If this had been my first Coursera course rather than my 18th it would have been my last. The material delivered was very interesting and the instructor appeared to be very knowledgeable but the structure left much to be desired. There were issues with the links to materials that were tested on beyond the course videos. The quizzes were less a test of knowledge than a test of patience, there were so many multiple answer questions without the note that there were multiple answers. Eventually you figure out that you need to click a couple of boxes to discover the need for the extras. The lack of feedback other than correct or wrong is very discouraging.

Great lectures, but review tests are poorly written and you find quizes ahead of the actual material.

I was initially excited to take this course. The quiz format on multiple modules quickly tired me to pursuing the course. I found that the questions with multiple options to include very frustrating because if one portion of checking all that applied was incorrect then the answer would be wrong. This lead to attempts to correct and and resubmit only to find that I was not reading the question correctly, would remove one of the options I had chosen or I would try to change the answer and still get the question wrong. I tried to go directly to the quiz and write down the questions and potential answers and have this beside me as the videos were listened to. This strategy did not work for me. A very frustrating experience overall. I could see through emails that there was interest and many new participants. I was very interested but do not want to pursue investing the time in this course any longer.

I was stuck on 2nd week. Took the test a number of times. I used all the answers each time that were provided. And still the response was wrong with the choices given.

I took notes to refer to and still i was not successful.

It is an amazing course in which I learned a lot. But I still give the one star because the final quiz is extremely difficult, and has many issues that are not being addressed.

I liked the information given in this course. The professor really pushed his ideas which was very annoying. The exams are terrible, badly worded, with many typos.

Despite getting a little bit lost in some technical details, I thought the course was still worthwhile and interesting, and i learned stacks of stuff that I should have know all my life. Well presented and entertaining, and just about the right demand on my time.

Some of the tests were a bit hard going because I felt that multiple answers made it more difficult to learn from wrong answers. I would have preferred more questions with a higher % requirement.

This is the second course I have done by these folk (I did part II first). They are good courses. Hope they decide to do one on pollination some time. Thanks.

Great class. Professor Chamovitz is a very gifted teacher. He uses the media very well. The content is very well organized, the explanations very progressive and given at the right level of detail for an introduction. After taking this course, you will never look at your plants the same way. It's fascinating. The treatment of the philosophical questions (Do plants see? Do they remember?...) is a little weak. There are philosophers working on these issues. It would have been great if Prof. Chamovitz had invited one/some of them to take part in the course. But I'm quibbling here...

I loved this course. I think it is the perfect course for someone who wants a challenge, but does not want a totally complex course. The course was challenging, and Professor Chamowitz is the coolest fellow out. It was sometimes tough, but if you want that qualification, you'll go out and complete this course. This course has taken me six months. Thank you for the course, and my certificate. Understanding Plants offers what it promises. I am now much more understanding of our plant friends. I still don't have a green thumb though!

excellent course! The presenter was engaging and clear and the content was of a very high standard. Not too easy and not too difficult. I confess to watching most of them with my gardening wife and arguing lots about the content and questions! I was also fun and enjoyable. Taken purely to broaden my knowledge and interest. During the virus we had a lot of free time and started growing lots of plants on the balcony and it was therefore very interesting for me :-)

Thank you for making this course and i will do the next!

O professor é sensacional!! Ele explica de forma muito clara, sucinta e acessível á todos e todas!! O curso me proporcionou um amplo conhecimento sobre esse universo das plantas. Acabei por descobrir que gosto muito dessa área e já penso em fazer alguma iniciação científica sobre algum assunto relacionado às plantas, pois realmente gostei demais!! A plataforma foi incrível também, me auxiliou bastante em como utilizar as ferramentas para o melhor aproveitamento do curso e para os testes a serem feitos!

Professor Daniel Chamovitz is one of the best teacher i ever had. So i want to thank coursera for providing this course. I am a M.Sc Botany student. I joined this course to add the certificate in my CV. but after taking this course professor Daniel taught me so much that the certificate does not even matter to me. I am really really thankful that coursera is providing such courses for students. and one last thing i want to say to Prof Daniel is that ,I have no words how much you have taught me.

I had a great time following this course. The lecturer really makes plant understanding fun and (relatively) easy. Great lessons with many practical explanations, lots of experiments and science history.

