Contends that history is a nearly "sense-less" profession because reading is almost the only source of historical understanding. Reviews content related to sensory experiences in college history textbooks. Argues that including language about the senses in historical writing and instruction will enlarge the audience and the field of…

Discusses differences among the objectives, course content, and teaching methods of history instruction at high-school and college levels. Argues that improved communication and interaction among all professionals in the field, including teachers, archivists, librarians, and others, is necessary to improve teaching and learning. (CFR)

Offers suggestions concerning the nature of memories as captured in oral interviews by analyzing interviews with former employees of the Studebaker Corporation automobile plant in South Bend, Indiana. Stresses not only what people remember, but also how they go about the creation of their memories and how their memories give meaning to their…

Argues that stories or oral narratives can provide a rich interpretive potential for historians. Describes research into the stories of early settlers in the American west. Concludes that the way stories are told provides insight into the character of the historical period. (CFR)

Discusses the significance of the proliferation of new media for academic historians and their teaching. Describes the researcher's personal experiences incorporating multimedia technology into courses. Addresses points to consider before adopting multimedia as an individual or institution, including cost, standardization, and possible student…

Teacher qualifications, course offerings, and enrollment trends in history courses across the United States are described. This journal is available from Ballantine Hall, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47401. (DE)

States that U.S. historians have dismissed the Spanish Borderlands as irrelevant historic development of the United States. Reports that a survey of history textbooks used in U.S. colleges and universities revealed this lack of interest. Discusses early historiography of Spanish Texas, stating that recent research compels historians to reevaluate…

Describes the development of a course to teach undergraduates the historian's craft through the use of short, provocative books. Lists the books used in the course and how they were used. Discusses student writing assignments using archival materials that allow students to put their learning into practice. (DSK)

Recounts the author's experience teaching a course for doctoral students at New York University on dissertation research and writing. Argues that the course was as much about learning to be inspired as learning historical methodologies. Includes the full syllabus for the course with commentary. (DSK)

Uses Frederick Douglass' efforts to preserve the memory of the Civil War to illustrate the issue of memory in U.S. history. Illustrates the dangers of collective forgetting while giving deference to the healing function of forgetting on the personal level. (KO)

Discusses the use of primary texts to introduce students to the period of reconstruction after the Civil War. Shows how texts can be used not only to illustrate the feelings and beliefs of the time, but also to engage students in debates over the correct uses of primary sources. (DSK)

Presents data which dispels the idea that a shared cultural memory and historical consciousness should be linked. Points out the need to uncouple indoctrination and education. Urges a more thorough understanding of collective cultural memory as a means of helping students understand the process of history. (KO)

Maintains traditional interpretation of the Reconstruction Era tends toward intellectual incoherence instead of probing the historical forces at work. Reviews seven college textbook treatments of the Reconstruction Era and finds three adhering to the traditional approach while four project strong thematic schemes. (CFR)

Observes that U.S. history textbooks include vast numbers of illustrations, but that authors and publishers seldom integrate the pictures with the historical narrative. Advises images be incorporated into lessons to examine the events illustrated, why the picture was created, how it was received, and what it meant to contemporaries. (DSK)

Describes the course "Introduction to Oral History," taught the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill) that explores southern and African history since World War II. Emphasizes the history of Chatham County, a rural community south of Chapel Hill. (CMK)