 3 hour practical experience (laboratory) per trimester. Students must attend and participate in practical experiences (laboratory) at the Waurn Ponds (Geelong) campus or Burwood (Melbourne) campus on the scheduled days in the intensive week (typically week 11). |
| Typical study commitment: | Students will on average spend 150 hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit. |
Note:Students in Bachelor of Science courses (S320, D331, D311, D321) with high (30 or more) achievement in VCE chemistry (or equivalent) are recommended to choose SLE155 Chemistry for the Professional Sciences rather than the more foundational unit SLE133 Chemistry in our World. Students without a high achievement in VCE chemistry (or equivalent) are recommended to choose SLE133. Students in S323 with a background of high achievement in VCE Chemistry 3 and 4 (or equivalent) may choose to replace SLE133 Chemistry in Our World with an elective unit. | |
Content
SLE133 is a foundation unit designed to develop and consolidate student understanding and skills in basic chemistry. The learning and assessment activities provide students with the opportunity to study atoms, molecules, and ions, how they change during a chemical reaction and how bonding affects properties like intermolecular interactions, melting and boiling points, and the ability of substances to dissolve in water. Students will engage in laboratory work to develop their hands on skills in chemical safety, measurement and their ability to perform related calculations. Students will then apply these concepts of bonding, chemical change and measurement to determine the acidity and basicity of substances.
This unit can be taken as a stand-alone unit for students who need some awareness of chemistry to broaden their degree or can be taken as a foundation for further studies in biochemistry, chemistry, and related areas like food and nutrition, molecular biology and science education.
Learning outcomes
| ULO | These are the Unit Learning Outcomes (ULOs) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can: | Alignment to Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs) |
|---|---|---|
| ULO1 | Explain a range of introductory level chemical concepts and phenomena by using scientific language, conventions, and notation. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities |
| ULO2 | Identify and apply chemical concepts (individually or in combination) to calculate and determine solutions to simple chemical problems. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities |
| ULO3 | Working responsibly and safely in a chemical laboratory following safety guidelines and procedures. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities |
| ULO4 | Identify and accurately record the key observations and results of laboratory experiments and link these to relevant chemical concepts to draw appropriate conclusions. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities |
Assessment
| Assessment Description | Student output | Grading and weighting (% total mark for unit) | Indicative due week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment 1 | A pre-lab quiz and a laboratory worksheet for each practical | 28% (4 x 1%, 4 x 6%) (Quizzes, worksheets) | The pre-lab quiz is due prior to each laboratory, the worksheet is due 24 hours after the end of each laboratory |
| Assessment 2 | A pre-lab quiz and a skill test quiz | 7% (1 X 1%, 1 x 6%) | Week 10 |
| Assessment 3 | Ten online multiple-choice quizzes | 20% (10 x 2%) | Weekly |
| Assessment 4 | 5 online in-class quizzes | 5% (5 x 1%) | During the fortnightly workshops |
| End-of-Unit Assessment | Timed online test | 40% | End-of-Unit Assessment period |
The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.
Hurdle requirement
To be eligible to obtain a pass in this unit, students must achieve at least 50% in the practical component, in addition to the normal requirement of at least 50% overall for the unit.
Learning resource
The texts and reading list for SLE133 can be found via the University Library.
Note: Select the relevant trimester reading list. Please note that a future teaching period's reading list may not be available until a month prior to the start of that teaching period so you may wish to use the relevant trimester's prior year reading list as a guide only.
Unit Fee Information
Fees and charges vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study and their study discipline, and your study load.
Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.
For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current Students website.