Free Online Genealogy Course with FutureLearn (Week 4)

[StevieSteve]

From the course syllabus looks to be much more about proof with DNA added on at the end

[tjugg]

DNA -  don't know how that would work with a long line of ag labs and chimney sweeps! Its going to be an interesting week.

Linda

[Ruskie]

DNA is such a complex and confusing (for me  ) topic that I doubt the course will be able to scratch the surface.

Anyone who is interested will find lots of discussions and links on the DNA board - there are some very knowledgeable people who frequent the board, so likely that you will get more from reading that than you will do on the course.

I am interested in DNA and have taken a "Family Finder" test, also organised YDNA tests for father and OH - have found no connections for any of us.

I can see a benefit in DNA tests to try to find a link between two people who are not sure if they have a common ancestor. I assume this is what will be touched upon in the course.

[Magiccat1978]

Well I've just finished week 4 and I felt DNA was only touched on lightly in the later sections of the course and although it explained things it wasn't anywhere near as in depth a part of this weeks course as I'd hoped it might be. I would definitely have to do a lot more research into it before making a decision on whether it would be useful for me to test. Having said that I now understand it a little which is progress so I have learned something useful from this week 

[groom]

Are you planning to look at the course again during the week, Magiccat? I find that I often get more advice and ideas from comments posted by other students, many of whom won't have started the week yet.

[Greensleeves]

I must say that more than 50% of the knowledge and satisfaction I gain from FL courses is by interacting with others during the course of each week, helping them, learning from them, enjoying their triumphs, commiserating with their brick walls and receiving fascinating links to FH websites and databases previously unknown to me.  Without that interaction you might just as well sit down and read a book.

[jaywit]

At last there is a mention of lateral thinking.

[rosie99]

I must say that more than 50% of the knowledge and satisfaction I gain from FL courses is by interacting with others during the course of each week, helping them, learning from them, enjoying their triumphs, commiserating with their brick walls and receiving fascinating links to FH websites and databases previously unknown to me.  Without that interaction you might just as well sit down and read a book.

I find that Rootschat also fulfills all of those criteria     

[Gillg]

Well I've just finished week 4 and I felt DNA was only touched on lightly in the later sections of the course and although it explained things it wasn't anywhere near as in depth a part of this weeks course as I'd hoped it might be. I would definitely have to do a lot more research into it before making a decision on whether it would be useful for me to test. Having said that I now understand it a little which is progress so I have learned something useful from this week 

Already!   I'm impressed.

I'm feeling that this course has been too ambitious in many ways, trying to appeal to beginners and improvers from all over the world, and in consequence has really only scratched the surface, in some cases leading to assumptions that are frankly incorrect.  We're half way through and many of us more experienced researchers are quite frustrated.  I think perhaps there should have been several courses suitable for different levels of previous knowledge. 

I'm annoyed by Tahitia's pronunciation of "geneAlogy" as "geneOlogy", and tickled by the Scottish lady's reference to "Asterix" (wasn't he an ancient Gaul and a cartoon character?) for "asterisk", even though I thought her wild card information was helpful.

Well, here goes with week 4.  (I still think DNA testing is a marketing exercise. )