CHEM4300
General Biochemistry
4 Credit Hours

Course Information

Course Description:
This is a general education college level upper division course designed primarily for those who intend to pursue a career in teaching high school science, or who need to establish certification for teaching chemistry in high school. There is no laboratory component directly associated with this course. A separate laboratory course, CHEM 4910 R50, must be successfully completed for the add-on endorsement for teacher certification in chemistry.

Course Objectives:
Our goals are primarily twofold:
  1. To gain considerable factual knowledge about the terminology and language of biochemistry. You will gain a practical understanding of the molecular basis of life.
  2. To learn to interpret and reason common theories and practices in biochemistry, giving you a greater understanding of the practices of pharmaceutical companies, chemical industry and the molecular basis of disease.
By the end of the semester the student should be able to:
  • Understand the building blocks of life
  • Understand the molecular basis of disease
  • Understand the importance biochemical research
  • Understand the responsibilities and roles of biochemists in society
  • Disseminate what they have learned to students and the general public enhancing their position as a member of society
Prerequisites and Corequisites:

Chemistry 1110, 1120 and 3005 are required as prerequisites.
Course Topics:

The course is divided into ten (10) basic sequential units.  Each subsequent unit is dependent on the previous units.  These are:


 1.   Water

 2.   Amino Acids

 3.   Protein Structure and Function

 4.   Properties of Enzymes

 5.   Vitamins and Health

 6.   Carbohydrates

 7.   Lipids and Membranes

 8.   Carbohydrate Metabolism

 9.   Fat Metabolism

10.  Protein Metabolism

Specific Course Requirements:

To succeed in this course the student must be curious, self-motivated, and well-organized.  The student must be computer-literate having the abilities to access and browse the web, to use word processing software, and to send and receive attachments via email.  The ability to use spreadsheet software to create simple line graphs is a plus.
Textbooks, Supplementary Materials, Hardware and Software Requirements
Required Textbooks:

Please visit the Virtual Bookstore to obtain textbook information for this course:
http://rodp.bkstr.com
Supplementary Materials:

Please visit the Virtual Bookstore to obtain textbook information for this course:
http://rodp.bkstr.com
Hardware Requirements:
The minimum requirements can be found at http://www.rodp.org/students/hardware_software.htm.
Software Requirements:
The minimum requirements can be found at http://www.rodp.org/students/hardware_software.htm
Please note, some courses do require additional software. Information about additional software can be obtained from the Virtual Bookstore or your instructor.
Instructor Information
Please see the separate page inside the course to find instructor contact information as well as a statement of virtual office hours and other communication information.
Assessment and Grading
Testing Procedures:

Unit tests are required at the conclusion of each unit (module.)  They may be taken one time only during a specified time period.    Results, with feedback, will be available immediately to both student and instructor.  Eight of these will be counted toward the final grade.
One (1) proctored final exam completes the testing process.  The student is responsible for selecting and obtaining an acceptable proctor.  Instructions for this procedure are found at http://www.rodp.org/students/proctor.htm.

Grading Procedure:

A student's grade is determined based on his/her numerical average achieved through completion of: homework and class participation (discussion forum usage), unit tests, internet research project, and final examination.  Levels of achievement and weighting for each of these elements is outlined below. 
Grading Scale:

Numerical Range

Letter Grade

90-100

A

80-89

B

70-79

C

60-69

D

Below 60

F

Grades are assigned in conformity with a standard college grading scale listed above.  The numerical grade is computed from a weighted average of the following items with the indicted weights.  In cases where a student has demonstrated a significant level of improvement, the weight of the final exam may be increased to reflect the then-present level of mastery.

Item

Weight (%)

Homework and Class Participation

25

Internet Project

25

Unit Tests (8)

25

Final Exam

25

Total

100

Assignments and Participation
Assignments and Projects:

The student should plan on completing one module each week in the order shown on the Module link in WebCT.  Assignments for this course will consist of a homework set for each module, ten module on-line tests and one final exam. The time at which each homework assignment and module test can be taken is shown in the course calendar on WebCT.  Time windows of availability will be found by referring to the homework instrument or to the WebCT "Tests and Quizzes" link.

