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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Ecosystem Services: a Method for Sustainable Development by University of Geneva

4.8
stars
637 ratings

About the Course

Ecosystem services are a way of thinking about – and evaluating – the goods and services provided by nature that contribute to the well-being of humans. This MOOC will cover scientific (technical), economic, and socio-political dimensions of the concept through a mix of theory, case-studies, interviews with specialists and a serious-game. By the end of this course, our aim is to enable you to: • define the concept of ecosystem services, its principles and limitations • understand the key services associated with any ressource (e.g., fresh water) through readings and case-studies • appreciate the advantages and potential risks of monetising ecosystem services • appreciate the social dimensions (power issues, cultural biases) embedded within any method • integrate tactical advice on mainstreaming this approach into policy and standard government practices • Optional: learn how to map ecosystem services with GIS tools The session that runs May 29th- July 10th will be actively monitored by the instructors, and learners will have the opportunity to ask questions. This course was developed by instructors from the University of Geneva with the help of numerous researchers and input from the Geneva Water Hub and the Natural Capital Project. The course was financed by the University of Geneva, the Global Programme Water Initiatives of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), and the Luc Hoffmann Institute. This MOOC is supported by the Geneva Water Hub and the University of Geneva along with the MOOC in « Water Resources Management and Policy » (www.coursera.org/learn/water-management) and the one in « International Water Law » (www.coursera.org/learn/droit-eau). We look forward to you joining us!...

Top reviews

DS

Sep 6, 2017

Great course. Awesome introduction to Ecosystem Services. Well-balanced portrayal of the many tensions and difficulties in the field. Also a great exposure to MANY experts and many diverse opinions.

IS

Feb 28, 2021

That's a great course. Not only introducing the approach, but providing us with different pro and cons of the method. And it gives a lot to critical thinking on the topic. I found it really helpful

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176 - 200 of 218 Reviews for Ecosystem Services: a Method for Sustainable Development

By Fernando D G S

May 8, 2021

good

By ANKESHWOR K M

Jun 11, 2020

good

By Tomas S

May 15, 2020

TOP

By Miriam P

Jun 13, 2023

By FERNANDA A B O

Mar 11, 2021

I think the course is in general well prepared and structured, materials are very interesting, case studies and interviews are also an excellent tool to complement the theory. Even when is just an introductory approach, it gives a good overview and framework to start looking to this area. I don't rate the course with the highest score not for deficiencies in content of materials, but for some technical issues that can be fixed to improve the whole experience. The main technical problems I saw along the course were: 1) empty questions in the middle of the videos; 2) links broken, and 3) the practice at the end of the course could be more clear, and the screenshots don't correspond to what I saw in the databases sites, and thus, instructions don't work for this exercise.

By Trevor R T

Oct 23, 2017

Great introductory course to Ecosystem Services. I have two critiques, the first is that the estimated times for completing each assignment and video are not very accurate. Although the videos have are obviously a specific time length, the actual time to complete each module is longer than just the total time of all the videos and 10 minute for each assignment. Secondly, there are a lot of additional resources presented (articles and reports), which is great to add to my bibliographic library abou ES! However, there are soo many additional resources offered, yet there is only one required reading assignment for this course. I think that there should be a couple more required key readings that are selected and tested upon.

By David D

Oct 7, 2017

It's hard for me personally to rate this course as I do not have a real need to dive into the the details. I was looking for an overall perspective and what exactly this meant. Therefore I am satisfied even if I do not feel the need to complete the case study, etc.

The course was professionally presented with a wealth of experts. It still remains to be seen if this approach will make such a positive impact to promote more positive sustainable development but the protocols and methodology look well thought out and I understand many initiatives have worked out successfully, so bravo!

By Alex N

May 24, 2020

The material is good and well rounded. Some of the questions and material are a little unclear, perhaps because of translation errors. The material is interactive and the peer-reviewed writing prompts are a good idea. I didn't have any problem getting assignments reviewed. I would have liked more technical details about ecosystem services methods rather than the discussion on whether ecosystems services are a good idea/ are ethical/ are useful for conservation (I do appreciate that this is included I just feel it monopolized the course a little).

