Introduction to Genealogy: A New Online Course From MyHeritage
Our #1 goal at MyHeritage is to make family history accessible to everyone, everywhere. One way we accomplish that goal is by providing you with cutting-edge tools that make your genealogy research an easy and enjoyable experience. Another way is by providing free educational resources to help you take your genealogy skills to the next level. In 2019, we launched MyHeritage Knowledge Base, our free, one-stop educational resource with hundreds of webinars, how-to videos, and articles on various aspects of genealogy and DNA. In 2020, we started our free, highly successful Facebook Live and Ask the Expert series, which have been running on a weekly basis for almost two years.
Now, we’re taking the natural next step. We’re excited to announce the launch of our first full-length online genealogy course: Introduction to Genealogy.
Our free course is the perfect way to kickstart your family history research if you’re just starting out, or to jump back in if you dabbled in genealogy in the past and are looking to pick it up again. Hosted by our superstar Genealogy Expert Daniel Horowitz and taught by a world-class panel of experts, the course will provide a strong foundation in genealogy and teach you everything you need to know to embark on a journey to discover your family history.
About the course
The course focuses on 3 main areas:
- Family trees
- Historical records and research
- DNA testing for genealogy
Each section is divided into chapters and lessons that cover a wide range of topics, tools, and strategies for conducting family history research. The 40 lessons sometimes include short assignments and additional materials to help you practice and absorb what you’ve learned. You’ll also find quizzes to test your knowledge at various points along the way. You’ll be able to move at your own pace and track your progress as you go.
Throughout the course, you’ll learn how to build your family tree online, methods for researching your ancestors using historical records, how to leverage different technologies to grow your tree, an intro to MyHeritage photo tools, advantages of DNA testing for genealogy research, and much, much more!
Taking the course will give you the tools you need to take your family history research to the next level, and make exciting new discoveries.
Let’s dive in to learn more about how to take the new online course.
Signing up
The Introduction to Genealogy course is hosted on the MyHeritage Knowledge Base website. Click here to go straight to the course, or visit the MyHeritage Knowledge Base and select the “Genealogy course” option at the top of the page.
On the course page, you’ll be able to view general information about the course, the exact syllabus, and the bios of the lecturers:
Click “Start course” to sign up for free. You’ll be required to sign up to begin the course (even if you are already a registered MyHeritage user) so that you can track your progress as you move through the course.
Once you’ve signed up, you’ll be taken to the online course to begin learning. You’ll also receive an email with a link to the course, so you can always continue where you left off.
On the left-hand side, you’ll see a table of contents panel displaying the 3 main categories — family trees, historical records and research, and DNA testing — and all the chapters and lessons within each category. Click each topic to see all the lessons offered. Each lesson includes a detailed topic and timestamp.
Towards the end of a lesson, the “Next chapter” or “Next lesson” button will appear below the video. Click it when you’re ready to move on to the next lesson. If you’d like to skip a lesson you feel is less relevant to you, simply click on the next relevant topic in the table of contents.
Once you have completed a lesson, it will be marked as done in the table of contents, and your course progress bar will be updated.
As you progress through a lesson, you’ll see how much time is left for that lesson. Feel free to pause, take notes, and refer back to the videos as needed. If you leave the course at any point, and come back later, you’ll be taken back to the exact same place where you left off.
Upon completion of the online course, you’ll receive a certificate certifying that you completed the Introduction to Genealogy course. We suggest that you share your certificate with friends and family on social media using the hashtag #MyHeritageCourse to encourage them to try it as well.
Conclusion
Whether you’re a new MyHeritage user, just starting your journey into family history research, or someone who has forayed slightly into genealogy in the past, and is looking to beef up their skills — MyHeritage’s online Introduction to Genealogy course is sure to benefit you and help you progress your family history research.
We’re here with you every step of the way as you journey into your family’s past. We invite you to jump in and see what you can learn — and to share the course with all the budding genealogists you know!
