This was a real eye opener to the outside world and how wildlife, people, and plants manage to continue to live in the mountains. It was a truly imformative course that i will recommend to others.

Good course and the instructors were very informative. Covered a wide range of topics, which is both a positive and negative (the reason why I am only giving 4 stars)- not all of may appeal to you, but it has been worthwhile completing the course.

I wish that some of the information went into more detail. Otherwise, this was a great introductory survey about mountains.

The course started well with amazing photography but it was ruined in last week by making it political.

too long and should focus on mountains and nothing else

This course has opened up my eyes to how beautiful and fragile mountain landscapes are. I have a great appreciation for the vegetation, wildlife, and climates which surround and inhabit the mountains. I will look to my time outdoors with greater enthusiasm and sense of adventure, as I try to put some of the lessons into practice and perspective. The lessons on global warming were particularly new to me, to now grasp the importance of monitoring climate change, limiting the change and understanding that mountains themselves could be endangered to various degrees if nothing is done. Thank you to everyone involved in producing these lectures. Both Zac and David have a passion for the outdoors, which is evident in their callings. Matt and Laura's tips are very helpful, and if there is a future MOOC followup to Mountains 101, I hope they would still be involved, with longer seminar length videos, which could explain setting up a bivouac, using crampons with an ice-axe to ascend mountain peaks, as well as more in depth training from the ACC. I imagine Dr. Robinson would love to incorporate a few ascents into any class curriculum. :)

A well-designed course that was not just about the geological characteristics but spanned sociology, chemistry, history, and geography stitching together well-known, but generalized facts with specific, awe-inspiring information. Even though I don't intend to do a vigorous activity of hiking/camping for days in the mountains, the course gave me an appreciation of mountaineering with the 2-4 minute clips about various aspects about going into the mountains. Being from the United States, it was especially exciting to learn of non-U.S. geography and to hear from the Prime Minister himself to cap off the course. I'm sure not every lesson may appeal to everyone, but there is always something in each week for you to delve more upon. I have no educational or professional background in mountains, so this course will appeal to you whether or not you ever go into the mountains. The course gives you the educational foundation to understand and better advocate for maintaining the mountain environment whether or not you've ever been in the mountains and they are the first tangible sign of the impending risk of climate change. Bravo!

If you enjoy the great outdoors, stunning scenery or learning about a variety of plants, animals and geological processes, this course could be for you! Not only does it explain how mountains are formed and degraded, it also teaches us about glaciers, the water cycle, and why mountain habitats change as the elevation increases. Mountain ecosystems are visited and adaptations of plants and animals to life in the cold, rugged landscape and sparse atmosphere are described. The effect of climate change on the world’s mountains is discussed. As well, each week features a short video with practical tips on a different aspect of hiking and camping in the mountains.

An interactive world map is available most weeks to locate mountains and ranges discussed in the course videos, and the weekly course notes are a handy memory-jogger of many main points. Specialists in many fields provide short segments and there are even visits from two well-known public figures. Although it is a 12-week course, the weekly time commitment is not large.

I thoroughly enjoyed this course.

Very very nice course I've ever taken. Well-produced lecture! This course covers many aspects of mountains, from geography to history, from biodiversity to environment...etc.

I'm from Taiwan and not a native English speaker. So it took me much time to take this course as there're many professional vocabularies for me to check with a dictionary. But this wouldn't reduce any of my interest to keep taking this course. In Taiwan, we have more than 200 mountains over 3,000 meters. And I'm a hiking lover. That's why I'm so excited to learn things related to mountains thru this course.

Moreover, hiking tips are also provided in this course, very useful!

Huge thanks for the professors and the production team to share this lesson to everyone!! I love this course, especially in the last video that everyone who assisted this courses share their favorite mountain! So touched!

This was an absolutely outstanding course. Professionally delivered, thoroughly researched content and recognized experts, engaging and very interesting. I have learned so much and actually finished the course in a week. I have always been attracted to and loved mountains, but never knew much about them. or their surrounding environment. This course has broadened my understanding greatly and has given me a base to further learn and educate myself. The world map of mountains and important sites was a great tool that I appreciated. I would have liked to see more of the tech tips and perhaps an overview of the technical gear needed to explore the mountains. I wish this course would have been available 25 years ago, it may have changed my career choice! I am left with an even larger appetite to get out, explore, and learn! Thanks so much!

