Online History Courses: Getting Started
Here at EZ-Teach, we understand how tough it can be for you to determine which online history courses are best for you. That’s why we are going to take some time in this blog to help you in your search for the right online history course. In this blog, we’ll cover the following topics:
Let’s get started with a look at some helpful websites you can use when doing your research.
Find the right online history courses and begin exploring the wonders of the past. (Image Source: Miguel Á. Padriñán)
Your Search For Online History Courses
1. Helpful Websites to Search
In this section of the blog, we’ve provided a list of some sites that provide information about online history courses. You’ll find a list of helpful websites for research. Just keep in mind that you’ll want to think about what you’re looking for:
Are you looking for college or university credentials?
Are you looking for free courses that will satisfy your personal interest?
Are you looking for a course that is offered by local institutions are are you willing to take an online course from an international one?
What type of history are you interested in learning about - and from what sort of institution? Canadian History from Queen’s University, American History at Ontario’s Virtual High School, An Introduction to Ancient Greek History from Yale Online, The French Revolution from The University of Melbourne? There are a multitude of options out there!
Try to consider the answers to these questions before you start your search. Why? Because there are many rabbit trails you could go down if you don’t have your goals already in mind! But without more commentary, here is our list of websites:
Class Central
Class Central lists history courses and certifications that are both paid and free. The beauty of this site is that you can search for courses based on criteria such as certification, level, language, and/or duration. That means that you can set the criteria and save time as you search for a course that suits you.
Another benefit of this site is that the courses have been reviewed and rated, so you can read what people are saying about the courses. You can also create a list of your favourites as you browse so you don’t forget which courses peaked your interest.
Coursera
Coursera is a non-profit that links users to information about courses, certificates, degrees and other helpful information. You can find courses on:
History in the Western World
History in the Middle East
Understand US Past & Present
Contemporary History
Ancient History Brought to Life
You’ll also discover that this website highlights FREE courses!
Edx
One of the first sites that came up in my personal search for online history courses was a site called Edx. Upon first glance, I wasn’t going to click on it; however, the site had some interesting courses listed from schools like Harvard and Arizona State University.
When you click on a course that interests you, you’ll see information about the duration of the course, whether it’s self-paced or not, the cost, important dates, basic information about the course and what you’ll learn, instructors, and the ways to enroll.
Interesting fact: This site even lists a neat history course called History of Game Design: Prehistory to the Late 1980s.
These are just some of the sites you can use to search for online history courses. You can also contact your local board of education, college or university to see what options there are for online history courses.
Learn about the knights of the middle ages and immerse yourself in the past via your own laptop. (Image Source: Pixabay)
2. Online History Courses Available
Once you begin your research, you’ll likely find a course that you like and some instructions about enrolment. Nowadays, it is pretty easy to sign up for online classes.
However, if you haven’t found what you’re looking for yet, we will highlight three places where you can sign up for courses: Coursera, EZ-Teach (our favourite), and Ontario’s Virtual High School!
Coursera
If you haven’t already clicked on the link we provided above, you can click here to see Coursera’s online history courses. First, you’ll see some examples of degrees you can complete, but keep scrolling and you’ll see a list of courses grouped together by category.
EZ-Teach
Are you a high school student? There are online history courses for you, too! Here at EZ-Teach, you’ll find information about Grade 12 online history courses that can help you prepare for admission to Canadian universities. Click on this link and you’ll be linked to information about the following courses from Waterloo Independent Secondary School:
And, if you are interested in other online courses, click here.
Virtual High School
Another option for high school students in Ontario, Canada, is the Virtual High School. VHS is an online private school offering credits that can be used towards the Ontario Secondary School Diploma. Offering Grade 9 to Grade 12 online history courses, you’ll find courses such as:
You can watch a video below about this course on American History. Or, if you need other ideas, contact us!
Watch this video and be inspired to learn American History with the Virtual High School in Ontario, Canada.
3. Tips for Learning History
In the last section of our blog, we will give you some tips that are specific to learning history. Since we like to assist teachers and home educators at EZ-Teach, we’ll highlight tips for teaching. Don’t worry if you are a student though, because you can also benefit from these tips.
Think Local
Because history is such a broad topic, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. Especially if you are educating young children, begin with basic history. The best place to start is with the history of your family. You can have children research their family history as well as the cultures and traditions passed down from relatives. You can even have students learn about food and housing. What heirlooms and recipes are special to the family? Take photos or prepare food and share your discoveries with others.
After studying family history, you can have your students look at the history of their town, their province or state, and then their nation.
Work Backwards
After you lead your children or students through the history of their family, their region, and the founding of the nation, you can look at other categories of history. Work backwards and consider choosing history topics based on how your nation’s history has been influenced. For example, you could broaden the history of Canada by tracing it back to the history of British North America, the early settlers, and so on. Many high schools in Canada will offer the history of Western civilizations because of its influence on traditional education in North America.
Whatever you do, try to have fun as you learn history. Watch videos, learn about songs, study maps, and visit historical sites (even virtually if necessary!). If you only look at dates and names, you and your students will soon become tired and possibly put off from the study of history. We have so much to learn from history, so keep the history lessons relevant to life today. Apply the lessons from the past to your present context - whoever you are, student or teacher!
Looking for more educational resources? Visit us at ez-teach.com. (Image Source: Digital Buggu)
Resources From EZ-Teach
We hope this article has been helpful in your research for online history courses. If you are looking for something else, EZ-Teach offers many other educational resources. On our website, you’ll be linked to a variety of helpful resources such as:
We’d love to hear from you if you have questions or concerns. We are a mix of staff, some with children, some without, some who homeschool, some who don’t, and some who are recent graduates and lifelong learners! We’d love to help motivate you towards your goals.
