Demystifying Digital Archives: Undergraduates, Active Learning, and a Path to Outreach

Abstract

This article outlines the development of a three-credit digital archives course designed for undergraduates. In it, students study basic archival and digital archives terminology and learn about how these concepts can help them understand current events. This course strives not only to help students develop critical thinking skills by engaging with primary source content; it also helps familiarize students with archives, archivists, and the importance of archival work. In addition, the course relies heavily on active learning techniques, which allow students to participate in decision-making activities in archival work, giving them an appreciation for the labor involved. The course therefore fulfills an outreach function: It shows students why archives are relevant to their lives and to the world around them. The article places this course in the context of archival education for undergraduates and non-professionals, highlighting the benefits this approach offers for students and for the professional archival field.

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