EVERYBODY SHOULD TAKE THIS! This is honestly one of the best classes I've ever taken. I am a student at the University of Alberta and my program didn't allow for more space to take this class. I love how Coursera makes it possible to take university courses for certificate (or for free!). I have always been captivated by mountains. This course provided some general information that I had already been familiar with, but it also taught much more than the basics. The format of the course is beautiful - the videos are stunning and the partnership with Parks Canada provides some excellent commentary/interviews from people at the top of their field. I have deepened my appreciation for mountains and geography alike, and would love to see a part two of this class - I'd sign up in a heartbeat!

I found it amazingly interesting. From the presenters who were clear and straight to the point to photos of mountains which captured perhaps the essence of the mountain right down to the literature of past writers, poets and artists.

The course ignited my fascination in how everything is connected to its finest detail of colour in butterflies to the flower moving with the sun.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your time, effort and putting in the delicate details of music everything and everyone who worked together formed the perfect ecosystem😁. Thank you for also making it available free increasing the chances of everyone to enjoy and understand that when they stop and pause and have those "moments of appreciation" it all makes sense.

I thank you

Alicia Williams

I love this course! I live in Edmonton and love visiting the mountains. After taking this course I now have a different view and appreciation for them. The volcanoes and glacier sections were among my favourite lessons however everything I learned here has made me feel smarter and more able to discuss this topic with friends and family.

I really hope the U of A continues to do more courses like this. The presentations were very well rounded so anyone with interest can get something out of it. I even enjoyed hearing about mountains from an English professor.

I have been looking at other courses like this and asking about careers that could come from this.

Thank you to everyone involved with this course and I plan on buying the certificate so I can review some topics in the future.

From: John Muir. (2011). The Yosemite. My First Summer In The Sierra. New York, NY. Barnes and Nobel. (pg. 10).

“Perched like a fly on this Yosemite dome, I gaze and sketch and bask, oftentimes settling down into dumb admiration without definite hope of ever learning much, yet with the longing, unresting effort that lies at the door of hope, humbly prostrate before the vast display of God’s power, and eager to offer self-denial and renunciation with eternal toil to learn any lesson in the divine manuscript.”

Oh, and to whom it may concern, I'm available as a volunteer to correct all the spelling and grammar mistakes that I found in the video transcripts. I've already provided a few samples in the 'Content improvement' messages that I've sent, and I assume you have my e-mail address.

Excellent course! Enjoyed it immensely and learned a lot! It was great to visit other mountain places around the world that I'll never see as well it was equally fantastic to see and learn about the mountains around my home. I had no idea about the Banff snail. I understand better the chinook systems that brighten my winter days. I am thrilled to see the return of the bison and saddened by the expedited loss of our glaciers. I loved the history, the poems and the pictures! You guys were great at explaining and showcasing, in understandable terms, some of the most majestic of earths creations as well as underlining the importance of stewardship and protection. Kudos to the University of Alberta for, as always, producing top notch research! Proud to be an Albertan! Thank you! :D

I will not complain and fully welcome any assessment that this is one of the best, if not the best, MOOCs in existence. I am simply in awe of the subject matter, the presentation of the material, and the heartfelt dedication that obviously went into creating this course. The course creators truly gave mountains justice and the respect these formations deserve, and have exceeded in delivering what the course title indicates. This is the most complete and well-rounded MOOC I have taken so far - the natural science, social science, art-humanities, spirituality and practice (i.e., tips on conducting a successful mountain recreational activity) involving our species's relationship with mountains are all adequately covered here. I highly recommend this course to everyone.

I like this course very much. Mountains is my passion and thanks to this course i learn a lot of new things about mountains. From people who obviously like mountains and nature too. There is very much professional informations as well as lightweight tips for mountains trips. Videos which are made with various profesionals in different national parks in North America on various topics is very refreshable and interesting. I like finding the mountains on interactive map of the world in nearly every lesson. English language is on a perfectl level. I spent a great time in the company of these people who are professionals and love mountains. At the end of the course I was almost sad that the course ends. I really recommended this course to the people who loves mountains.

