New Genetic Genealogy MOOC Goes Live!
Developed by tutors from Strathclyde Institute for Genealogical Studies, the free online course ‘Genetic Genealogy: Researching Your Family Tree Using DNA’ kicked off on Monday the 14th of November with over 1000 people signing up to take part.
Following in the footsteps of our hugely popular ‘Genealogy: Researching Your Family Tree’ MOOC, the new course focuses on helping students understand the differences between the various types of tests available and how they can be most effectively used to answer your questions and further your research.
The course focuses on a series of key areas including:
Discover the basics of genetic genealogy and expand on your family history research.
Have you taken a DNA test for genealogy or thought about taking one? Learn about the types of tests available and how to use these to explore your family history.
Gain an understanding of DNA tests and their uses.
It is important to understand the differences between the various types of tests available and how they can be most effectively used to answer your questions and further your research.
You will learn about the basic scientific principles of inheritance and how these differ between autosomal DNA, Y-DNA and mitochondrial DNA. This will give you an understanding of how different tests can help you trace unknown cousins, find out more about the origins of your family surname and even the ancient origins of your ancestors.
Create a DNA testing strategy.
You may not know how to get started with your DNA research – who should take a test, where should you order a test from and what should you expect to find. You’ll learn the best ways of beginning this journey into the world of genetic genealogy.
Learn techniques to identify your genetic cousins.
Emphasis will be on practical methods of research, including how to identify which matches are important and you will be introduced to valuable online and visualisation tools to help you analyse matches. Researching recent unknown ancestors will also be considered.
The 6-week course is the ideal starting point for anyone considering taking a genealogy DNA test. It is now ‘on-demand’ allowing anyone interested in joining the course to start at any time and is open to anyone, anywhere. Find out more and register online by visiting the FutureLearn website today!
Find out more about Strathclyde Institute for Genealogical Studies.
