Should I study for the chemistry assessment?
ALEKS is not working on my computer, what should I do?
Do I have to complete all of ALEKS in one session? Can I come back if I need to?
How do I know what objectives I need to meet on ALEKS?
I have transfer credit for general chemistry, do I need to take the ALEKS chemistry assessment?
I earned a 4 or 5 on the AP chemistry exam, do I need to take the ALEKS chemistry assessment?
How do I know how much of my objective I have completed and have left to complete?
How do I know how much time I have left to work on ALEKS (remainder of my subscription)?
What happens if my 6-week subscription runs out?
Is the placement test separate from the assessment and learning mode for ALEKS chemistry?
How does my adviser see my ALEKS chemistry results?
Should I study for the chemistry assessment?
No – the chemistry assessment is more than an assessment – it has a learning mode that allows you to review and remediate. When you first logon to ALEKS chemistry, you will take an assessment, then you will have the opportunity to learn new topics to prepare you for chemistry at ISU. This is a great opportunity to help insure your success in chemistry at ISU.
ALEKS is not working on my computer, what should I do?
Contact ALEKS Customer Support. Their hours are Monday to Friday, 6 AM to 9 PM Central Time.
Email support: http://support.aleks.com
Phone: (714) 619-7090
Fax: (714) 245-7190
Be prepared to tell the Customer Support Representative the following information:
1. You are a student at Iowa State University and working on chemistry preparation and assessment.
2. The "operating system" of your computer (e.g. Windows, MacOS, OSX).
3. The browser you're using (e.g. IE, Explorer, Google Chrome, Safari).
4. In as much detail, exactly what you were doing when the problem occurred, and what the computer did in response.
Do I have to complete all of ALEKS in one session? Can I come back if I need to?
You have a subscription to ALEKS that lasts for 6 weeks. You do not have to complete all of ALEKS in a single session. You may enter and exit ALEKS as many times as you would like within the 6 week subscription period. Every time you logon to ALEKS, you do so by logging into AccessPlus first. ALEKS will remember your work and you will log in exactly where you logged out. You are encouraged to work on ALEKS for as much time as you can – the more that you complete on ALEKS, the better prepared you will be for success.
How do I know what objectives I need to meet on ALEKS?
Keep in mind that the more that you complete on ALEKS, the better prepared you will be for any of our general chemistry course. So, it really makes sense to do as much as you can on ALEKS to get a head start for success in the Fall. If you are in the college of engineering, are interested in human or animal medicine, or are in a physical science major, then you need to meet the objectives for the Chem 50 Qualifier, Chem 163 Qualifier, AND Chem 167/177 Qualifier. If your major requires you to take a full year of general chemistry, then you need to meet the objectives of the Chem 50 Qualifier, Chem 163 Qualifier, AND Chem 167/177 Qualifier. Students who only need one semester of general chemistry and are not in engineering need to meet the objectives for the Chem 50 AND Chem 163 Qualifier.
The following table indicates the general chemistry courses needed for different majors.
If your high school background in chemistry was weak or nonexistent, you should meet the objectives for Chem 50 and then enroll in Chem 50. If you cannot meet the objectives for the Chem 50, then you should enroll in Math 10.
|
Chemistry Course |
Majors |
|
167 or 177 |
All engineering majors, Aerospace Engineering, Agricultural Biochemistry, Agricultural Engineering, Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Biological Systems Engineering, Biology, Biophysics, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Construction Engineering, Culinary Science, Diet and Exercise, Dietetics, Earth Science, Electrical Engineering, Environmental Science, Food Science, Genetics, Geology, Horticulture, Industrial Engineering, Insect Science, Kinesiology, Materials Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Meteorology, Microbiology, Nutritional Science, Pre-dentistry, Pre-medicine, Pre-pharmacy, Pre-veterinary medicine, Software Engineering |
|
163 |
Agricultural Systems Technology, Agronomy, Animal ecology, Biological/premedical illustration, Biology, Culinary Science, Diet and Exercise, Dietetics, Entomology, Food Science, Global Resource Systems, Horticulture, Industrial Technology, Insect Science, Meteorology, Nutritional Science |
The following table shows what learning objectives must be met for each of the chemistry courses. Your admission letter should let you know which chemistry course is appropriate for your major. Keep in mind, the more objectives that you master (regardless of the chemistry course you will take), the better prepared you will be.
|
Chemistry Class |
Learning Objective |
|||
|
Chem 50 Qualifier |
Chem 163 Qualifier |
Chem 167 & 177 Qualifier |
Chem 201 - Advanced Chem |
|
|
50 |
Yes |
|||
|
163 |
Yes |
Yes |
||
|
167 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
177 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
201 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
For a listing and description of all ISU chemistry courses, visit: http://www.chem.iastate.edu/courses.
