Richard B Kaner
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
AD
4.5
Overall Rating
Based on 49 Users
Easiness 2.3 / 5 How easy the class is, 1 being extremely difficult and 5 being easy peasy.
Clarity 4.5 / 5 How clear the class is, 1 being extremely unclear and 5 being very clear.
Workload 2.8 / 5 How much workload the class is, 1 being extremely heavy and 5 being extremely light.
Helpfulness 4.6 / 5 How helpful the class is, 1 being not helpful at all and 5 being extremely helpful.

TOP TAGS

  • Engaging Lectures
  • Tough Tests
  • Tolerates Tardiness
  • Would Take Again
  • Often Funny
GRADE DISTRIBUTIONS
42.2%
35.2%
28.1%
21.1%
14.1%
7.0%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

45.5%
37.9%
30.4%
22.8%
15.2%
7.6%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

41.5%
34.6%
27.7%
20.8%
13.8%
6.9%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

32.9%
27.4%
22.0%
16.5%
11.0%
5.5%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

36.4%
30.3%
24.3%
18.2%
12.1%
6.1%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

39.1%
32.6%
26.1%
19.5%
13.0%
6.5%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

48.1%
40.1%
32.1%
24.0%
16.0%
8.0%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

45.6%
38.0%
30.4%
22.8%
15.2%
7.6%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

33.9%
28.2%
22.6%
16.9%
11.3%
5.6%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

34.6%
28.8%
23.1%
17.3%
11.5%
5.8%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

24.3%
20.2%
16.2%
12.1%
8.1%
4.0%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

30.4%
25.3%
20.3%
15.2%
10.1%
5.1%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

ENROLLMENT DISTRIBUTIONS
Clear marks

Sorry, no enrollment data is available.

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Reviews (41)

3 of 5
3 of 5
Add your review...
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
June 27, 2012

Best professor I’ve ever met .
His logic is so perfect.
It is not easy class but with this great professor, you will be okay.
TAs are also very helpful and smart.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Dec. 19, 2010

Prof Kaner is really enthusiastic about the material he teaches, which makes it way more enjoyable to learn. He also brings in a ton of examples and does a lot of demos in class, so his class is way more engaging than most chem lectures at UCLA. The homework problems he gives are helpful, but don't always accurately represent what he will put in his exams. I definitely found his practice (old) exams helpful for studying. The grading is pretty fair, and Kaner said that he would take out our midterm score when calculating our final grade if it would bring our grade down-- which I thought was fair, since the midterm was WAY too long to finish in the time allotted (50 minutes) so the average was in the 50s. His final exam was also really long (I could have used a little more than three hours) but it was fair, albeit challenging. I'd definitely take a class with Prof Kaner again! Bottom line, he cares about his students and gives fair exams. What else can you ask for?

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Aug. 11, 2009

he is a graet prof......nice grading....
the midterm was quiet long and but not hard.....u dont have time to think.....so be sure to understand all concepts....final was 25-30% harder than midterm coz he needed to separate A and B students....
contact ************* if u guys need any help

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Feb. 26, 2009

Kaner is awesome. He is so knowledgeable and helpful. The class material is not too difficult. Definitely helps to attend lecture due to Kaner's use of molecular model kits to show symmetry. Class itself consists of weekly homework questions, which are very easy if you understand the lecture material. There is one midterm and one final. The midterm was terrible, had 50 minutes to complete it. Class average was about a 60%. About a 65% is a B in the class. I also took his Honor's class which is highly recommended, all you do in it is a paper. There are one hour weekly discussions where you talk about chemistry in everyday things. Lot of fun! Highly recommended.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Feb. 21, 2009

Take Professor Kaner for Chem 171; he is probably one of the best Chem professors I have ever had. His lectures are very clear - if for any reason you have a question, feel free to ask; as someone mentioned earlier, he does not mind answering the same question over and over again.

He's a very kind and fair person; when I took him for Fall '08, a lot of us bombed the midterm (not enough time, not because it was incredibly difficult). He said he wanted us to actually learn the material, so giving us another chance, he said he would replace the grade we got on the midterm with our grade on the final, if we did better. Pretty darn fair and generous, don't you think? I ended up with an A in the course.

Attend lecture, buy the lecture notes from the student store (the book only helped me out a few times), do the problem sets, and you're set. :)

If he offers Chem 189, take it! Greatest time spent in a class ever (no midterms, no quizzes, no homework, just an easy 5-page paper at the end).

