Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1498 in Software
• Brand: Interactive Learning, Inc.
• Released on: 2003-01-01
• Platforms: Windows 98, Windows 95, Windows Vista, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows Me, Windows XP
• Format: CD-ROM

Amazon.com Product Description
ChemTutor Excalibur is an interactive course that covers chemistry from high school up through the first year of college. Each of this edition's 20 subject areas offers a comprehensive tutorial and quiz section that tests mastery. Structured to enable learning by discovery, the tutorials also add interactivity and immediate feedback that reinforce learning. Students study at their own pace and move freely through the subjects, skipping those they already know. One of ChemTutor Excalibur's best features is a practice-exam section that prepares students for finals, as well as the SAT II Subject Test in Chemistry, the AP Chemistry Exam, and state proficiency exams like the New York State Regents Exam in Chemistry. Reviewed and well received by chemistry faculty and students alike, ChemTutor Excalibur raises grades and test scores, while students learn and have fun with chemistry.

Customer Reviews

Buyer beware...
In the product description and most of the reviews below, this software is presented as an interactive course and the Holy Grail for success in high school or introductory college chemistry. I made the mistake of ordering this software for my high school kids based on the product description and many of the 5-star reviews.

After I received the product from Amazon, I realized I should have paid more attention to a review posted by "marco" on July 4, 2004, who said: "I actually felt like a dupe for buying it". It also raised a question in my mind about the validity of the 5-star reviews, many of which have been posted in quick succession.

As pointed out by the previous review and also by "marco", ChemTutor assumes that you ALREADY know chemistry well. My opinion: ChemTutor is NOT a course, but a collection of multiple choice chemistry test questions with solutions, with the questions presented in random order of difficulty. One can get similar questions/solutions from the usual Chemistry test prep books, and most prep books also cover the basics. "ChemQuiz" might have been a more appropriate title for ChemTutor. I would have returned this product, but with opened software, that's not possible.

Unfortunately, even the ChemTutor software box says "A Complete Interactive Chemistry Course On CD", and has a quote printed on the back which says that with ChemTutor, "I could pretty much throw away my textbook".

This is probably the only instance in a few years of shopping on Amazon, where I felt misled by both the product description and "reviews". For that reason I feel compelled to post this, my first review on Amazon. For the misleading product description, I give this software a rating of 1 star; for the multiple choice questions, I give it 3 stars, resulting in an overall rating of 2 stars.

Good for review, but not a standalone tutorial
This program would be a good supplement to a high school chemistry class. The practice tests would provide a helpful review. But as a stand-alone tutor, this program is inadequate.

I wanted something to help me learn chemistry by self-study. With a name like ChemTutor, I was hoping it would teach me chemistry in a coherent, systematic way like a textbook or a class would do. But the so-called tutorial mode is just a bunch of random questions, like a practice test. To learn a subject it takes more than just answering isolated, individual questions, but that is all this software provides. It should be called ChemReview instead of ChemTutor. If you are looking for a standalone program to teach you chemistry by self-study, this is not it.

Also, from a graphical design point of view, the whole thing looks like it was created in the 1980s. There is only over-sized text and basic diagrams. There are no animations, photos, or multimedia of any kind.

I was disappointed with ChemTutor Excalibur.

ChemTutor Exalibur is a success
In our experience, ChemTutor Excalibur has been an extrememly helpful tool in explaining the complex processes, formulas, and ideas at the nucleus of chemistry. It allows students to thoroughly master concepts such as molecular bonding, intermolecular forces, thermodynamics, organic chemistry and much more. First, students are able to become familiar with and practice the material they learn in class with the "tutorial mode" feature. Before exams, the "test simulation mode" feature allows students to quiz themselves on any range of material. Within both the tutorial and test simulation modes, students can choose to access information specific to each question explaining the steps to solving each problem. After completing each of these modes, students can view a summary/assessment of their performance that shows the number of questions answered correctly, the specific questions answered incorrectly, and a percentage grade. This allows students to understand the areas in which they need to improve. ChemTutor especially helps students who learn visually and may not fully comprehend material discussed in class. A "Learn" feature clearly spells out concepts that may be only briefly talked about in class. We would definitely recommend ChemTutor Excalibur to any high school or even college student taking a first-year chemistry course.