This course explores the practice of public history in the digital realm. Students will learn what public history as an academic sub-field is, how it is influenced by internet cultures, and consider its application outside of university settings. Special emphasis will be placed on experiential learning in this course, with a focus on digital oral history as one form of public history practice. Oral history. Students will learn to research and conduct their own online oral history interview.

Among the themes covered in this course are:

• the democratic promise of community and public history
• the challenges of engaging public audiences in historical discussions
• the relationships between history and memory
• the ethical concerns that arise in the practice of public history
• the relationships between historical questions and public audiences for historical work
• how online tools can be harnessed to make accessible historical analysis freely and publicly available online

Technology Fluency Student Learning Outcome

Students who satisfy this requirement will demonstrate that they are able to do all of the following:

1. Describe key components in information technology
2. Discuss the limitations of information technology and its societal impact

History Student Learning Outcomes

Students will:

1. Assemble a range of digital sources during research, including evidence from archives, material culture, the built environment, maps, and other visual sources
2. Analyze sources in ways that correspond to the field of historical investigation
3. Create effective written and oral reports that communicate their findings
4. Formulate sustained arguments about historical events and their interpretations
5. Evaluate contemporary issues through the lens of related historical patterns and events

Grading Breakdown:

• Oral history interview: 30%
• Controversy presentation: 25%
• Webliography: 25%
• Class participation: 20%

Each week, the course will be divided into two sections: Discussion and Project.

The first half of class will be devoted to a discussion of the topic for the week and the assigned readings/videos/websites.

The second half of class each week will be devoted to the oral history project.