By Natàlia B P

Jun 3, 2020

Very interesting and I liked it a lot, particularly the different points of view of each of the presenters, lecturers and guests. This allows the student to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the method. However, I maybe missed a more practical module, one to actually learn how would an assessment come to be (for example, like the extra-module 6, but actually with sequences and support, because I think it's not very useful as it is - well, at least for me). But great course overall.

By Fabio M

Oct 9, 2023

Great introduction to the ecosystem services concept with a lot of critical reflection. However, the advertised "game" is rather simplistic and some student engagement elements could have been better thought through. For instance, the excel sheet collecting the different legislation that have elements of ecosystem services through "student-sourcing" is poorly implemented and really a missed opportunity to acquire some data.

By Garrison C G

Feb 12, 2023

Apparently the field is new enough that the course is not just science and technique. It goes on to cover how to sell the idea to the public over-much. Ecosystem services is one tool that can be made to use the ecosphere more efficiently when it need be exploited because of demographic pressure, yet it isn't sufficient in-itself to conserve or restore the planet's declining ecosphere to health.

By Alicia T

Aug 7, 2021

Another strong theme throughout this course is the ethics and potential abuse of monetizing nature. While i agree that such risks exist (as with any other resources), i believe that right now, the benefits far outweigh them. Now it's critical to state the value of forests in no uncertain terms, so that what we intrinsically know can be "realised" and wielded to save our remaining rainforests.

By Azka S

Mar 17, 2023

It's great to learn about ecosystem services, as it interdiciplinary field that combine biological science, economic, and social science too. The materials provided are just awesome and insightful. The discussion prompts and peer-reviewed assignments are pushing the learners to reflect their understanding upon the materials. However, some materials maybe need to be updated.

By Warren G F

Mar 2, 2023

A great and useful introduction to how ecosystem services, biodiversity, sustainability in general and sustainable development, in particular, are connected. The presentation is excellent and the content is generally balanced and appropriate to my expectations/needs, though I personally found the discussions about the Monetization of ES a bit much. yet still noteworthy.

By Patrycja P

Jun 29, 2022

It was a great course, esspetially in the scope of methods used for engaging participants in active participation. I only thouhgt that spatial aspects would be more disscused regarding different methods for data collecting analysis and presentations. I missed that point - the rest was very interesting and organizing issues related to the topic.

By Nina B

Dec 27, 2020

I really enjoyed the course! I thought it was very interesting, well-delivered, and a good mix of video's, tests, essays, etc. If anything, there could have been some more texts to read and sometimes I could not fill in the answers to the questions asked during the video's (which I loved by the way; there could even be more!).

By Claire O

Aug 28, 2017

I have enjoyed the class very much. It is a very good introduction to Ecosystem Services. This is not an easy topic, but this is well-done, well balanced, and brings many various different views, therefore including objectivity on the matter. I appreciate this greatly!

By Jane F C

Feb 8, 2023

This is a great course. Three thoughts

1. Update links as some are out of use

2. Questions in the videos don't always show possible answers

3. Include a simple version of the final section on e.g InVEST as am input to the assignment

Thank you for such a great course

By María J H M

Aug 7, 2020

Its a very good course, I learned a lot. I would emphasize in the connectivity between lessons, sometimes I was bored or distracted due to long interviews and not enough clarity about key concepts. Anyway, great professors and content.

By Jawed E

Jan 27, 2022

It was fun and I really enjoyed the course and learn quite a new things. The best thing was last optional module where I learn to use INVEST publicly available

By Wouter V

Jan 10, 2021

Interesting perspective and good reading materials. I missed some reference to other well known institutions like the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and well known authors with related ideas, but all in all quite relevant.

By Shefali C

Mar 31, 2020

This course does not only engage the students to understand importance of ecosystem services and different valuation techniques but also have provided great knowledge about the challenges and opportunities .

By Ian H

Mar 8, 2024

Excellent quality material, but now a bit outdated. If not redoing it, it would benefit from an additional sequence at the end of each module to update the student on the current situation.

By Pallabi C

Jun 29, 2020

I could not complete the project on ecosystem services assessment of module 6 for reasons unknown. Otherwise the course is very good and it gave me deeper understanding of the concept.

By Muhammad I

Aug 18, 2023

It was a great experience and a broader prospective of the study area was introduced by the keynote speakers and professionals form well reputed nature conservancy organizations.