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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Gut Check: Exploring Your Microbiome by University of Colorado Boulder

4.7
stars
1,155 ratings

About the Course

Imagine if there were an organ in your body that weighed as much as your brain, that affected your health, your weight, and even your behavior. Wouldn’t you want to know more about it? There is such an organ — the collection of microbes in and on your body, your human microbiome....

Top reviews

AF

Feb 10, 2017

Very informative! Everybody should take this course, to know more about their own microbiome...

The first lessons are not so exciting, but hang in there! The most interesting parts come later ;)

GR

Jun 30, 2018

It was a good experience, and while I'm not too big on microbiology in general, I was intrigued in the role our microbiome plays in our lives. The summer I did this changed my life in a way. :)

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1 - 25 of 313 Reviews for Gut Check: Exploring Your Microbiome

By Andreea C

•

Mar 12, 2019

This course was very interesting and useful for me, but I believe there is an unbalance between the level of highly specialised information (micobiology related and about the clinical trials and studies), that I find insufficiently explained and the tutors pass very fast through these sections, and general-level information, which I find too general.

I would have liked to hear more about how to restore the gut microbiota after an antibiotic course for example, or how to change out diets to encourage beneficial bacteria. Also I would have liked to hear more about what are the ways of creating a map of the gut microbiota in the general population: how can I discover if my microbiota is ok. I feel this latter wasn't clear enough. And I would have liked to hear more about the most recent studies or trials related to 'beneficial bacterial pills'.

By Manish H

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May 9, 2020

One of the best courses I've ever taken online. The food log assignments - reflections & final project are immensely beneficial. If you're curious about your microbes, don't miss this course.

By Candice B

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Jul 28, 2020

I enjoyed the course very much. Not being a medical student, there was a lot of language that was just beyond me, but I managed to figure it out.

My concern is that I am now unable to get a certificate, even though this was a free course that was offered. Please can you let me know when and how I can obtain a certificate for this course.

Kind regards,

Candice Braganca

By Ben F

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Aug 26, 2016

Both enjoyable and challenging. Hear an interesting range of lectures, backed up with a wide range of articles. Shook up my idea of what it takes to be a healthy human - a healthy microbiome.

By Doug H

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Aug 29, 2016

I was denied completion of this course because a fellow course taker felt the need to "grade" unfairly. I suggest all "peers" keep in mind we are here to learn not to be judge so critically. The spirit of the course was destroyed by a thoughtless action. If you wish to be critical that's fine but at least have the courage to leave feedback for me to review. Coward.

By Kit T

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Sep 5, 2016

A really great course. It goes into great depth on the human microbiome. Science is aimed at the intelligent layperson level - and so easy to absorb. I watched the course on 1.25x speed setting and that was just perfect.

Some of the links are really interesting, so remember to check those out.

By Jennifer

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Feb 8, 2016

Overall this course has covered a lot of good and interesting information! I found the presentation to be lacking somewhat as the course-leaders were reading off the info in front of the camera, which gave the lectures an artificial sort of feel. I did enjoy the different interviews along the way, which spiced things up a bit. The grading of this course needs to be revised, in my view, as some things will go amiss when students grade each other. All in all it's clear that a lot of work has gone into this course, and that is definitely to be commended by all involved.

By Mary W

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Mar 25, 2016

Great subject and some very well presented videos. However there were several which were incomprehensible. Either because of the quality of the video or the very heavy accent of the speaker especially to a non-American viewer. One doesn't always want to read a transcript but to listen and concentrate. If all the videos had been of good listenable quality I would have given the course 5 stars

By Marlene M

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Jan 8, 2021

Con este curso llegue a descubrir el inmenso mundo del intestino humano y sus conexiones cada vez mas sorprendentes con el cerebro, y hasta nuestra contextura física, donde vimos que el futuro de nuestra salud estará cada vez mas vinculado con la actividad de nuestro intestino. Muchísimas gracias Coursera, por los profesionales A1 dignos de admiración con los que cuentan como profesores del curso y por la ayuda económica otorgada, con la cual dan oportunidades a muchos estudiantes por lo cual pude hacer mi sueño realidad.

By Eileen R

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Oct 10, 2017

This was the most interesting course I have taken so far with Coursera.

