Free Online Genealogy Course with FutureLearn (Week 5)

[jennywren001]

I and another course member are having a discussion (at section 5.15) about the lack of teaching aims, missed opportunities, absence of problem solving etc. etc. So far no pushback which is a bit surprising given all the positive comments but I'm sure it will come!
Jen

[Millmoor]

Sorry but I am not prepared to criticise a free course and will certainly not pass comment on fellow students of whose genealogical, educational and computing background I have no real knowledge. I would rather celebrate the fact that many people are getting a great deal out of the course and that there is indeed life beyond Ancestry.com. I signed up knowing full well that there was a distinct possibility that I would not learn anything new and that there would be no "eureka" moment. Am I bothered? No. I have, nevertheless, appreciated the wide range of sources used and have simply enjoyed being in an environment where lots of "new" people share a common interest. I totally empathise with the lady who remarked that whenever she mentions family history to family and friends she can see the eyes glazing over and was enjoying the freedom to communicate with others who shared her interest.

My only disappointment has been reading some of the language used in the more strident comments on this and previous threads.

William

[silvery]

Sorry but I am not prepared to criticise a free course .......
William

Just because a course is free doesn't mean it doesn't warrant criticism.    Especially when it's linked to a university.

[KGarrad]

I agree, silvery!

I was hoping that this course would encourage me to take further courses with FutureLearn.

Unfortunately, the course and lecturer are so poor that I will not be looking at any others
I can find better ways of filling my time.

[Ruskie]

Sorry but I am not prepared to criticise a free course .......
William

Just because a course is free doesn't mean it doesn't warrant criticism.    Especially when it's linked to a university.

I think it is more a disappointment and a lost opportunity than a criticism.
Yes, it is free, so we should perhaps not expect too much, but if all their courses do not meet expectations, then no one will enrol and the whole system will fail and some, at least, may lose jobs ...

I agree with KGarrad. I would willingly have paid to undertake further studies on the subject if I had been happy with this course.

[Ruskie]

I and another course member are having a discussion (at section 5.15) about the lack of teaching aims, missed opportunities, absence of problem solving etc. etc. So far no pushback which is a bit surprising given all the positive comments but I'm sure it will come!
Jen

I don't know how you worked out the section (5.15), but I think I might be the person you are discussing this with Jen. 

And, still the positive comments about the course continue .... I don't understand.

[groom]

I think it very much depends on the university and who is running the course. I have done some very good ones with FutureLearn, with extremely good tutors and lecturers. The best ones seem to be the courses where the lecturers and moderators interact with the students, joining in the discussions, answering questions as they arise and correcting any misinformation given. An example of such a course was the Hadrian's Wall: Life on the Roman Frontier, all of the lecturers participated in discussions and it did feel as if your comments and contributions were valued. I've seen very few contributions from people connected with the university on this course.

In my opinion, they under estimated the interest in this course and the World wide attention it drew from people of such differing ranges of experience. It might have been better if several courses had been run, not only to cater for the difference in expertise, but also the different countries of research.

 

[Gillg]

Please don't take this course as typical of the Future Learn courses.  I have done several and some have been exceptionally good, as well as asking a lot from the students in the way of further study and sensible quizzes plus attachment to Quizlet tests.

[Wiggy]

The quizzes for this one have been pretty silly I think!   And not always easy to see what they are aiming at either - sometimes four ticks required, sometimes an 'all of these' type answer!