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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Mountains 101 by University of Alberta

4.9
stars
2,476 ratings

About the Course

Mountains 101­­ is a broad and integrated overview of the mountain world. This 12-lesson course covers an interdisciplinary field of study focusing on the physical, biological, and human dimensions of mountain places in Alberta, Canada, and around the world. Specifically, we'll study the geological origins of mountains, how they’re built-up and worn-down over time; we’ll learn about their importance for biodiversity and water cycles, globally and locally; we’ll explore their cultural significance to societies around the globe, and how that relationship has evolved over time; and we’ll learn how mountains are used, how they’re protected, and how today they’re experiencing rapid change in a warming climate. At the end of each lesson, Mountains 101 will also provide learners with some smart tricks -- Tech Tips -- to safely enjoy time in the high alpine environment: from how to pick the best footwear for hiking to making smart decisions in avalanche terrain. We’ll be delivering your online lessons from valley bottoms to mountaintops, from museums and labs, to alpine huts and other spectacular alpine sites, and we’ll do so with the help of a whole host of experts. We invite you to join us for this online adventure! The mountains are calling......

Top reviews

GV

Oct 22, 2022

It was a wonderful lerning experience for me. The content was great, the videos and lessessons were very enjoyable and enlightening. Bravo to the teams who created this couse, well done and thank you.

SK

Dec 22, 2017

So interesting! So well made, every lesson is thought out the interactive mountain map was a joy to complete each time! Incredibly thoughtful and sensitive to every aspect that touches the mountains.

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51 - 75 of 918 Reviews for Mountains 101

By Kartik M J

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Oct 19, 2020

As soon as I started this course with the first chapter, first lesson. I got that mountain vibe and I really got connected to this course. I liked how practically this course was explained by the profs. and the content that they explained. I loved the vibe of mountains exactly as explained in the course and I totally got the Vibe of nature and the main purpose of selecting this course for me is to learn more about the mountains and definitely to protect the mother earth, mother nature. Definitely after learning from this courses, I will try my best, the best possibility, to save mother nature, mother earth, from mass media perspective.

Thanku Coursera

Thanku University of Alberta

By Chris T

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May 19, 2020

I learnt so much from this course (and I'm coming from an environmental science background). It was superbly presented, the content was engaging and scaffolded appropriately, and the interviews with other scientists, professors and the tech team really complemented the course. Lastly, I felt somehow emotionally invested in this course, a combination of the subject matter and also the passion that was evident in the team that made it. This was the first course I completed (and I've taken 5 others over the last 5 years), and I think in a large part that it was because of how this course was designed. I wish you all the best, and look forward to the next content that comes out.

By Christy S

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Nov 24, 2017

I immensely enjoyed taking this course. I was really satisfied the diversity of voices that were included in the lessons, including men and women from Canada Parks staff, a wide range of academics and specialists, First Nations peoples, and more. The course does a tremendous job exposing us to so many different topics in accessible ways--everything from art, history of thought about mountains, meteorology, geology, and so much more. The professors' passion and enthusiasm for the topics was infectious and by the end of the course they felt like friends. Absolutely recommended to anyone interested! It's a wonderful way to spend a-1.5 hours/week for 12 weeks!

By Juan S S S

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Jan 20, 2021

It was a wonderful experience to take this class. I learned a lot both by professors Robinson and Hik, and to the wide range of specialists of mountains from all around the globe. It was a scientific-driven discussion around a number of interesting topics related to mountains with many information to learn. Personally I enjoyed the background images and audiovisual resources throught the course very beautiful and aesthetically pleasing.

I would recommend this class to any person, since the topic is absolutely fascinating and the lessons are very well explained. Its obvious both professor enjoy this topic.

Thank you very much for this wonderful experience!!

By Jamie A

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Jan 14, 2023

I started this course during the pandemic and was skeptical about learning much since I've spent my life around mountains. I learned a ton! The lectures about the history of human perspectives concerning mountains were fascinating. The tone of the course was positive and encouraging, even when discussing worrisome trends like habitat degradation and climate change. As an American, it was also informative to dive into Canadian landscapes, history and perspectives. It's an excellent course for developing awareness of what mountains are and what they represent to humanity. I would recommend it to anybody who works in outdoor recreation and tourism.

