From archive to awards ceremony: An approach for engaging students in historical research

Abstract

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.