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

4.7
stars
1,264 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

CS

Aug 30, 2015

Excellent course, pleasant to listen to. Definitely improved my understanding of chemistry.

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.

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151 - 175 of 317 Reviews for General Chemistry: Concept Development and Application

By S M R

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Aug 11, 2025

الاختبار كان مفيد لتقييم تعلمك

By Mr. N N

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Jan 21, 2022

kollam p[oli sanam punda myre

By Nayan K B

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Aug 19, 2021

Please send the Certificate.

By Sevda H A

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Mar 3, 2026

niye sertifikat verilmedi?

By OLUWAPELUMI A

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Jul 15, 2020

really educational and fun

By MUHAMMAD N

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Mar 11, 2024

good work on the course

By Sandesh G J

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Aug 20, 2025

good for the starters

By Ali H

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Feb 12, 2024

It was very helpful .

By Abdo o A

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Oct 30, 2023

It's greet course ❤️

By Ogunbode T T

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Jul 9, 2020

very helpful content

By Marianne A

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Jul 4, 2020

excellent. thank you

By Абдуллин А А

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Jan 16, 2026

Познавательный курс

By ABDULLAH M A B

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Oct 15, 2025

It will be helpfull

By Tipu M

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Aug 16, 2022

Good aandExcellent

By Iván M D B

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Nov 9, 2021

¡Excelente curso!

By Садуақасова З А

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Jan 15, 2026

excellent course!

By Mohammad B

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Jul 2, 2025

Very Informative!

By Mohammed A E E

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Dec 14, 2022

it was so usefull

By uzma k

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Sep 5, 2025

excellent course

By Echiemunor O J E

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Jun 22, 2021

very good course

By Dr. P J

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Jul 18, 2020

Very nice course

By MANOHAR K

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Jun 18, 2020

Excellent 👍👍👍

By RAHUL P

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Jun 14, 2020

Very good course

By Jorge A c c

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Oct 15, 2025

Excelente curso