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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Introduction to Algae by University of California San Diego

4.7
stars
1,197 ratings

About the Course

This course was produced by the Algae Technology Educational Consortium and UC San Diego with funding from the Algae Foundation, the National Renewable Energy Lab, and the U.S. Department of Energy. Algae are an extremely diverse group of organisms that can be found in almost every ecosystem on the planet, and they play an essential role for life on earth. They are little bio-factories that use the process of photosynthesis to create chemical compounds that we can utilize for food, feed, medicine, and even energy. We’ve brought together some of foremost algae experts from industry and academia to teach you the fundamentals of algae. This course will cover what algae are, why they are important, and why we are interested in them for both their environmental benefit, as well as their use for products. You will also explore the vast diversity of algae including the characteristics and applications of some of the main types of algae that are in commercial use today. Later you will learn about algal ecology and how interactions with environment, including pests and predators, affect algal productivity. And finally you will examine the processes of algae bio-manufacturing including production processes, as well as some of the products, benefits, and challenges that impact our ability to make commercially viable products from algae....

Top reviews

MK

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this is cool, i wish could open an edible macroalgae oil extraction factory as my vision is to open a strat-up, thank you coursera and all the instructor for brought the course for free.

FK

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The course provided my first babysteps into the world of kelps/seaweed & was very interesting. However I would have loved to see a more clear split between micro & macroalgae.

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326 - 341 of 341 Reviews for Introduction to Algae

By Darshana R G

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Aug 3, 2022

nice essions

By Claire C

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Dec 8, 2020

informative

By Sriram.v

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Apr 12, 2020

nice

By Michelle B

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Sep 4, 2020

A very informative but VERY DRY course that is VERY SPECIFIC to someone wanting to work in biomanufacturing with algae. It is is no way entertaining. It gets a three because it sticks to the modules exactly. I do not feel that I learned anything surprising or interesting regarding algae. the first two weeks are very common sense to anyone that has a biology background. The third week has the potential to be interesting but falls short. the fourth and fifth weeks are solely about algal biomanufacturing and if that is why you are taking this course, you will find it interesting. If you are taking it in hopes of learning something more than just straight out of a text book, do not bother.

By Christel R

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Feb 28, 2021

Good material, but not really an "intro" course. To fully understand this material, the student needs a solid background in plant biology and organic chemistry. The slides are over packed and often illegible when blown up to legible size- consider adding a separate document of slides in a better resolution. It would also be helpful to have a glossary of terms, as they were often mentioned with no context.

By Kostas C

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Dec 18, 2020

I loved the fact that there was a wide variety of instructors and there was a plethora of topics and applied sides to the subject that were covered. However, the instructors didn't seem enthusiastic at all when speaking, they seemed very anxious and lethargic, making the whole lectures somewhat boring to sit through.

By Marguerite K

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Jun 2, 2024

I would have liked more review questions, in-depth open-ended questions/application questions, and further analysis of the chemical aspects of extraction and product creation. Are there any credit courses with the same material offered on Coursera, or where all these specialization courses can be used?

By Edgley C

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May 10, 2020

Interesting course but not exactly what I was expecting from an introductory course. It is too focused on the applications of algae for the industry. Almost nothing is said about the ecological importance of algae.

By Gustavo S M d S L

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Jul 12, 2020

Interesting approach, but I felt some of the lectures were insufficient in clarifying certain informations about algae products biomanufacturing processes

By Seum A

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Jun 16, 2020

thhe lecture was good but if it is shown video with lecture it could be better I think

By Diana G

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Aug 28, 2019

El programa es mucha teoria y solo al final algo de practica.

By Yusuf M A

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Jan 2, 2021

The final week lessons are not up to the mark with the quiz.

By Aparna A S

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Sep 28, 2020

It got more about algae

By Caelyn M

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Mar 11, 2022

This was a really uneven course. Some lectures were really fascinating and informative. Some were kind of vague and just didn'treally cover much of anything. There were factual inaccuracies (the nationaity of a particular historical scientist, where the major sources of phosphate in world are). And then there was one lecture that was basically marketing materials for algea related company.

But it was interesting.

By GINA R

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Sep 2, 2018

no se encontraron lecturas en learning objectives

profesores no responden preguntas en foros

no se entrego ninguna leccion en manufacturing de macro algas

By Ami E

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May 19, 2021

The classes were good. I completed the course & didn't receive any certificates for that.