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Chem 281 Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How does this course compare to the lecture course?
Both the CHEM 281 lecture course and this online course have virtual labs.
This course is intended primarily for students in biological and life sciences, and for those considering pursuing careers in the health sciences/medical sector. This course may be used by Queen's students towards the degree requirements of programs in the biological and life sciences.
Queen's students taking programs in chemistry, biochemistry or chemical engineering/engineering chemistry should not enroll in this course. They should take the organic chemistry courses specified in their programs which include wet labs - CHEM 211/3.0, 212/3.0, 222/3.0 and 223/3.0.
Students from other institutions pursuing chemistry, biochemistry or similar programs should check with their home institution regarding the suitability of this course towards their degree programs.
The bottom line is: if you intend to use this course as a prerequisite to another program, check with your program administrator to ensure your program does not require chemistry wet lab experience.
Q: How do the virtual labs and tutorials work?
A: We will be using virtual labs for the "practical" component of this course. These are a series of readings, videos, and online tutorials which are based, in the first instance, around an experimental technique (for CHEM 281/3.0). Small reading and practice problem assignments are also incorporated. You will then be examined on your understanding of these techniques and experiments by way of questions attached to a final exam. For this year a marked component of the virtual labs will be a virtual lab report based on one of the four experiments for each course. This lab report will be handed in prior to the end of the course (date to be set).
Q: What if I urgently need to have something explained?
If you need help there will be 4 different ways of contacting either a TA or an instructor:
1. Scheduled tutorials (audio/virtual whiteboard and/or video as necessary, these are also recorded for future use)
2. Scheduled virtual office hours (audio/virtual whiteboard and/or video as necessary)
3. E-mail at anytime with a response guaranteed within 24 hours (prefer forum use, see below, as Q and A can be viewed by all)..
4. Moderated forum for questions on any topic (response guaranteed within 24h)
We want to maximize your opportunities to contact an expert with the answers you require. You will not feel alone. There will also be an FAQ board of questions/responses posted so you can see the answers to problems that others have asked in previous versions of this course.
Q: Can I work at my own pace or are there specific times I need to be logged into the course website?
A: There are some synchronous components in the course (such as tutorials) but many are held at different hours to enable you to access them when it's most convenient for you. You work at your own pace between certain set milestones.
Q: I am wondering if I could do CHEM 281/3.0, completing it during the evenings and on weekends, while working at my full-time summer job. Or will the course take more time than just evenings and weekends?
A: We recommend that you commit at least 16.5 hours per week to the course. If you put in a fair amount of time in the evenings and weekends you should be fine. Students have done well in this course AND worked at a summer job at the same time. It must be stressed that you should be very disciplined with regards to your studies though.
More information: