5 Places to Improve Your Genealogy Skills Online
When you want to learn more about genealogy but getting to in-person classes is difficult, online courses may be just what you need.
NOTE: Keep in mind that access to learning platforms with a library card can change over time. Course offerings can change.
NOTE: Courses are provided by a variety of entities. Some introductory courses may be offered as a starting point for certificate or degree programs.
MOOCs
FutureLearn
FutureLearn offers massive open online courses (MOOC). Courses are free BUT you need to create a free account. You may have access to the materials only for the duration of the class, so download what you think you will need later. You may be asked to pay for a certificate of completion, but whether you choose to do so is entirely up to you.
Search for courses at: https://www.futurelearn.com/courses
Two of the courses can be found at:
https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/genealogy
https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/genetic-genealogy-researching-your-family-tree-using-dna
Genealogy: Researching Your Family Tree by University of Strathclyde, Glasgow has a British isles flavor to it, which might be of interest to those with ancestors who originated there.
Alison.com
Alison.com offers massive open online courses (MOOC). Courses are free BUT you need to create a free account. You may be asked to pay for a certificate of completion, but whether you choose to do so is entirely up to you. Users have the option to share a basic free learner record as proof of completion.
Search at: https://alison.com/
I enjoyed An Introduction to Irish Family History published by IrelandXO.
Alison also has free courses set out as a potential pathway to become a genealogist, which include several biology courses. (I am not sure that virology will help with becoming a genealogist, but it does sound interesting!)
Use Your Library Card To Access Resources
Check which digital resources you can access with your library card. These resources can vary by county. Here in Maryland, you can obtain a library card for any other county. Check if the counties in your state offer this reciprocity. It is important to check library subscriptions as these may change over time.
Kanopy
This streaming platform is accessible through my home county’s library. While there are many movies, it also offers online access to The Great Courses lectures. You can download the accompanying book in PDF form. There are courses about history, wars, touring countries, and more.
Individual episodes of “Discovering Your Roots: An Introduction to Genealogy” are shown in the search results for: genealogy. Although Dr. Colletta’s class offers sound principles, even though it is a bit dated in how records are accessed. Clicking on one episode takes you to the page to use 5 of your monthly tickets for 5 days of access to the course. (through Anne Arundel County Public Library you receive 30 tickets per month.) It also has a link to access the supplemental material, which is the PDF file of the Course Guidebook that accompanies the course.
FamilySearch
FamilySearch Classes in the Learning Center
I have included this resource because some of the classes are part of a course. You may have seen links to the videos listed in the individual research wiki pages. Examples are the classes in Immigration—Crossing the Pond, Ireland Beginning Research, and Strategies for Using Civil Registration in the British Isles.
There are a multitude of classes about research in U.S. geographical areas, specific countries, the research process, and topics of interest to genealogists like paleography. You have to register for a free account to view courses. Having a free account is a great idea to access the records on FamilySearch. (Some classes, like the ones presented in Russian, are only available to Church members.) Although some classes may be slightly dated, the process and the records that are used are relevant; accessing the records themselves may now be online.
This page will give you a list of all the current classes available in the Learning Center:
https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Classes_in_the_Learning_Center
To find classes of interest, you can sort the table of classes by any column or search the webpage. The last column, Country Topic, might be the most helpful to find classes to support your genealogical growth.
OpenLearn
Although there are no specific genealogy/family history courses at OpenLearn, you can focus on developing particular genealogy and family-history skills with their courses. You can access the material without creating an account, when you register you can enroll, save your progress, and earn a free Statement of Participation.
The issue with this platform is that courses relevant to genealogists might not be located using the search terms genealogy or family history.
When searching OpenLearn, try more than just the word genealogy. Useful search terms include family history, family photographs, archives, historical records, local history, oral history, and DNA. Courses useful to genealogists are often categorized by the research skill or historical subject rather than specifically as genealogy.
https://www.open.edu/openlearn
When you search, the results will contain courses, videos and articles. You can filter the results.
One course that could be of interest is Picturing the family, available at: https://www.open.edu/openlearn/history-the-arts/visual-art/picturing-the-family/content-section-0
Bonus Resource
Even though the title promises only 5 places, it is always good to have something extra. So, here is one more introductory course. By the way, look for learning materials on other genealogy websites.
MyHeritage
MyHeritage offers a 5-hour introductory course: Introduction to Genealogy Course. Each lesson walks through different topics in the world of genealogy to help you to grow your family tree. Registering for the course is required to save your progress, so you can pick up where you left off. (Registration is also required for MyHeritage users.) https://education.myheritage.com/courses/genealogy-for-beginners
While you are on the page, also check out the downloadable resources: https://education.myheritage.com/downloadable-resources/
Be sure to check out your county library or another county library for access to the Library Version of MyHeritage. In Maryland, with a Howard County Library System library card, you can access the Library Version of MyHeritage from home.
Keep learning!
