Course Syllabus

Overview

  • Course Description: This course focuses on how to conduct genealogical research in the New England, Upper-South, and Southeast United States regions.
  • Credits: 3

This online course focuses on how to conduct genealogical research in the New England, Upper-South, and Southeast United States regions, as well as how to conduct big city and African American research. 

As they study each region, students will learn about the geographical and historical background, record availability, and research processes of those regions. Students will distinguish key record types from the area, use them to find genealogical information, and learn about conducting African American and big city research. Students will also conduct research in the region and produce a research report on how they solved a region-specific research problem. This course has been designed to provide students with solid academic content and to help them develop practical research skills that are critical for a professional genealogist across many research settings.

This course, in conjunction with the other courses in this Family History Research Program, will help students acquire skills needed to apply for a professional genealogy credential through the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists (ICAPGen) or the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG). (Note that earning the BYU-Idaho Certificate in Family History Research is not equivalent to being a Certified Genealogist (CG) through BCG.)

Important Information: "The words Certified Genealogist and letters CG are registered certification marks, and the designations CGL and Certified Genealogical Lecturer are service marks of the Board for Certification of Genealogists®, used under license by board certificants after periodic evaluation" (BCG website). "The ICAPGen℠ service mark and the Accredited Genealogist® and AG® registered marks are the sole property of the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists." (ICAPGen website).

Requirements

Prerequisites

Successful completion of all required courses for the Family History Research Certificate and FHGEN 340.

Required Resources

Read the information in the Textbook Information module  (Modules->Textbook Information) to learn how to access your textbook.

Resource Title or Description Author or Provider Ed. or Vol. 13-Digit ISBN (if applicable)

The Family Tree Problem Solver 

(Available for free through the BYUI library.)

Rising, Marsha Hoffman 2nd 9781440311932
The Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy

(Available for free through the BYUI library.)

Greenwood, Val D. 3rd 9780806319735

RootsMagic Software

(Student discount available; ask instructor for discount code.)

A free FamilySearch.org account

An Ancestry.com account.

(Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints may create a free Ancestry.com account, instructions provided in course)

(If you cannot create a free account, you can use Ancestry.com at a Family History Center or possibly a public library near you.)

Microphone and Webcam

Proctored Exams and Assessments

This course will use an online proctoring software called Proctorio. This makes it possible for students to take assessments and exams without a human proctor present. Proctored exams can be accessed like any other exam, once the software has been installed. Exams will be recorded by Proctorio and reviewed by the BYUI Testing Center. Any questionable exams will be forwarded to the instructor for further review. 

For step-by-step instructions on Proctorio installation, please refer to this to help guide article (Links to an external site).

Structure

Course Outcomes

  1. Determine how geographical features, cultural features, and historical events affect the research process in specific regions.
  2. Conduct New England, Upper-South, and Southeast regions research (including “big city” and African American research).
  3. Identify the availability of records for each state in the region.
  4. Determine unique characteristics of records in the region.
  5. Identify the general process for conducting research in each region.
  6. Plan and complete research projects conduct research in the region.
  7. Produce a well-organized genealogical research report.

Major Assignments

The table below is meant to help you see the relevance of each major assignment as it pertains to the course outcomes (CO).

