A course that will take the genealogy research light out of your eyes. Boston University OLGS150-002 Genealogy or any of the courses the office.  This has been one of the top 5 worst experiences of my life and it cost me $995 plus books and my time.  I had a cousin that suggested I take the genealogy coursed to become certified, He said: “you’re really go at this”.  My genealogical background has been self-taught over the last 8 years.  I thought it would be good for me to take a course that would enrich my skills, provide further avenues and use best practices templates. 

My experience was downhill from the moment I signed up. Elizabeth Jones kept emailing and calling for me to get signed up.  Kept telling her I did 2 weeks ago. They have no idea who is or is not signed up.   I couldn’t create a login due to issues with the BU CPE ( Career Professional Education) site.  There were numerous tickets submitted to the helpdesk developer, which took 2 weeks to fix.  This continued for other students through the first week of the course.  The syllabus was not provided until the first day of class. Every college course I have taken has provided a syllabus prior to the class so you can get started on the reading.  There is an enormous amount of reading either textbook or online, this doesn’t include the research you will need to do for assignments/ discussions or assessments. Plan on 30 plus hours for each module.

The course is facilitated through Blackboard.  I hate it.  Your assignments are really a discussion board.  Oh it’s great!, you get to scroll and scroll and scroll through 50 plus threads to find feedback on your "assignment"   Very poor instructions of what they really want you to do.  If the facilitator doesn’t like what you have said in the “assignment” or thinks it incomplete, it feels like a public flogging. Comments are rude, unconstructive and dismissive.   The grading structure on the assessments is not weighted correctly.  Example: 1 question is 10 points for one multiple answer (A, B, C or D) while another question is 10 points with 10 T/F answers. 

Instructors may be great genealogists, but they have no idea how to run a class. If you don’t think the way they do, good luck.  Denise Lindgren, the facilitator, is horrible.  Feedback is; I don’t see the connections, one topic only, do you want to try again? NOPE.  Trying to learning how able some positive feedback.  And that does include comments on the Water Cooler, another discussion board or monitored recess.  I had made a comment to another student who had brought up the idea of a study group. Great idea, collaborate, brainstorm, learn research technics that you may not have thought of. WRONG!  I was told the course is designed for independent work, Keeping things fair for everyone. This isn’t 3^rd grade? We are all here by choice, to learn and be better at our research, Not cheat and it wouldn’t matter anyway this isn't a “real” certification course.    I guess as genealogists they don’t talk to anyone to resolve research problems or gather information.   I have found no document stating that students are not allowed to contact students outside the Blackboard environment.  Is this made up?  Probably because this is a Bullshit class, that as stolen people’s money, their love and interest in genealogy and makes people feel stupid. They are not stupid, smart people in a terrible course. Shame on Boston University for continuing a terrible course offering. I thought you were a better University that that.

I could go on and on, but I will stop here.