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Learner Reviews & Feedback for General Chemistry: Concept Development and Application by Rice University

4.7
stars
1,031 ratings

About the Course

This course will cover the topics of a full year, two semester General Chemistry course. We will use a free on-line textbook, Concept Development Studies in Chemistry, available via Rice’s Connexions project. The fundamental concepts in the course will be introduced via the Concept Development Approach developed at Rice University. In this approach, we will develop the concepts you need to know from experimental observations and scientific reasoning rather than simply telling you the concepts and then asking you to simply memorize or apply them. So why use this approach? One reason is that most of us are inductive learners, meaning that we like to make specific observations and then generalize from there. Many of the most significant concepts in Chemistry are counter-intuitive. When we see where those concepts come from, we can more readily accept them, explain them, and apply them. A second reason is that scientific reasoning in general and Chemistry reasoning in particular are inductive processes. This Concept Development approach illustrates those reasoning processes. A third reason is that this is simply more interesting! The structure and reactions of matter are fascinating puzzles to be solved by observation and reasoning. It is more fun intellectually when we can solve those puzzles together, rather than simply have the answers to the riddles revealed at the outset. Recommended Background: The class can be taken by someone with no prior experience in chemistry. However, some prior familiarity with the basics of chemistry is desirable as we will cover some elements only briefly. For example, a prior high school chemistry class would be helpful. Suggested Readings: Readings will be assigned from the on-line textbook “Concept Development Studies in Chemistry”, available via Rice’s Connexions project. In addition, we will suggest readings from any of the standard textbooks in General Chemistry. A particularly good free on-line resource is Dickerson, Gray, and Haight, "Chemical Principles, 3rd Edition". Links to these two texts will be available in the Introduction module....

Top reviews

ZK

Aug 28, 2015

If I'd had access to this material when I first failed freshman chemistry 40 years ago, I probably wouldn't have failed. Kudos to Dean Hutchinson for bringing us his innovative approach.

AA

Jun 8, 2021

I love the opportunity given to me to learn this course... It explained the basis and really made me understand the harder parts, now i have better understanding and wider knowledge!.

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251 - 258 of 258 Reviews for General Chemistry: Concept Development and Application

By Kerstin M

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Aug 3, 2023

This is not an introductory course, it's more a course for people who are studying to be chemistry teachers. If you don't know higher mathematics like calculus, you won't be able to pass the exams.

The questions in the exams are not based on the actual course content. Often, they are mixed up and include questions from future concepts that haven't been introduced yet, or are simply too advanced in general. It's frustrating, because you can't use the exams to check on your progress during the course.

The textbook doesn't help, and I haven't been able to download the current edition anywhere.

By Ted H

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Jan 25, 2023

There are questions on the very first quiz that are not covered in the section. Not a good sign for the rest of the course.

By Anwana S E

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Jul 30, 2020

it was good

By Jennifer K

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Jun 30, 2022

While the concept development approach is interesting, to master chemistry one must practice. Very few examples are provided in this course and a novice could not possibly master the concepts watching the vidoes. Furthermore, the videos are dry and antiquated, and thus spark minimal interest or engagement. There are so many typos in the quizzes that you have to solve the problem incorrectly to get a "correct" answer. I would not recommend this course.

By benjamin g

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Feb 24, 2022

Apperantly you cannot get a certification of this course so unless you just want to take it for fun I am not sure what the point is. My school approved this course but now I have no way to verify I took it. I would love to give coursera some money for it but apperantly they don't want it so what a waste of time. lol

By Alice Z

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Oct 6, 2021

Videos have fast speed audio and no visual ...

By Behnama A

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May 16, 2020

Pretty good but it was very disruptive