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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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851 - 875 of 918 Reviews for Mountains 101

By Jisha

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Jul 12, 2020

Excellent

By Ryan B

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May 21, 2020

fantastic

By JOSE B M

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Apr 29, 2019

Excellent

By Lati'f D

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Nov 23, 2017

Excellent

By Charlie R

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Aug 6, 2017

THANK YOU

By Marcelo G d S R

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Aug 30, 2021

Excelent

By Ivan S

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Sep 23, 2017

Perfect!

By beverley c

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Sep 28, 2020

AWESOME

By Ryan P

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Apr 30, 2018

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By Matthew R

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Mar 29, 2017

awesome

By si h

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Apr 20, 2018

GREAT

By sourov k

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Jun 24, 2021

good

By marpaung s

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Oct 23, 2020

good

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Sep 23, 2020

good

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Sep 19, 2020

nice

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Sep 19, 2020

Nice

By Mona A A

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Jun 5, 2020

GOOD

By Sriskantharajah V

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Jun 4, 2020

good

By Sherry F

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Oct 3, 2021

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By Carrie C

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Jul 29, 2019

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By Natalija M

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Jul 13, 2017

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By Lorna

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Jul 10, 2017

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By Louis J F J

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Jul 5, 2017

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By Robert C C

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Jun 23, 2017

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By Ben W

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Feb 6, 2017

The course did an excellent job of providing a broad overview of mountains, from many interesting and important perspectives. So it was completely successful in its primary goal as a 101 course. I also really enjoyed the map section. It was a good decision to bring in different experts to add variety to the videos.

Some constructive feedback:

The quiz questions need some polish, in particular, the "select all that apply" questions. Also, because Coursera randomizes the order of answers, some choices like "all of the above" simply do not work.

The course notes could easily be improved with some nicer formatting. They also do not always cover every question on the quiz, which would be nice for students who want to revisit parts they got wrong or didn't feel solid on.

I believe that the tech tips will only be useful for a very small number of viewers. The idea of a quick tip on a related topic to the week's lesson probably sounded great, but the end result was far too superficial to be of any use. For example, instead of listing various navigation equipment and telling viewers to practice before heading out, it would have been more helpful to just pick one and give pointers on how to use it correctly.

The sections of video where David is talking with an expert are very awkward. I know it's surprisingly hard to pull off, but those scenes really should have been rewritten when it was clear how wooden the interaction was. The question and answers are very unnatural, and the slow walking toward the camera is so clearly contrived as to be distracting. At the very least, fade the scene in with them already walking, rather than have a beat with them just standing still before starting their next take.

That last point isn't a big deal, of course. Students didn't take the course to see great acting. And in general, the videos were good enough. But the production values can only slip so much before flaws begin calling attention to themselves and begin to distract from the material. Maybe one final point on the videos; Zac, was generally able to read the script more naturally, but David's earnestness endeared him to me more.

As I said at the top, I think Mountains 101 largely succeeded at what it set out to do, and I am glad I took it. Some polish on a few areas would have improved my experience somewhat, but even as is, I would recommend this course to others. Thanks for doing it! I can only imagine how many hours on the script and in front of the greenscreen David and Zac must have spent.