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Genealogy Courses Online Posted 04 April 2008 By: Sherry Irvine, CG, Course Director, Pharos Teaching and Tutoring 
What brings people to genealogy courses online?In my experience, two things top the list of reasons: a feeling of being overwhelmed and the proverbial brick wall. What lies at the root of both is a lack of knowledge about records and methods. A lack of know-how fuels the urge to gather all information; better to have it than risk not being able to return and find the same website later. We bookmark websites and print out pages of facts or background. Inevitably, mountains of paper grow because we want hard copy. Much as we gather, we also get stuck, and it seems there ought to be an answer because so much is online. Once understanding of records and research planning is acquired we become better researchers, In turn, this means we are more selective in what we gather, more confident that we can find information again, and better equipped to scale the brick walls. Advantages of Online Learning I have been teaching genealogy for 28 years. My first courses were in classrooms and my illustrations were transparencies. The classroom experience has evolved and now illustrations are digital and most students bring laptops to class. What is also changing is my time in real classrooms-now I do most of my teaching via the Internet. Online teaching has some wonderful advantages. You communicate in more than one way and most of exchanges can be handled in a time of your choosing. There is no need to go out at night. You work with a group of people who could be from all over the world. There is immediacy and prompt reinforcement to what you learn because you can try new things right away and get questions answered without waiting for the next classroom session. Best of all when learning from an online course your computer experience is broadened and your Internet experience is enhanced. This is the best sort of practical training because you gain hands-on skills, usually related to your research interests, with tools you will use again and again. What to Take "What should I take?" is a common question, and I can answer it only by asking more questions.
When selecting online courses I recommend you look for descriptions and course outlines so you can relate the course content to your work, particular needs and genealogical interests. Take into consideration whether or not you have read a book on research methods. If you have and you need knowledge for solving a specific problem, a general survey course is probably not your best choice. The instructors can help. Find out more about their teaching and researching experience and don't hesitate to email questions about their courses. Check out biographies as well. The website for any teaching program should make it easy for you to send in questions and find out about instructors. Finally, ask about class size. There are positive aspects to small groups of 12 to 24 and large groups of 25 to 50 or more. The first ensures more personal attention from the instructor yet is enough to get good interaction within the class group. The latter ensures lots of messages happen at any class forum and increases the chances of meeting someone whose research interests relate well to yours. What We Do at Pharos Common questions about titles, name of instructor, content, length, start dates and cost of courses are all taken care of by pages at the Pharos website. The Courses tab, to the left of the logo, contains links to full descriptions and to a lists page (with three ways to view the titles of courses: alphabetical, chronological or by country). The About Us tab tells you the principles that guide our teaching. In brief, we want to teach the best and most rewarding ways to search for ancestors in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. We aim to help you get the most from your research, as well as the most enjoyment from time spent. All our instructors believe this comes from being deeply engaged in your research. Our courses are taught by an international team of highly qualified and experienced teachers. Every teacher undertakes to improve your skills, present information in a clear and interesting way, and to increase your enthusiasm and enjoyment. In other words we want you to become a better genealogist. Our courses use communication techniques that are easy to understand and, nearly all the time, glitch free. Lessons are delivered by email or, occasionally, left at the class forum. Every class has a private forum accessible only to those registered. Most course instructors distribute one lesson per week and hold one chat a week for discussion of lesson content. Questions, suggestions, sharing of useful books, and discussion of research problems take place in the forum and the chat room. Both can be used without the teacher being present. A happy spin-off from teaching and learning online is the making of new friends. Pharos is gradually building a community of friends. Teachers and students take part in the Open Forum available to anyone. All who have completed a course can join the appropriate Masters forum. Our Bulletin goes out to our Pharos Community three or four times a year. In addition, we occasionally meet our students face-to-face as well, at lectures, seminars and fairs in the UK and Canada and at special events such as our tour of The National Archives at Kew. The site includes a Free Genealogy Help section which offers some research tips and tells you about our free course, Learning Genealogy Online. Access to the Open Forum, there for anyone to join, is at the Community page, as well as the link for signing on to receive the Pharos Bulletin. Conclusion Learn genealogy online. A few weeks of immersion time will make a big difference in your research success and enjoyment. We encourage you to take an active interest in upgrading your genealogy skills and knowledge. Pharos is one of many providers of online genealogy courses, you can check out others at the Education topic of Cyndi's List or Genuki. We believe you will like the look of our programs, and our exceptional group of teachers, our small classes and our interest in your genealogy. About Sherry Irvine, BA (History), MSc. CG, FSA Scot, Courtenay, BC, Canada
Publications:Courses [2008]: Shopping Cart & Order Desk Global Genealogy & History Shoppe 1-800-361-5168 ( 9-5 Tuesday to Saturday )
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