I am a biotechnologist working in molecular biology and my studies were mostly focused on humans / mammals. I currently work on plants and wanted to deepen my knowledge of the basis of plant physiology. This course was a great introduction to plants!

Highly recommended.

After having seen "American Pie" , I don't see apple pie in the same way.

After following this training, Ii don't see apple tree in the same way !

More seriously,Ii'd like to thank you very much for this training which was both very interesting and understandable by majority of us.

The videos are very clear and, actually, you're not boring (;-))!

Thanks to Nir, as well.

I 've appreciated the mix of simple experiment results and theoretical explanation behind.

This is an enjoyable, interesting, eye opening course, yet it is not an easy one to pass. I have not done much biology before, and some of the terminology and processes described were a little demanding. I had to go through the lectures more than once. Professor Daniel Chamovitz is interesting to listen to. You do not go to sleep! I wish he would offer a third course on Coursera soon. Thank you professor for the knowledge you were so generous to provide.

This is one of the best courses I have ever taken. Professor Chamovitz is such a passionate person that drives you not only to understanding the course material but to make you think about plants as very complex organisms. The commitment to the principles of science is very remarkable as well. The research that Professor Chamovitz is doing on food security seems so interesting as this area is crucial amidst future climate change-related issues.

This is a wonderful course! There are minor problems in transcripts and in language usage. The course is very informative, the professor is very knowledgeable, light, and gives out the information in a delightful way, making the learning process fun fun fun! I am already heading to his next course, Fundamentals of plant biology! If the course seems interesting to you, you have to take it, i am telling you, you do, you will enjoy every bit of it!

The lecturer is very enthusiastic and engaging. There is a lot of information presented quite quickly, so if you are a beginner in biology (like me!), you will probably need to do the reading in addition to watching the videos. It was really interesting to see round the lab in the final lecture. I'm not sure how much of the detail I will retain in a few weeks, but I think I have enough of the gist to have gained a new respect for plants!

I really enjoyed this and learnt a lot. I'm a zoologist currently studying botanical illustration, so this course was a great way to brush up on my botany. I read Prof Chamovitz' book a couple of years ago and liked his style, and this course is similar - very engaging but thorough. Some of the tests, especially the last one, are quite tough but I think that is a good thing, you have to pay attention to the material if you want to pass.

Extremely well designed course that gives amazing insights into the sensory prowess of plants. The beauty of this course is that no biology background is required. The concepts and terms have been explained with awesome examples and that foster easy understanding. Prof. Daniel Chamovitz is simply mesmerizing and keeps you gripped to your chair during the entire lecture. One of the good decisions of my life is that I chose this course.

Now that I know how sensitive plants are, I'll watch my language when in their presence :)

I work with plants in a retail setting, and this course helps me to understand the plant 'behaviors' that I observe, especially in response to my care.

I think I already guessed what a plant knows; now I know why.

This course provides a great understanding of plants for the layperson/non-academic.

I enjoyed the instructors lecture delivery.

The content included is exactly as described. The professor is just the right amount of playful, and makes sure to repeat and explain the more complicated parts. Video lectures include images to help visualise and clarify what is being talked about. There is only one personal thing I am not a fan of, but that one thing is still not enough to justify a less than 5-star rating for such a clear course. Plants deserve more credit.

I actually loved the course and the teacher was great but the final quiz made me want to throw my computer at the wall a bit and cancenl my university application. I do not like 'trick' questions. Where there are more than one answer that is scientifically correct but the question is only referring to one scientists discovery. I dont really care who discovered what, no offense Darwin. I just want the scientific facts

Thank you, Dr. Chamovitz for making this course interesting! Most students get bored when lectures are about plants or plant biology, but you made boring and complex concepts easy to understand and enjoyable to learn. I especially liked the examples and experiments presented (with very excellent illustrations as well). Your quizzes are tricky and a tad difficult, but they really test the student's understanding.

Absolutely wonderful course ... not too basic, not too complex. Upon completion, the learner has a much better idea of: the essential place plants hold in our lives; how we are similar and different to plants; how plants function in fascinating ways that the casual observer misses, and; how there is much more fascinating information to learn about flora beyond this excellent and inspiring introduction.