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Dec. 16, 2008

Professor Kaner is a great chemistry professor. His exams are based on his lectures and are very clear. My only concern was his final exam because it was pretty tough. Everything that I thought would not be there, was. Very detailed exam. Besides that, he is great. You just have to know all his notes very well and his handouts are also very important even if he doesn't stress it that much.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Dec. 22, 2007

He is a very nice professor . There are two midterms and final exam. In order to do well in this class, you need to pay attention to all his lectures and make sure you understand everything he said in lecture. If you don't understand, don't hesitate to ask him. He will explain to you very well. He wouldn't mind answering the same question over and over again. I highly recommend Dr. Kaner for Chem 171.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Dec. 18, 2007

Professor Kaner is very enthusiastic. He is punctual and he tries to make the lecture as interesting as possible. And he connects the chemical knowledge to real life things. The most important thing you need to remember to get a good grade is that you have to attend every single lecture. If you miss Monday's lecture, you will spend the entire lecture lecture on Wednesday to figuring out what he is talking about. Everything that he says in lecture counts. It's gonna be a good idea to bring a voice recoder. His tests are not easy at all. And it's VERY LONG. You should be well prepared to score high. Regarding the discussion section, you don't need to get any pressure to attend it. Only when you have any question, go there and ask. Basically, some TA's deliver wrong infromation. I think some of them are not capable. They pretend they know something, but actually they do not.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
March 21, 2007

i am a former chemistry major. i took this class after not taking chemistry after a year. I love organic chemistry and kaner made inorganic very approachable. It tok studying and communication with your peers and you will definately get an A. He is upfront with his practice exams, but gets tricky on the actual exams. Every lecture counts, anything he says in lecture is possible on the exam remember that. Other than that, I changed my major to sociology and I love it, but if i were to take another chemistry course it would be with kaner. Cheers and remember sociology has a place for you too!

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Dec. 20, 2005

I thought Dr.Kaner was one of the best chemistry professors I have ever had the fortune of taking for a course. He makes the subject very interesting, connects it to real life, and eliminates as much of the fogginess of reality by establishing set rules for problem solving. This is may be a great and a bad part about his teaching style... while he makes the subject simplified and easy to understand those who want to know everything feel disapointed. For these people I suggest they go to his office hours and ask questions because he is great in his office hours. His exams are mostly everything in lecture with some odd problem solving questions which test your ability to reason with what you have been taught. I highly recommend this professor for anyone who enjoys chemistry especially material science and I would not recommend anyone to take this class because they think it will be easy. This is not an easy class, but if you truly enjoy the material and are intrigued it becomes easy in a way.

I recommend reading and rewriting your notes daily, buying the lecture notes but still taking your own, asking questions in lecture no matter how redundant they are, attending all office hours, joining the honors section because it was a great experience, attending every TA session atleast once so you can find the best TAs, understand every concept even if you think it is too easy, and understand the "easy" stuff to the greatest detail possible because that is what is really important for the exams.

If you are disabled and have special exam needs please work with the professor in great detail in advanced to prevent problems.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
June 27, 2012

Best professor I’ve ever met .
His logic is so perfect.
It is not easy class but with this great professor, you will be okay.
TAs are also very helpful and smart.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Dec. 19, 2010

Prof Kaner is really enthusiastic about the material he teaches, which makes it way more enjoyable to learn. He also brings in a ton of examples and does a lot of demos in class, so his class is way more engaging than most chem lectures at UCLA. The homework problems he gives are helpful, but don't always accurately represent what he will put in his exams. I definitely found his practice (old) exams helpful for studying. The grading is pretty fair, and Kaner said that he would take out our midterm score when calculating our final grade if it would bring our grade down-- which I thought was fair, since the midterm was WAY too long to finish in the time allotted (50 minutes) so the average was in the 50s. His final exam was also really long (I could have used a little more than three hours) but it was fair, albeit challenging. I'd definitely take a class with Prof Kaner again! Bottom line, he cares about his students and gives fair exams. What else can you ask for?

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Aug. 11, 2009

he is a graet prof......nice grading....
the midterm was quiet long and but not hard.....u dont have time to think.....so be sure to understand all concepts....final was 25-30% harder than midterm coz he needed to separate A and B students....
contact ************* if u guys need any help

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Feb. 26, 2009

Kaner is awesome. He is so knowledgeable and helpful. The class material is not too difficult. Definitely helps to attend lecture due to Kaner's use of molecular model kits to show symmetry. Class itself consists of weekly homework questions, which are very easy if you understand the lecture material. There is one midterm and one final. The midterm was terrible, had 50 minutes to complete it. Class average was about a 60%. About a 65% is a B in the class. I also took his Honor's class which is highly recommended, all you do in it is a paper. There are one hour weekly discussions where you talk about chemistry in everyday things. Lot of fun! Highly recommended.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Feb. 21, 2009

Take Professor Kaner for Chem 171; he is probably one of the best Chem professors I have ever had. His lectures are very clear - if for any reason you have a question, feel free to ask; as someone mentioned earlier, he does not mind answering the same question over and over again.

