Top 3 Science MOOCs

Want to do something semi-productive on your summer break or just want to learn something new and interesting? Coursera and edx host an endless amount of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). It can be a bit overwhelming sifting through them all and find the good ones. Here are my top 3 picks for fun science MOOCs (and, yes, I've done them all myself from start to finish! I'm recommending these from personal experience).

Mountains 101x (University of Alberta/Coursera)

This MOOC spans every aspect of mountains you could think about: from tourist use and human mountain cultures, to geology, vegetation, fauna, avalanches and mountain safety tips. The videos are filmed in some of the most beautiful mountainscapes of the world, with interviews and fun quizzes. I would literally do this course again! Visually stunning. Cute Albertan accents. What more could you wants?

66k enrolled, 4.9/5 stars, 98% gave thumbs-up!

Classcentral.com ranks this the best science MOOC ever!

Best for: nerdy couples wanting something fun for date-night, hikers, skiiers, and mountaineers!

Introduction to Genetics and Evolution (Duke University/Coursera)

Dr Mohamed Noor is a brilliant educator and researcher of evolutionary genetics. He also now works as a scientific consultant for Star Trek! If you're curious about basic genetics and evolution, this is a very cool course! Learn about recombination, genetic drift, and more in this course, which takes you from high school basics through to first-year uni difficulty.

113k enrolled students, 4.8/5 stars, and 98% rate it thumbs-up!

Best for: folks looking to give their brain a workout with some genetics exercises

Drawing Nature, Science and Culture: Natural History Illustration (University of Newcastle/edx)

This niche course teaches you the fundamentals of nature history illustration aka scientific illustration. From tips on measuring proportions and how to handle and rotate an object, to shading styles and drawing in the field, this crash course will give you the tools to start your science illustration journey!

In 2017, this course was one of the winners of the edx prize.

Best for: creative types and nature journallers