ERIC Number: EJ942602
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011-Oct
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1474-0222
EISSN: N/A
From Archive to Awards Ceremony: An Approach for Engaging Students in Historical Research
Erekson, Keith A.
Arts and Humanities in Higher Education: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice, v10 n4 p388-400 Oct 2011
Recent literature on history teaching has emphasized "doing history"--whether as "active learning", cognitive science, or with simple photocopies of primary sources. This article extends the discussion of a "signature pedagogy" of history to include all aspects of the work of historians, from archival research through public presentation. It presents an approach for engaging undergraduates in historical research by identifying a public need, introducing the tasks to the students, teaching them to research and write historical work, and guiding them in the planning and execution of a public poster session and awards ceremony. Evidence for increased student engagement and understanding comes from classroom assessment and observation and both formal and informal student feedback gathered in upper-level college classes taught in Indiana (fall 2007) and Texas (spring 2009). By placing student learning outside of the context of the classroom, the approach promotes deep engagement with historical knowledge and the research process.
Descriptors: History Instruction, College Instruction, Local History, Learner Engagement, Student Research, Undergraduate Students, Ceremonies, Instructional Effectiveness
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Indiana; Texas
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A