The Microbiome popularity right now is high and there is so much hype about it, I appreciated being able to find out what it is really all about. I look forward to learning more and now being able to weed out myth from reality.

Thanks so much.

By Digant K

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Mar 1, 2016

Interesting and informative. The only reason it is not 5-stars is because some lectures were too much PR, and some assignments required non-scientists to name-drop microbes and design a study without proper reference.

By Mark

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Jun 23, 2018

Extremely clear presentations by the researchers, but loses 2 stars for relying on assignments based on Google Docs which did not load properly and resulted in me not being able to complete the course.

By Laura B

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Mar 14, 2020

The Microbiome course has been a great course, I enjoyed each part of it. Thank you for all efforts to put it together and to make it available to everyone. It would be great if some of the readings which are part of the course can be all made available outside the pay wall.

I wish a great success for the American Gut Project, including Canada, and later include Mexico.

BIG THANK YOU!

By Ainhoa G

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Nov 16, 2020

Excellent course to have an overview of microbiome research and main topics related to this research line. Explanations are very clear and they are very easy to follow, congratulations to the excellent instructors!!

The only thing I would like to improve is to go deeper into the methods and techniques since the course is too general (or create a second course, more specialized).

By paola p

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Apr 30, 2017

as a biologist I can evaluate it from a scientific point of view and I think the course is absolutely fantastic. lessons are well organised. it really helped me to arise a clear consciousness of the deep relation between what I eat and my physical/mental health. well recommended to sci students and people who whish to understand more about the issue

By Elizabeth K

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Sep 18, 2022

I took this course three years ago and will be reviewing since it's even more relevant now given my interest in the UCSD research on how meditation affects the microbiome. Lots of great information, clearly presented, and fairly tested. Highly recommend for a basic foundation.

By Andrea F

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Feb 11, 2017

Very informative! Everybody should take this course, to know more about their own microbiome...

The first lessons are not so exciting, but hang in there! The most interesting parts come later ;)

By Nela P

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Sep 3, 2021

Great course, very helpful in my work, very knowledgeable instructors and latest research on the impact of human gut microbiome on our overall health. Thank you to the creators of the course!

By Danielle T

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Aug 28, 2016

Very interesting course and very timely at the moment given the ground-breaking research in this area! I only have two minor criticisms. Firstly, the presenters seemed to be reading from a script, which made them seem quite wooden and unnatural and thus hard for me to follow at times. Secondly, I would have preferred a little more focus on what we can do to improve our gut microbial diversity. I have tried all the basic advice given with little effect. However, perhaps we just don't know enough at this stage. Also, it would be interesting to explore the anomalies a little more. For example people with high levels of firmicutes who are also lean. Overall, I found the course useful though, thank you!

By Dorothy H

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Jul 9, 2016

This is a review from someone zooming through the course at double speed to get a general idea of the subject for free (I did not take any tests or participate in any projects).

I am studying neuroscience and this course was a great adjunct to those studies. If you have interest in biology at all, this course will broaden out your knowledge base.

I took a star away because there was too much advertising for their pet project. Some mention and instruction would have added interest, but so many of the classes being dedicated to it was a bit overkill.

By Michelle H

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Oct 14, 2021

Fantastic information, although already somewhat outdated! References and videos of Jeff Leach should probably be scrubbed. I was very disappointed to find out that he has some serious credibility issues.

I have followed the course by listening to the audiobook of Rob Knight's Follow Your Gut.

Appreciate the efforts of all involved in this course! It certainly has me wanting more information on this incredibly fascinating topic!

By Deanna S

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May 8, 2020

The course is good, my only objection was that there was no personal Lecturer or Mentor feedback as in some other courses. In fact in the discussion section, it was obvious that some questions that had been asked some time ago were not answered. In fact one could have finished the course and not got a reply. this happened to me.

By PJ R

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Aug 18, 2015

Excellent introduction to the gut microbiome and its importance to our health. Lots of science but would have like a little more information about how to increase and balance the microbiome through nutrition.

By James U

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Jun 24, 2019

Waiting on the completing peer review work and the grading of my own work in Week 6 was stressful and annoying. Overall though, this was a good course! Thanks!

By Dian A

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Oct 8, 2023

I learned so much. Thank you