Case 6: The Archives as Classroom: A Primary Source Mini-Course

by Kayla Harris, Stephanie Shreffler, and Heidi Gauder

Through a one-credit mini course at the University of Dayton taught by a group of librarians and archivists, undergraduate students were introduced to the themes of historical empathy, visual literacy, privacy, and silences in the archives. This case study explores the pilot iteration of the mini-course, which was designed to move beyond what can be accomplished during a one-shot instructional session in regard to primary source literacy. In addition to discussing the inherent challenges of developing and teaching a new course, the case study addresses challenges and opportunities for team teaching, the development of learning objectives based on the Guidelines for Primary Source Literacy, and the culminating project for the course.

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