Chemistry Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)

All Chemistry SLOs can be found in Mt. SAC's WebCMS database and click on "Public Access", then select course.

Chemistry Department 3-Year Timeline for SLO assessments, by course:

Spring 2016	Fall 2016	Spring 2017	Fall 2017	Spring 2018	Fall 2018	Spring 2019
CHEM 51 CHEM 81	CHEM 10 CHEM 40	CHEM 20	CHEM 50 CHEM 50H	CHEM 80	CHEM 51 CHEM 51H	CHEM 81

SLO Statements, by course:

Chem 10

SLO 1 (Molecular Bonding) - Chem 10 students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of chemical bonding concepts such as writing the electron-dot (Lewis) structure, predicting molecular geometry, and determining whether a given bond is ionic, nonpolar covalent or polar-covalent.

SLO 2 (Acids, Bases and pH) - Chem 10 students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of acid-base concepts such as predicting products of neutralization reactions, comparing relative acidity of solutions based on pH, and calculating the concentrations of hydronium ions, hydroxide ions, and pH of acidic and basic solutions.

SLO 3 (Acids, Bases and pH revised) :

Chem 10 students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of acid-base concepts such as comparing relative acidity of solutions based on pH.
Chem 10 students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of acid-base concepts such as calculating the concentrations of hydronium ions, hydroxide ions, and pH of acidic and basic solutions.

Chem 20

SLO 1 (Organic molecules) - Chem 20 students will be able to:

- Classify organic molecules based on functional groups
- Differentiate constitutional isomers from cis-trans isomers (stereoisomers)
- Delate the physical properties of organic molecules to their structure
- Propose and name the products of organic chemical reactions

SLO 2 (Biomolecules) - Chem 20 students will be able to:

- Classify biomolecules as lipids, carbohydrates, proteins, or nucleic acids.
- Identify the function of biomolecules in living systems.
- Identify the locations, steps, and products involved in metabolic pathways.
- Identify the locations, steps, and products involved in gene expression.

SLO 3 (Metabolism of Amino Acids) - Students will be able to:

Describe the fate of proteins that enter the body.
Describe what happens to the excess amino acids in the body.
Describe the ultimate fate of the nitrogen atoms from excess amino acids.
Describe TWO different possible fates of the carbon skeletons from excess amino acids.

SLO 4 (Transcription & Translation) - Given a segment of DNA, students will be able to:

Identify which strand is used for transcription and draw the primary structure of the mRNA produced in the transcription underneath the strand.
Write the sequence of polypeptide that will be produced from the DNA.
Clearly describe the effect on the protein chain when a base pair is mutate.

Chem 40

SLO 1 (Structure of the Atom) - students will be able to interpret information and determine the sub-atomic particles and structure of atoms, isotopes and ions.

SLO 2 (Stoichiometry) - students will be able to apply the principles of stoichiometry to calculate the quantities of any component in a balanced chemical reaction equation.

SLO 3 (Molecular Geometry) - students will be able to assign a molecular geometry of linear, bent, trigonal planar, trigonal pyramidal, or tetrahedral to a given molecule.

SLO 4 (Measurement Units and Dimensional Analysis) - students will be able to perform calculations, set up and solve problems using conversion factors.

Chem 50

SLO 1 (Redox) - Chem 50 students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of oxidation-reduction concepts, such as: Chem 50

a. determining oxidation numbers
b. identifying redox reactions
c. determining the oxidizing and reducing agents in a chemical reaction
d. classifying half-reactions as oxidation or reduction.

SLO 2 (Solution Chemistry) - Chem 50 students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of solution chemistry such as:

a. calculating molarity.
b. making dilutions.
c. performing stoichiometric calculations.

Chem 50H

SLO 1 (Aqueous Reactions) - Chem 50H students will be able to:

a. predict a compound's water solubility.
b. predict a compound's water reaction and electrolyte classification.
c. predict single and double replacement reaction products including neutralization and gas formation.
d. write the net ionic equation for a reaction.

SLO 2 (Recording Lab Measurements) - Chem 50H students will be able to record measurements from common laboratory devices to the proper precision of each device.

Other SLOs developed by Honors Program.

Chem 51

SLO 1 (Kinetics) - Chem 51 students will be able to determine the order, rate law, and rate constant of a chemical equation based on:

- Initial rates vs concentration data.
- Graphical analysis of concentration vs time data.

SLO 2 (Buffers) - Chem 51 students will be able to:

- examine and predict the effect of common ions on an aqueous equilibrium system.
- recognize a buffer solution.
- determine pH of a buffer solution.
- determine pH of a buffer solution upon addition of a strong acid or base.
- determine Kb from a corresponding Ka or vice versa.
- determine chemical quantities needed in order to prepare a buffer solution.

SLO 3 (Fundamentals of Equilibrium) - Chem 51 students will be able to:

- determine the equilibrium constant expression (Law of Mass Action) when given a balanced chemical equation.
- relate the magnitude of the equilibrium constant to the general position of the equilibrium.
- determine the value of the equilibrium constant when given concentrations of reactants and/or products and the equilibrium expression.
- apply stoichiometric principles to determine concentrations of reactants and/or products (simple algebraic or quadratic equation method) when given initial conditions, the value of the equilibrium constant, and the equilibrium expression.
- apply Le Chatelier's Principle to an equilibrium system to predict the shift in equilibrium position when reaction conditions of concentration, temperature, or volume are changed.

Chem 80

SLO 1 (Nucleophilic Substitution and Elimination Reactions) - Chemistry 80 students will be able to predict products and analyze reaction mechanisms of nucleophilic substitution and elimination reactions and be able to draw all associated intermediate and transition states.

SLO 2 (Structural Projections/Stereochemistry) - Chemistry 80 students should be able to analyze 3-D, Fisher, and Newman projection formula to determine their structural relationships and relative energies.

SLO 3 (IR Spectroscopy) - Provided with a molecular formula and the infrared (IR), 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR spectra for an unknown organic molecule, CHEM 80 students will be able to propose a correct structure for the molecule.

Chem 81

SLO 1 (Unknown Compound from Spectroscopy Data) - Provided with a molecular formula and the infrared (IR), ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR spectra for an unknown organic molecule, CHEM 81 students will be able to propose a correct structure for the unknown molecule.

SLO 2 (Evaluation of a Multi-Step Synthesis) - CHEM 81 students will be able to evaluate a mechanism of a multi-step synthesis reaction.

SLO 3 (Predic Product of a Single-Step Reaction) - Students will predict the major product of a single-step organic reaction.

Chem 99

SLO 1 (Building Knowledge) - students will build their chemistry knowledge through preview of chemistry concepts essential in the next sequential chemistry course.

SLO 2 (Building Confidence) - students will build their confidence to enroll in the next chemistry course through review of chemistry concepts essential for success in the next sequential chemistry course.

SLO 3 (Proper Use of a Laboratory Notebook) - students will document original collected laboratory data, in a laboratory notebook, consistent with established laboratory standards.

SLO 4 (Design, Analysis and Conclusion) - students actively participate in experimental design, data analysis and construction of conclusion statements.

SLO 5 (Presentation of Experimental Results) - students will present oral seminar-style, or by final summary written report on the purpose, experimental data, results and the significance of the original work.