How Instructor-Led courses work

Instructor-led courses stand as our flagship offering. These courses commence on a set start date and typically span 3-8 weeks. Weekly lesson notes are dispatched, accompanied by exercises to be completed and posted in our online course forum. Moreover, participants seize the opportunity to engage with their instructor and peers during the weekly live lessons.

How to Enroll

Upon purchasing a course, you'll be prompted to create a Student Area account if you haven't already done so. The registration process is straightforward, guiding you through each step seamlessly. The Student Area serves as your central hub for accessing courses and tracking your purchases.

Before the course's commencement, the instructor extends a warm welcome to all enrolled participants through a message. Once logged into your Student Area, you'll find various components awaiting exploration:

• Messages:  Your instructor's communications are housed here.
• Course Materials:  Weekly lesson notes are deposited here, starting from day one of the course.
• Forum:  Interact with your instructor and classmates at your convenience. This is where you can also submit your completed exercises.
• Weekly Tutorials:  Your instructor will schedule these sessions at the course's outset, clarifying where and how they will be held.

The private Facebook group opens a few days prior to the course's kickoff, allowing you to acclimate and practice posting before the official start. Watch for a notification informing you of the forum's readiness for exploration.

How long is a course?

Courses vary from three to eight weeks.

What happens on the start day of a course?

On the course's start date, the initial lesson will be accessible in your Student Area (under Course Materials), accompanied by an email notification signaling its availability. The lesson comes in PDF format for convenient saving and printing. Subsequent lessons will follow weekly thereafter. Please be aware that if you reside in the Australian or New Zealand time zones, your lesson may arrive a day after the scheduled start date.

There are no other scheduled activities on the start date. However, it's advisable to promptly visit the forum on the start day or as soon as possible. If you're unable to participate on the start date, rest assured it's not a problem; simply join in whenever you're able.

How much time will you spend on a course each week?

For most courses, it's recommended to allocate at least 4 to 5 hours per week. However, if the course material is entirely new to you, you may find that you need additional time to read and fully comprehend it. Individuals vary in their pace of learning; some may progress more swiftly, while others may require more time. This estimate excludes the time spent delving into your personal ancestral research, which often occurs when a lesson triggers further exploration into your own family history.

Typically, each lesson takes approximately two to three hours to complete, factoring in time to explore referenced websites and complete exercises. Allocate about 30 minutes per week for engaging with the forum and contributing to class discussions. Attending a live lesson typically requires an additional hour.

What Happens in the Forum?

Each course run hosts its own dedicated private Facebook group, where only enrolled participants have access to read and contribute to posts. You can visit the group at your convenience. The instructor oversees discussions, introduces new topics, addresses inquiries, and fosters engagement among participants, ensuring ongoing activity and interaction.

Do you have to attend the live lessons?

Attending the live lessons is optional. However, we highly encourage participation in sessions for all other courses, as the discussions complement your lesson materials and enhance your learning experience.

Lessons are arranged by the instructor, and we strive to accommodate preferences and time zone variances whenever feasible. To ascertain the time difference between your location and EST or EDST time, you can visit www.timeanddate.com. Following each lesson, a recording will be made available in the Course Materials section of your Student Area.

Are you going to find your lost ancestors?

While we wish we could guarantee specific outcomes, such assurances are not within our purview. However, we can assure you that you will unearth fresh approaches for both online and offline searches, uncover intriguing insights about records previously unknown to you, and benefit from the wealth of experience and teaching prowess our instructors offer. As seasoned researchers and educators, we eagerly share our tips and strategies to enhance your search efficiency and productivity. Above all, we are passionate enthusiasts committed to ensuring your research journey is both enjoyable and fruitful.

Does Location Matter?

Your geographical location is inconsequential to the course experience. You have the flexibility to engage with lessons at your convenience, and the forum is accessible at any time. Weekly lessons, the only scheduled live interactions, are structured to accommodate participants from various time zones, with instructors endeavoring to ensure everyone has the opportunity to participate in at least one or two live sessions.

Do the course numbers mean anything?

The course numbers are assigned with progression in mind. Beginners’ courses tend to start 0 or 1, intermediate courses with a 2 or 3 and the more advanced courses start with a 4 or 5.

There are some courses that start with a higher number where they are a little different to our regular courses, for example our Introduction to Genealogy course is course number 901.

Does someone check your work?

All courses incorporate lesson exercises, fostering an environment where your instructor encourages you to share your results in the private Facebook group. This practice stimulates discussion, and when suitable, the instructor offers general feedback. You may get detailed feedback on your work during the Q & A sessions if you are able to attend them live. Otherwise, personal feedback should not be anticipated.

Questions? Feel free to explore our FAQs page or reach out to us directly through our Contact Us page for further assistance.

Choose a course now!