Class Participation:
Students must participate in all interactive aspects of the course.  Students must use discussion threads and e-mail to communicate with the instructor and other students. Students are expected to communicate with the instructor as a learning resource, students must check the course bulletin board frequently for announcements, and students must actively participate in threaded discussion events.
Punctuality:
Check your Course Calendar for the dues dates for assignments and dates for all examinations. Specific policies will be explained by your instructor.
Course Ground Rules

Cheating and other forms of academic misconduct, including plagiarism, are prohibited. The instructor has the authority to assign a zero for the exercise or examination or to assign an F in the course in the case of academic misconduct.
Students should use the WebCT mail rather than a personal email address. Emails should not be sent to the instructor under another person's name. Please include a subject line when e-mailing the instructor or other class members. Please ask permission before sending e-mails with large attachments.
Students are expected to learn to navigate in WebCT, keep abreast of course announcements, and complete all assignments by the due dates. If, for any reason, a student has a question about an assignment or realizes that an assignment cannot be completed on time, the instructor should be notified immediately. If technical problems arise, they must be dealt with immediately.
The discussion board and chat room are for class purposes only. Please remember to be courteous to other users at all times. They will be monitored. Make sure that you remember that even though you may not mean to be rude or cruel sometimes e-mails and postings can be misunderstood. Please be respectful and mindful of the instructor and your fellow students. Course netiquette should be observed in all communications.
 
Guidelines for Communications
Email:
  • Always include a subject line.
  • Remember without facial expressions some comments may be taken the wrong way. Be careful in wording your emails. Use of emoticons might be helpful in some cases.
  • Use standard fonts.
  • Do not send large attachments without permission.
  • Special formatting such as centering, audio messages, tables, html, etc. should be avoided unless necessary to complete an assignment or other communication.
  • Respect the privacy of other class members
Discussion Groups:
  • Review the discussion threads thoroughly before entering the discussion. Be a lurker; then a discussant.
  • Try to maintain threads by using the "Reply" button rather starting a new topic.
  • Do not make insulting or inflammatory statements to other members of the discussion group. Be respectful of other's ideas.
  • Be patient and read the comments of other group members thoroughly before entering your remarks.
  • Be cooperative with group leaders in completing assigned tasks.
  • Be positive and constructive in group discussions.
  • Respond in a thoughtful and timely manner.
Chat:
  • Introduce yourself to the other learners in the chat session.
  • Be polite. Choose your words carefully. Do not use derogatory statements.
  • Be concise in responding to others in the chat session.
  • Be prepared to open the chat session at the scheduled time.
  • Be constructive in your comments and suggestions.
  • Please note, chat is not required in any Regents Online Degree Program course.
Web Resources:

Library

The Tennessee Virtual Library is available to all students enrolled in the Regents Degree Program. Links to library materials (such as electronic journals, databases, interlibrary loans, digital reserves, dictionaries, encyclopedias, maps, and librarian support) and Internet resources needed by learners to complete online assignments and as background reading must be included in all courses. 

Students With Disabilities

Qualified students with disabilities will be provided reasonable and necessary academic accommodations if determined eligible by the appropriate disability services staff at their home institution. Prior to granting disability accommodations in this course, the instructor must receive written verification of a student's eligibility for specific accommodations from the disability services staff at the home institution. It is the student's responsibility to initiate contact with their home institution's disability services staff and to follow the established procedures for having the accommodation notice sent to the instructor.

Syllabus Changes

The instructor reserves the right to make changes as necessary to this syllabus. If changes are necessitated during the term of the course, the instructor will immediately notify students of such changes both by individual email communication and posting both notification and nature of change(s) on the course bulletin board.

Technical Support

Telephone Support:
If you are having problems logging into your course, timing out of your course, using your course web site tools, or other technical problems, please contact the AskRODP Help Desk by calling

1-866-550-7637 (toll free)

or go to the AskRODP website at:

http://help.rodp.org