By Volkert d V

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Mar 6, 2024

This is such a fun course. It's rich in content, approaching the topic of mountains from many different perspectives. The visuals are absolutely stunning, and a lot of effort went into bringing up views from a great amount of experts whose passion for the topic is oozing of the screen. By the time the credits rolled off the screen during the last video, I swear a tear came from eye that my time watching mountains 101 while exercising on the hometrainer came to an end. How it could be even better? perhaps throw in a peer reviewed assignment could be a great addition as it could give a chance to learners to share some of their own experiences.

By Jazmin O

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May 10, 2020

Highly recommend!

A comprehensive and holistic view of mountains past, present and future, covering the geological phenomena that create them, the social and human impacts, and plant and wildlife that live in mountains. It takes an interdisciplinary approach, view interviews (many of them on the field) with scientists and writers that study mountains. It is challenging to absorb a lot of information in the time provided, but self pacing makes this a very approachable course. The instructors and their guest experts are fantastic. Especially recommended course for anyone who spends time in the outdoors.

By Shabbir A

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Jun 5, 2022

WAO WAO AND WAO; This course is just phenominal. The material, the information and the effort they have putted on this course is beyond words. The deliervery of lecture by Sir Zac & Sir David is 10 out of 10. Just loved this course. I would definetly recommend this course to everyone. The best part was, when you see the mountains of your country (Pakistan) mentiond in this course. On the very last moment of the course, I got emotional because of the canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau's message and it was not expected.

Again Big Big Thanks to University Of Alberta for creating such a magic on mountains.

By Eugene F

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Apr 22, 2020

Excellent information about mountains. Although I live in a mountain-less country, Singapore, I am surrounded by neighbouring countries that have a vast network of mountains. This has rejuvenated my interests in mountains and I am looking forward to future hiking trips. I now know what I will be looking out for, in terms of mountain and geographical formations, and the various flora and fauna that have adapted to living in the mountains. Thank you for sharing this course online and for making it available worldwide, as this is something that my country will never place emphasis on.

By Robert A

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Aug 17, 2020

This course served admirably to enhance my understanding of the multiplicity and complex interplay of environmental and social dynamics affecting mountains around the world. The visual dimension of the course was strikingly beautiful and well-integrated. The instructors communicated clearly and conveyed in a warmly personable fashion, something of their personal enthusiasm for the topics. This would seem to be an excellent, non-quantitative beginning course for fostering an appreciation of the crucial nature of scientific inquiry in the preservation of our environmental heritage.

By Wanderer S

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Jun 30, 2020

Wow! first of all I pay my respect to all the persons involved in designing this course. My native place is a small village in the lap of Himalayas (India). This course provided me the basic knowledge about mountains and how we live here. There are alot of information which I am gonna use in my day to day life. There are new things which my parents aur grandparents used to do like burning the fields and I always stopped them for doing that. Thank you team Mountains 101 for educating me. Wanna study more about mountains. Once again I thank you all for this wonderful course.

By Elías B E

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Aug 18, 2017

A really interesting and entertaining course. As a ranger in a national park in Iceland it also benefited me in my work.

My only complaints are that sometimes you can feel that the audio needs to be remastered. The sound quality of the lecturers voices vary during a single lecture and there is only one song used (which is too dramatic in the first place and already over used in week 2). Also, the prime minister ending was too much. It felt like having a desert that's way too sweet and you want to vomit.

But these are negligible factors. The course was great, thanks a lot!

By Alex M V

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Apr 29, 2020

You guys are amazing! Zac & David and all the staff, thanks for making this course as perfect as you did. I was in Canada Parks last year, before taking the course, and my time there was fantastic. Now I cannot wait to go back again with all the new things that I know! Every lesson is super complete (the maps section and the tips for having a nice experience in the mountains are super nice) and as a student, its super grateful to feel the love that you feel for the mountains. I will kind of miss you from now on.. You're awesome. Best course I've made in coursera !

By Alton C B

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Mar 24, 2021

This is arguably among the best, most comprehensive introductory courses to mountains geography currently available in the world. The instructors and guest speakers provide clear, concise, but also detailed explanations of the physical and human dimensions of the world's mountains, including sound coverage of contemporary problems and prospective solutions. Completion of the course should well equip students with the foundations to embark upon their own, more detailed investigations of interest, whether for research, project planning, or professional purposes.