He's a very kind and fair person; when I took him for Fall '08, a lot of us bombed the midterm (not enough time, not because it was incredibly difficult). He said he wanted us to actually learn the material, so giving us another chance, he said he would replace the grade we got on the midterm with our grade on the final, if we did better. Pretty darn fair and generous, don't you think? I ended up with an A in the course.

Attend lecture, buy the lecture notes from the student store (the book only helped me out a few times), do the problem sets, and you're set. :)

If he offers Chem 189, take it! Greatest time spent in a class ever (no midterms, no quizzes, no homework, just an easy 5-page paper at the end).

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Dec. 16, 2008

Professor Kaner is a great chemistry professor. His exams are based on his lectures and are very clear. My only concern was his final exam because it was pretty tough. Everything that I thought would not be there, was. Very detailed exam. Besides that, he is great. You just have to know all his notes very well and his handouts are also very important even if he doesn't stress it that much.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Dec. 22, 2007

He is a very nice professor . There are two midterms and final exam. In order to do well in this class, you need to pay attention to all his lectures and make sure you understand everything he said in lecture. If you don't understand, don't hesitate to ask him. He will explain to you very well. He wouldn't mind answering the same question over and over again. I highly recommend Dr. Kaner for Chem 171.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Dec. 18, 2007

Professor Kaner is very enthusiastic. He is punctual and he tries to make the lecture as interesting as possible. And he connects the chemical knowledge to real life things. The most important thing you need to remember to get a good grade is that you have to attend every single lecture. If you miss Monday's lecture, you will spend the entire lecture lecture on Wednesday to figuring out what he is talking about. Everything that he says in lecture counts. It's gonna be a good idea to bring a voice recoder. His tests are not easy at all. And it's VERY LONG. You should be well prepared to score high. Regarding the discussion section, you don't need to get any pressure to attend it. Only when you have any question, go there and ask. Basically, some TA's deliver wrong infromation. I think some of them are not capable. They pretend they know something, but actually they do not.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
March 21, 2007

i am a former chemistry major. i took this class after not taking chemistry after a year. I love organic chemistry and kaner made inorganic very approachable. It tok studying and communication with your peers and you will definately get an A. He is upfront with his practice exams, but gets tricky on the actual exams. Every lecture counts, anything he says in lecture is possible on the exam remember that. Other than that, I changed my major to sociology and I love it, but if i were to take another chemistry course it would be with kaner. Cheers and remember sociology has a place for you too!

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Dec. 20, 2005

I thought Dr.Kaner was one of the best chemistry professors I have ever had the fortune of taking for a course. He makes the subject very interesting, connects it to real life, and eliminates as much of the fogginess of reality by establishing set rules for problem solving. This is may be a great and a bad part about his teaching style... while he makes the subject simplified and easy to understand those who want to know everything feel disapointed. For these people I suggest they go to his office hours and ask questions because he is great in his office hours. His exams are mostly everything in lecture with some odd problem solving questions which test your ability to reason with what you have been taught. I highly recommend this professor for anyone who enjoys chemistry especially material science and I would not recommend anyone to take this class because they think it will be easy. This is not an easy class, but if you truly enjoy the material and are intrigued it becomes easy in a way.

I recommend reading and rewriting your notes daily, buying the lecture notes but still taking your own, asking questions in lecture no matter how redundant they are, attending all office hours, joining the honors section because it was a great experience, attending every TA session atleast once so you can find the best TAs, understand every concept even if you think it is too easy, and understand the "easy" stuff to the greatest detail possible because that is what is really important for the exams.

If you are disabled and have special exam needs please work with the professor in great detail in advanced to prevent problems.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
3 of 5
4.5
Overall Rating
Based on 49 Users
Easiness 2.3 / 5 How easy the class is, 1 being extremely difficult and 5 being easy peasy.
Clarity 4.5 / 5 How clear the class is, 1 being extremely unclear and 5 being very clear.
Workload 2.8 / 5 How much workload the class is, 1 being extremely heavy and 5 being extremely light.
Helpfulness 4.6 / 5 How helpful the class is, 1 being not helpful at all and 5 being extremely helpful.

TOP TAGS

  • Engaging Lectures
    (14)
  • Tough Tests
    (14)
  • Tolerates Tardiness
    (10)
  • Would Take Again
    (13)
  • Often Funny
    (9)
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