Unit Outline

Introduction to Family History is designed for people interested in their own family histories or genealogy in general. You will learn how to efficiently plan and accurately record your family history using family history research principles and practices. The unit will teach you how to critically evaluate a range of online family history resources for accuracy and reliability. You will also learn how to communicate your findings in clear writing that is accurately referenced. Online discussion forums will enable you to communicate with fellow students as you embark upon your research journey.

Intended Learning Outcomes

As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.

On completion of this unit, you will be able to:


1	Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of family history principles and planning
2	Locate and use major family history repositories and records
3	Critically evaluate sources for accuracy and reliability
4	Present your genealogical work clearly and cogently, taking into account the contexts within which your ancestors lived

Alterations as a result of student feedback

No alterations have been made as a result of student feedback, other than regular updates to keep the content current.

How will I be Assessed?

For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.

Assessment schedule


ASSESSMENT TASK #	ASSESSMENT TASK NAME	DATE DUE	WEIGHT	LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:	Research skills task	Refer to Assessment Description	20 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
Assessment Task 2:	Online quizzes	Refer to Assessment Description	40 %	LO1, LO2
Assessment Task 3:	Research report	Refer to Assessment Description	40 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Research skills task

Task Description:

Answer questions based on research using genealogical / historical databases

Task Length:

10 questions

Due Date:

Refer to Assessment Description

Weight:

20 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Demonstrate skills in using genealogical / historical databases for family history research	LO1, LO2, LO3
2	Demonstrate knowledge of a range of primary sources for family history research	LO2, LO3, LO4

Assessment Task 2: Online quizzes

Task Description:

Four (4) online quizzes relating to the content in Modules 2, 3, 5 and 6

Task Length:

4 quizzes of 10 questions each (total 40 questions)

Due Date:

Refer to Assessment Description

Weight:

40 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Correct response to quiz questions	LO1, LO2

Assessment Task 3: Research report

Task Description:

Prepare a short genealogical research report

Task Length:

1000 words (+/- 10%)

Due Date:

Refer to Assessment Description

Weight:

40 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Identify and describe a research objective relating to your family history	LO1
2	Undertake research to identify and analyse historical sources relevant to your research objective	LO2, LO3
3	Communicate your research findings through a genealogical research report	LO1, LO3, LO4
4	Demonstrate accuracy and consistency in referencing your sources	LO4

How your final result is determined

To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.

Academic progress review

The results for this unit may be included in a review of your academic progress. For information about progress reviews and what they mean for all students, see Academic Progress Review in the Student Portal.

Submission of assignments

Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.

Academic integrity

Academic integrity is about acting responsibly, honestly, ethically, and collegially when using, producing, and communicating information with other students and staff members.

In written work, you must correctly reference the work of others to maintain academic integrity. To find out the referencing style for this unit, see the assessment information in the MyLO site, or contact your teaching staff. For more detail about Academic Integrity, see Important Guidelines & Support.

Requests for extensions

If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.

A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.

The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.

Late penalties

Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.

Required Resources

Required reading materials

All learning materials for this unit, including required readings, are provided week by week in our MyLO site. You do not need to purchase a text book.

If you are looking for a general text about Australian family history research, we recommend:

Danny O’Neill (ed.), Family History for Beginners and Beyond, 16th edn, Heraldry & Genealogical Society of Canberra Inc., 2020.

Danielle Lautrec, The Good Genealogist: How To Improve the Quality of Your Family History Research, Society of Australian Genealogists, 2022.