By Adriana L U

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May 13, 2021

I enjoyed this course; it has a very good balance of theory, beautiful images, interdisciplinary approach; even the music during the presentations is so beautiful. It's an excellent refresher for those who have some knowledge in this field and also an intro for the interested people. The content is relevant because it is up to date; I was impressed with the many scientists who shared their knowledge for this course; also, the course makes you aware of the many organizations that exists and do meaningful work in this field. This course is a gem on Coursera.

By Anthony A

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Apr 17, 2020

Skeptical at first. However, the course is well-worth taking. It is somewhat superficial, but it is a 101 course, as advertised. The quality of the video and photography is absolutely outstanding, the best I have ever seen. This is an excellent course for everyone. The video quality alone makes this course worth taking. Mountains for most people are distant and abstract places. However, they are integral to all our lives. There are a few typos and vague wording in the tests and quizzes. However, I am a professional academic copy editor, so I notice them.

By Rusty W

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Feb 7, 2021

A very well thought out course that covers a wide variety of topics surrounding mountains. Many topics covered are not necessarily top of mind when thinking about mountains, but as an "altitude enthusiast", I can appreciate the attention to detail provided by Mountains 101 and would be interested in diving into a couple of the topics in more detail. They did a great job of encompassing global aspects with a bit of hometown feel. A worthwhile investment for anyone with an interest in geography, meteorology, geology, or just a love for the great outdoors.

By Jean M O

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May 12, 2020

When deciding which Coursera course to take I chose Mountains 101 for no specific reason. As the course unfolded so many reasons became apparent. I really enjoyed the interviews with the experts, the beautiful videos, and the very challenging maps. (I feel somewhat ready for Jeopardy now. jk) This course is a perfect introduction to mountains and taught me so much. Each chapter was unique and well-organized. I actually looked forward to getting to the material every time I opened my computer to work on the course. I want to move to the Banff area now!

By Miriam B

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Mar 24, 2017

The course does an excellent job of providing a basic understanding of the multi-disciplinary facets of mountains with enough detail to display their complexity and awesomeness, but not so much that you lose sight of the draw of the mountains which brought you to the course in the first place. The visuals in the videos are appropriate and wonderful; while many of the locations are recognizable to those familiar particularly with the Rocky Mountains, it would have been an extra bonus if the locations of the background shots could have been referenced.

By Coralee K

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Mar 1, 2017

I went into this course with a geologic understanding of mountains and I was pleasantly surprised by how much more there was to know about mountains. I loved the graphics and thought that the videos were well put together, and I really liked that there were so many knowledgeable guest speakers from all over (not just from Canada or Alberta). After learning about the Banff Springs Snail at the Cave and Basin in Banff National Park I can't wait for warmer weather to go see them for myself! A great course to help broaden your knowledge of mountains.

By Rosalyn A

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Aug 5, 2020

This course is so thorough and covers a plethora of topics regarding mountains. I find myself always excited to watch the next video because I learn something new and intriguing in each video. I even rewatch some videos that contain so much content that I want to try and retain the information. And the instructors are very engaging, eloquent, and fun to listen to. I am also impressed with the extra aspects, such as the Tips videos, map lessons, and notes to download after each lesson. This by far is one my favorite Coursera course I have taken yet!

By Marcia V

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Jun 28, 2020

Amazing course, with very interesting and useful content. The information is delivered in a clear and dynamical way, that keeps the viewer engaged and interested in learning more. I really enjoyed hearing from various experts in different fields, and the tech tips were definitely a nice bonus. I also enjoyed very much the offer that the course producers put into showing all the photos and images of beautiful mountain landscapes, which definitely contributes to keeping the viewers engaged. Thank you for the great time I had attending Mountains 101!

By Pedro H L

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Jul 21, 2020

He estudiado Ciencias Ambientales en la Universidad de Málaga y he podido repasar algunos de los conceptos aprendidos. Me ha parecido muy completo y bien organizado. Le pongo la máxima nota porque soy un amante de la naturaleza , hago senderismo cada vez que puedo y la montaña es mi pasión. Me encantaría poder dedicarme a algo relacionado con la montaña en unos años, cuando acabe mis estudios. He empatizado mucho con la visión y la manera de pensar de los canadienses sobre el medio ambiente. Muchas gracias por todo, un saludo desde España.