Completed this course as part of my professional development hours to renew my Interpretive Guides Association certification as a Rocky Mountain Guide. This was a nice sweeping review of EVERYTHING related to mountains. I think anyone interested in nature and who loves mountains, but hasn't studied or read about them much before can learn a lot. Most of the lessons were lacking the depth that I hoped they would cover, but I did come out with a lot a healthy reminders around the technical vocabulary for concepts that have become cloudy over time and some great interpretive bits to share with guests on my trips in the future. Absolutely recommend this course if the topic interests you. It is presented in a very dynamic way for a 100% online class. Great work!

Course instructors David Hik and Zac Robinson have lucrative career options in audiobook narration if they ever tire of academia.

Lovely course overall. Excellently produced. Started on a whim, partly because it had good reviews.

Was a little sceptical of the syllabus, which felt like a slapdash complication of anything that remotely had to do with mountains. Over the course of the twelve lessons it becomes clear that this is not the case. Geography hour like you've never seen it before.

Learned more than I ever expected to learn about Canada. The instructors' enthusiasm is evidence and it is obviously not a coincidence that a course like this came out of a Canadian university. In some ways, just the best and most extended Canada tourism ad ever created.

I took this free online course to help prepare for my Masters in MSc Sustainable Mountain Development at the University of the Highlands & Islands in September 2019. I come from a Hospitality/Tourism Management background, have a bit of experience of hiking holidays in the Alps and working in a ski resort in Austria, as well as my Bachelors dissertation on sustainable tourism development in the Alps. This course helped me understand the more science-y/geology/geography aspects that I didn't study in my Bachelors. Those parts of the course were a bit more difficult for me but the cultural and development aspects were easier. Overall I really enjoyed the course and would highly recommend this course for anyone who's interested in learning about mountains.

I visited Canada in the summer of 2019 as a research intern at the University of Regina. During my 3 month stay in Canada, I got the opportunity to visit some of the most beautiful national parks and places in Canada such as the Banff National park, Grasslands National Park. I even got to sit on one of the iconic Red chairs and appreciate the true natural beauty of the mountain world. Since then I've developed a deep connection and passion for mountains and the environment. This course brought back some wonderful memories from my visit to Banff and I look forward to visiting so many fascinating sites discussed during this course. Thank you so much for creating this wonderful course and instilling a passion for the environment in young minds.

As an ecologist by education, and an outdoors lover by experience, this course helped me better understand and appreciate the mountain environments and rekindle that love I had back in college in learning all I can about the outdoors. Being from Minnesota, USA, there aren't any mountains nearby, so this course was very insightful and allowed me, through the videos and testimonies of all those involved, to get a view and feel for what the mountains have to offer. I am starting to plan my first mountaineering adventure with my wife and kids, which will hopefully take place next year, and instill in them my love of the outdoors, and what we can do to preserve that beauty for future generations to come. Thank you very much for this course.

Not being from the mountainous country myself, I truly enjoy visiting and watching mountains. This course provided me with a lot of useful and interesting information, that will allow me to enjoy mountain even more in the future. The course is really nicely organized, the pictures and videos of mountains during lessons make them more entertaining (sometimes during lessons I needed to go backwards to re-listen to what was being told, because I focused my attention too much on the picturesque backgrounds :) ). The teachers were great, and the interviews throughout the course provided even more variety of information. Overall, one of the best and most professional online course I have taken over the years! Amazing job!

This is one of the best college level classes I've ever taken, and my first online class. The slides were beautiful, there was just the right amount of general concepts and specific examples, and many shots were done on location. The instructors were well spoken, informed, enthusiastic, and even had a sense of humour. I live in the mountains of Montana, and I now have a better understanding of where I live, and many things to look for as I walk around in the US and Canadian Rockies. I 'm at a loss to say just how much I enjoyed this class, how much I learned, and how much I was inspired to learn more. Thanks for putting so much care, enthusiasm, and science into this class. Please continue with a Mountains 201.

This has been an exceptionally interesting and enjoyable course and I congratulate not only our two front lecturer/presenters but absolutely everyone who has played a part in delivering the programme.

The videos, reading and quizzes and broad overview of such an immense subject have been outstanding and such that I am keen to study some aspects in more depth - congratulations to everyone at the University of Alberta!

Finally I should say that I am a long time retiree in the UK, currently in strict isolation due to the Coronavirus, and Mountains 101 has been a superb diversion from the news of the pandemic all around us. I dream of the day when this is past and I can be back in the mountains!