Undergraduate Research and Academic Archives: Instruction, Learning and Assessment
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UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH AND ACADEMIC ARCHIVES: INSTRUCTION, LEARNING AND ASSESSMENT by Magia G. Krause A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Information) in The University of Michigan 2010 Doctoral Committee: Associate Professor Elizabeth Yakel, Chair Associate Professor Paul L. Conway Associate Professor Barry J. Fishman Research Associate Professor Stephanie D. Teasley Magia G. Krause 2010 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my dissertation chair, Elizabeth Yakel, for her unwavering support from the moment I entered the doctoral program. Her dedication to archival education and practice and her sincere encouragement served as a constant inspiration to my progress in the program. I want to also thank Stephanie Teasley for her support and understanding as the Director of Doctoral Studies. Her assistant Sue Schuon has also been invaluable to me in completing the requirements of the program and making my life easier as a doctoral student. I am also grateful to Paul Conway for his insights about the archives profession and for his stellar professional advice. Barry Fishman was a tremendous help to me in navigating the field of the learning sciences and encouraging my exploration of learning in archival settings. I feel privileged to have worked with such a tremendous and supportive committee. It was a great pleasure and honor to be a student at the School of Information and I feel privileged to have worked with so many talented and hard-working faculty, staff, and students. I want to especially thank Fran Blouin, Ann Zimmerman, Eric Cook, Brian Hilligoss, Cory Knobel, and Ricky Punzalan for their kindness and encouragement over the years. This dissertation would not have been completed without the help of some wonderful educators and professional archivists. I would like to personally thank Karen Jania and Heather Briston for the time they invested in this research project. I would also like to acknowledge Dr. Michelle McClellan for her dedication to the innovative use of ii primary sources in the classroom and graduate student instructors Morgan Labin and Alex Lovit for their assistance in facilitating my research. There are also hundreds of archives professionals that volunteered their time to respond to my instructional survey, agreed to be interviewed, and attend my session at the Society of American Archivists meeting, and provide useful and constructive feedback along the way. I want to also thank Doris Malkmus, Barbara Rockenbach, and Peter Wosh for their perspectives and insights on teaching undergraduates in archives and special collections. Finally, I am grateful to my husband Andrew and son Paul for their love, support, and laughter over the years. I am also thankful to my parents for the many sacrifices they have made to see me come this far. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................................ii LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................................................vi LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................................................vii LIST OF APPENDICES ............................................................................................................................. viii CHAPTER 1...............................................................................................................................................1 Archives and the Undergraduate Research Movement ............................................................1 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK .....................................................................................................................................4 THE LANDSCAPE OF ARCHIVAL INSTRUCTION......................................................................................................6 A Brief Look at Practice.......................................................................................................................................6 Scholarship on Archivists as Educators........................................................................................................9 EXAMINING THE ROLE OF ARCHIVISTS IN UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION.................................................. 12 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY................................................................................................................................ 14 CHAPTER 2............................................................................................................................................ 16 Learning in the Archives: A Report on Instructional Practices........................................... 16 LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................................................................. 17 METHOD.................................................................................................................................................................... 22 Development of Survey Instrument............................................................................................................. 22 Sample of Participants...................................................................................................................................... 24 RESULTS.................................................................................................................................................................... 26 Background Information ................................................................................................................................. 26 Characteristics of Instruction ........................................................................................................................ 27 Additional Instructional Resources ............................................................................................................. 34 Instruction for Students.................................................................................................................................... 36 Relationship to Professors/Teachers.......................................................................................................... 38 DISCUSSION .............................................................................................................................................................. 40 What kinds of instruction do archivists offer?........................................................................................ 40 What do instructional sessions cover? ....................................................................................................... 42 What kinds of instructional resources do archivists make available to their users? ............ 43 How do archivists support students’ education? ................................................................................... 45 CONCLUSION............................................................................................................................................................. 49 CHAPTER 3............................................................................................................................................ 50 “It Makes History Alive For Them”: Archivists Reflect on Teaching Undergraduates 50 LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................................................................. 52 Archival Literature ............................................................................................................................................. 52 Primary Sources in Education ....................................................................................................................... 53 Research on Historical Inquiry and History Education...................................................................... 56 iv METHOD.................................................................................................................................................................... 64 Study Participants............................................................................................................................................... 64 Data Collection and Analysis.......................................................................................................................... 67 RESULTS.................................................................................................................................................................... 68 Characteristics of the Participants.............................................................................................................. 68 Research Question 1: What is the Role of the Archivist in Instructing Students? ................... 69 Research Question 2: What do Archivists Consider Essential Knowledge for Undergraduates Conducting Archival Research?.................................................................................. 73 Research Question 3: What Teaching Strategies Work Best with Undergraduates? ............ 77 Research Question 4: How do Archivists Assess their Instruction to Undergraduates? ....... 84 DISCUSSION .............................................................................................................................................................