Using Archives in Undergraduate Courses in the Humanities and Social Sciences

Abstract

As part of our workshop session, we shared experiences with conference participants related to using archives as a means of enhancing student experience and learning outcomes within undergraduate courses. This report begins with a brief background explaining the history of incorporating primary source materials in humanities and social science courses at Cape Breton University (CBU), and follows with a summary of the session divided into four sections. The first section defines the concept of Primary Source Literacy, and how faculty and archivists/librarians work together to assist students develop these competencies. The second section focuses on model assignments provided by two faculty co-presenters along with an assignment development framework. The third section reflects on the Beaton Institute Internship Program, a capstone course held and supervised in the archives. The final section summarizes our discussion with participants who shared their experiences with primary source literacy instruction and questions around integrating archive-based assignments into future courses.