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

4.7
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1,111 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.

SP

Feb 20, 2025

Το μάθημα αυτό ήταν μια ισχυρή βάση για την εξέλιξη μου στον τομέα της χημικής μηχανικής και μηχανικός περιβάλλοντος και να πάρω καλό βαθμό στο αντίστοιχο μάθημα του Πολυτεχνείου μου

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176 - 200 of 284 Reviews for General Chemistry: Concept Development and Application

By Param L

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Jul 16, 2020

Eexcellent.

By Opara F c

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Jul 8, 2020

its so good

By Tejaswini R

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Jul 6, 2020

good course

By ROSHAN J

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Jun 2, 2023

eexcellent

By 유현준

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Sep 21, 2021

good study

By Hadaly

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Jun 27, 2025

bien good

By Ms. A C

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Nov 10, 2023

Excellent

By MOHAMMED G W S A S

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Nov 12, 2022

thank you

By FARAH A M A E F

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Nov 12, 2022

very good

By Ashimolowo O

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Jul 10, 2021

Very nice

By Muhammad R

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Jul 28, 2020

Very good

By Elyon O

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Jul 17, 2020

very nice

By GANTALA K

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Jul 6, 2020

excellent

By Tapur M

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Jun 23, 2023

valuable

By OMOYIN I I

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Jul 16, 2020

perfeect

By ALI F A B A A F A B A

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Oct 19, 2025

Perfect

By Yasir A

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Apr 7, 2023

perfect

By ADITHYA. B

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Jun 13, 2022

Awesome

By MOHAMED G A A E

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May 20, 2023

hhshhd

By Imad E B

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Sep 6, 2025

goood

By RINAD I

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Jun 24, 2025

Great

By Ines M

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Mar 28, 2022

Great

By Anjorin s

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Jul 11, 2021

great

By Simón Y R L

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Oct 21, 2025

bien

By Akshay G

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Oct 21, 2025

Good