The History Lab: Developing digital research skills

This paper describes an ongoing initiative to enhance learner digital literacies by fostering historical thinking using digitized primary sources called “The History Lab” https://thehistorylabblog.word... Engaging with... [ view full abstract ]

This paper describes an ongoing initiative to enhance learner digital literacies by fostering historical thinking using digitized primary sources called “The History Lab” https://thehistorylabblog.word...

Engaging with primary sources is central to the development of authentic critical historical thinking. In the past thirty years, millions of primary sources have been digitized by libraries and archives and has created a wealth of rich content for historians and history students. However the sheer scale of sources material, websites and questions about source quality make it a challenging research environment for learners.  Based on current tutor and student feedback, additional support material that could increase access to these valuable open educational resources would be well received, in response to this we created “The History Lab” open education resource (oer).

The initiative has created a set of learning materials which will support the use of online primary sources and enhance the learner experience.  These learning materials  support online distance learners and their development of research skills in the six BA in Humanities (Open Education/DCU Connected  history modules.

The learning materials are comprised of:

• An interactive guide to online primary sources

• An accompanying social bookmarking web page- Tumblr

• Online video tutorial which scaffold learners when finding, evaluating and using online primary sources

This paper will provide a practitioner perspective on developing an open educational resource.