Major Assignment Description CO#
W03 Worksheet: New England States Quick Reference Sheet Work with your group to create a New England states quick reference sheet. 1, 3, 4
W03 Project Plan: Seaver Family Research Plan Create a research plan for the Seaver family as a group for a client (represented by your instructor). 1, 5, 6
W05 Research: Seaver Family Conduct final research and submit a research log and found documents on the Seaver family for your client. 2, 6, 7
W05 Report: Seaver Family Analyze sources, information, and evidence and write a research report on the Seaver family for your client. 7
W06 Project Plan: Ferber Family Create a research plan for the Ferber family as a group for a client (represented by your instructor). 1, 5, 6
W07 Research: Ferber Family Conduct final research and submit a research log and found documents on the Ferber family for your client. 2, 6, 7
W07 Report: Ferber Family Analyze sources, information, and evidence and write a research report on the Ferber family for your client. 7
W08 Worksheet: Southern States Quick Reference Sheet Work with your group to create a southern states quick reference sheet. 1, 3, 4
W08 Project Plan: Wilkins Family Create a research plan for the Wilkins family as a group for a client (represented by your instructor). 1, 5, 6
W10 Research: Wilkins Family Conduct final research and submit a research log and found documents on the Wilkins family for your client. 2, 6, 7
W10 Report: Wilkins Family Analyze sources, information, and evidence and write a research report on the Wilkins family for your client. 7
W11 Project Plan: Ogletree Family Create a research plan for the Ogletree family as a group for a client (represented by your instructor). 1, 5, 6
W13 Research: Ogletree Family Conduct final research and submit a research log and found documents on the Ogletree family for your client. 2, 6, 7
W13 Report: Ogletree Family Analyze sources, information, and evidence and write a research report on the Ogletree family for your client. 7
W14 Final Exam Take an exam to measure your knowledge of the unique characteristics of research in all four regions. 1, 3, 4

Course Map

The following image outlines the units of the course and their relation to the major assessments:

Visual organizer of major assignments and unit

 

Weekly Patterns

The table below displays typical weekly activities, due dates, and activity descriptions.

Due Date* Learning Model Activity Title Description
Midweek Prepare Quiz Questions based on readings included in instructions and other resources
Midweek Teach One Another Topic Discussion Topics for the class or groups to discuss that will strengthen understanding for projects and assignments
End-of-Week Prove Worksheet Quick reference sheets for research to strengthen understanding of availability of various record types in US regions
End-of-Week Prove Project Submission Simulated client research projects to allow students the opportunity to practice professional time management, research, and writing requirements

*Set your time zone within user preferences so that the dates and times for course activities will display correctly for your time zone.

Learning Model

The Learning model is not only designed to enhance and enrich your learning experience at BYU-Idaho but also to help you become a disciple of Christ. The following guidelines have been created to help you understand the things that will improve your learning experience in this course:

Prepare: You will prepare by setting goals and scheduling your time wisely to complete assignments, stay on task, and perform valuable work in the future. You will be responsible for thinking ahead and establishing your own productive schedule. The readings, videos, and/or activity quizzes for each week constitute the preparation activities.

Teach One Another: You will teach one another as you research specific individuals and their families. Many others in your class will be able to provide you with tips and assistance that can help you reach your goals. You, likewise, will have much to offer them and will have many opportunities to do so throughout the semester. We will be using group projects and discussion boards to teach each other and to report on other teaching activities.

Ponder and Prove: You will demonstrate your understanding by completing research projects and exams. The projects sharpen your research skills as you spend time and effort completing them. Your accounting of them to your instructor will further help you to ponder and prove. Our activities that constitute the Ponder and Prove part of the Learning Model include interactive activities, assignments, research projects, reports, and assessments.

The course is not an independent study course. The group teaching and learning activities require students to cover material at the same time and at the same pace. For more information on the learning model, visit the following site: BYU-Idaho Learning Model.

Expectations

Workload

The online class policy is that for every credit hour, you should expect to spend 3 hours of work per week. For this class, you should plan on spending approximately 9 hours per week.

Each week, there are discussion boards, activities, projects, and assignments. Some weeks have many activities and assignments, and it may appear overwhelming. Though it may appear daunting, please note that many of them are small activities and may take as little as 20 minutes to complete.

  • Discussion boards are a weekly opportunity for you to participate in discussions and to teach one another. Participation is important not only for you but also for other classmates. All of your points will be based on whether or not you contribute and move the discussion forward. Be thoughtful and respectful in all of your posts. If you post something like “I agree” or “That's a good point” without a solid supporting argument, you will receive no credit for your post.
  • Activities are designed to help prepare you to complete the assignments for the week. They are often in the form of auto-graded quizzes that may be taken multiple times. 
  • Assignments are different from activities in that the instructor will personally grade them. They allow you to ponder what you have learned and to prove that you know the materials you have been studying.
  • There are some assignments that last up to three weeks. Pay attention to the assignment instructions to ensure your assignment is submitted in the correct spot.