What happens if I haven’t reached my required objective for my chemistry class by my summer orientation date?
Your academic adviser will assist you in selecting the appropriate chemistry course. But keep in mind, that you will be at a serious disadvantage on day one of class if you don’t meet the objectives for your class on ALEKS. Most everyone else in the class will be starting the semester in a better position to succeed.
I have transfer credit for general chemistry, do I need to take the ALEKS chemistry assessment?
If you are absolutely certain that you will not have to take general chemistry at ISU, then you need not complete the ALEKS assessment.
I earned a 4 or 5 on the AP chemistry exam, do I need to take the ALEKS chemistry assessment?
If you earn a 4 or 5 on the AP chemistry exam, you will receive credit for general chemistry lecture and do not need to take the assessment. If you plan to take general chemistry, it is strongly recommended that you do complete the ALEKS chemistry assessment. All students who desire credit for chemistry for the AP exam will need to meet with a chemistry faculty member during the first 2 weeks of the fall semester; make sure that you bring your laboratory notebook with you for this interview. If you have scored a 4 or 5 on the AP chemistry exam, make sure that you have the official AP chemistry exams scores sent to ISU directly ().
What happens if I don’t reach the objectives for the general chemistry class that I need for my major?
If you successfully complete the objectives for Chem 50, you should enroll in Chem 50 – our college preparatory chemistry course. Once you succeed in Chem 50, you will be prepared for the general chemistry course required for your major. Recognize that if you do enroll in your required general chemistry course without having met the objectives for the class, you will be at a significant disadvantage. All of the other students in the class will have met or exceeded the minimum requirements for the class and you will be competing with them. Needless to say, this means that you will be less prepared for success than others in the class.
How do I know how much of my objective I have completed and have left to complete?
While logged into ALEKS, click on the “Gradebook” link located at the top of the page. It will tell you how much of each objective you have completed. The goal is to complete 100% of each objective.
How do I know how much time I have left to work on ALEKS (remainder of my subscription)?
Click on the “options” link located on the top right side of the page in ALEKS and the expiration date for your subscription period will be visible.
What happens if my 6-week subscription runs out?
Send an email to isuchemistry [at] iastate [dot] eduand include your ISU student ID number in your email. Clearly indicate that you need an extension for ALEKS chemistry.
Is the placement test separate from the assessment and learning mode for ALEKS chemistry?
No – the assessment and learning modes are integrated into ALEKS seamlessly. Once you complete the initial assessment on ALEKS, you will be able into the learning mode immediately. Because of how ALEKS operates and how we are using it, this really is not a placement test – it is a remediation, review, and assessment instrument that is designed to help you prepare for the rigor of college-level general chemistry.
How does my adviser see my ALEKS chemistry results?
The ALEKS results will be visible to your adviser on AccessPlus.
I have completed the learning objective for the chemistry class that I need but ALEKS doesn’t let me stop. What do I do?
The ALEKS program is designed to have learning objectives for each of our general chemistry courses – sort of like a train with many stops – you just need to know when to get off. ALEKS (like the train) doesn’t know where you need to get to – so it just keeps on going. So, once you have achieved 100% on the learning objectives or “Qualifiers” for the course that you need, you are free to stop. Keep in mind, that the material included in the higher-level qualifiers will be covered in your chemistry course – so if you are enjoying ALEKS and learning – you are welcome to continue on ALEKS if you wish. You don’t need to – but if you like it, you can. If you do continue on ALEKS, you will be hitting some of the material before the class gets there – sort of a preview.
I have completed the learning objectives for the chemistry class that I need but ALEKS hasn’t put me into my class. What can I do?
ALEKS doesn’t “know” which chemistry course you need. The program is set up for all of ISU general chemistry courses. You will be placed into your appropriate chemistry class when you come to summer orientation. That is when you will meet with an academic adviser and register for all of your classes. Having the ALEKS learning objectives completed for your chemistry class, means that you are ready for your course but it doesn’t actually put you in the class.
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