Group Work

During the New England states and southern states units, students will work in groups to complete quick reference sheets and research projects. The research projects include planning, research, and analysis and the submission of research plans, research logs, research reports, found documents, and family group sheets.

 Group work in this course is not busywork. Group work is assigned in this course to mimic the real-world experience of working as a genealogist. Many people assume that genealogists are entirely solitary workers, and while that is sometimes true, it is very far from the complete truth. You must learn how to collaborate, communicate effectively, handle conflict, react kindly, manage projects, accept assignments, complete work on time, delegate tasks, etc. as you work as a genealogist. Group work in this course allows you to save time by sharing the workload with multiple classmates. Group work will also allow you to network and build relationships with other genealogists. You also get the benefit of learning from the experience of others and sharing your experience. In this way, you truly exemplify "Teach One Another."

Late Work

As a sign of professionalism and respect, you should complete your work on time. However, your instructor has the discretion to accept late work or extend due dates as appropriate. 

Retries

The activity quizzes at the beginning of each week allow multiple attempts. Your instructor has the discretion to accept retries as appropriate.

Extra Credit

It is up the discretion of your instructor to allow extra credit up to 1% of the final grade. 

Writing Requirements

As you complete your assignments throughout the semester, you will be graded on grammar and spelling. As a professional genealogist, you will be expected to compose documents in a professional manner. Grammar and spelling errors reflect poorly on your business. Spend time to learn to become a good writer. There are many resources available to help you with this task. BYU-Idaho also offers services through the Writing Center (see Welcome to the Writing Center).

While writing, make sure that all work is original. If you use other sources, make sure to cite them properly. Plagiarism will result in a zero on the assignment and possibly the course. Read the following guidelines about plagiarism on BYU-Idaho’s Academic Honesty site.

Grading Scale

Letter Grade Grading Scale
A 93% and above
A- 90—92.9%
B+ 87—89.9%
B 83—86.9%
B- 80—82.9%
C+ 77—79.9%
C 73—76.9%
C- 70—72.9%
D+ 67—69.9%
D 63—66.9%
D- 60—62.9%
F 59.9% and below

Plagiarism (stealing or passing off the ideas of another as your own without giving credit) of any kind will not be tolerated. Any form of plagiarism, cheating, and attempt to deceive will result in a failing grade.

Copyright

Materials on BYUI I-Learn and related sites may be protected by US copyright law (Title 17, US Code). These materials are only for the use of students enrolled in this course for purposes associated with this course and may not be retained or further disseminated.

University Resources

If you need assistance, visit the I-learn help tab located on the left hand side of your screen to contact the appropriate support center.

University Policies

Students with Disabilities

Brigham Young University-Idaho is committed to providing a working and learning atmosphere that accommodates qualified persons with disabilities. If you have a disability and require accommodations, please contact the Disability Services Office at (208) 496-9210 or visit their website and follow the Steps for Receiving Accommodations. Reasonable academic accommodations are reviewed for all students who have qualified documented disabilities. Services are coordinated with students and instructors by the Disability Services Office.

This course includes required synchronous meetings. If you are currently registered with the Disability Services Office and need an interpreter or transcriber for these meetings, please contact the deaf and hard of hearing coordinator at (208) 496-9219.

Other University Policies

Student Honor and Other Policies

Please read through the document called University Policies. It gives important information about the following topics:

  • Student Honor
    • Academic Honesty
    • Student Conduct
      • Sexual Harassment
  • Student with Disabilities
  • Complaints and Grievances
  • Copyright Notice

Go to the Student Resources module to review further resources and information.

The instructor reserves the right to change any part of this syllabus at any time during the semester in order to adapt to changing course needs. You will be notified prior to any changes that may take place.

Course Summary:

Date Details Due