Decoding Primary Sources and Historical Arguments:

Defining what Students Have to Do

The History Learning ProjectArlene Díaz, Joan Middendorf, David

Pace, and Leah ShopkowHistory in Higher Education Conference, April 1, 2009

This project has been funded by the Teagle and Spencer Foundations, and by the Vice-Provost for Undergraduate

Education, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the History Department of Indiana University

2

Step 1: Defining the Bottleneck: Primary Sources

© David Pace & Joan Middendorf, 2004

What is a Bottleneck to Learning in this class?

Identify a place where many

students encounter obstacles

(bottlenecks) is mastering the

material

3

Discussion Question

Define a bottleneck where your students get stuck in their learning

•Think and write

•Pair and Share

4

Step 2: Defining Expert Thinking: Primary Sources

© David Pace & Joan Middendorf, 2004

How does an expert do

these things? Explore in the

depth the steps that an expert in the field would go through to

accomplish the tasks identified as a bottleneck

5

Step 1: Defining the Bottleneck: Argument

© David Pace & Joan Middendorf, 2004

What is a Bottleneck to Learning in this class?

Identify a place where many

students encounter obstacles

(bottlenecks) in mastering the

material

6

Step 1: Defining the Expert Thinking: Argument

© David Pace & Joan Middendorf, 2004

How does an expert do

these things? Explore in the

depth the steps that an expert in the field would go through to

accomplish the tasks identified as a bottleneck

7

Step 2: Defining the Expert Thinking: Argument

They don’t actually make the argument.

They don’t take you through the parts. They don’t show you where the

evidence is. They don’t explain why they believe this

to be true.

8

Step 2: Defining the Expert Thinking: Argument They don’t actually make the argument.

How should they go about making an argument?

They don’t take you through the parts. They don’t show you where the

evidence is. They don’t explain why they believe this

to be true.

9

Step 2: Defining the Expert Thinking: Argument They don’t actually make the argument.

How should they go about making an argument?

They don’t take you through the parts. How do they know what the parts are?

They don’t show you where the evidence is.

They don’t explain why they believe this to be true.

10

Step 2: Defining the Expert Thinking: Argument They don’t actually make the argument.

How should they go about making an argument?

They don’t take you through the parts. How do they know what the parts are?

They don’t show you where the evidence is. How do they select evidence?

They don’t explain why they believe this to be true

11

Step 2: Defining the Expert Thinking: Argument They don’t actually make the argument.

How should they go about making an argument?

They don’t take you through the parts. How do they know what the parts are?

They don’t show you where the evidence is. How do they select evidence?

They don’t explain why they believe this to be true. How do they make the connection between

evidence and argument clear?

12

Step 2: Defining the Expert Thinking: Argument 1. What is the subject matter of the

article? 2. What is the argument presented by

the author or the author’s point? 3. What counter-arguments does the

author acknowledge? 4. What evidence does the author use

in support of his or her position?

13

Step 3: Modeling how to create arguments

© David Pace & Joan Middendorf, 2004

How can these tasks be explicitly modeled? Show the students the steps

that an expert would complete to

accomplish these tasks.

14

Step 3: An assignment modeling how to create arguments

Day 12 Web Assignment: You are writing a paper on male and female gender roles, based on the readings.

Briefly state the thesis that you will defend in the paper.

Make a list of three basic propositions that you need to support in order to make your interpretation credible to readers.

Give one piece of evidence that supports each proposition.

Explain how this evidence makes this proposition more convincing.

15

Step 4: Practice and Feedback

© David Pace & Joan Middendorf, 2004

How will students

practice these skills and get

feedback? Construct

assignments, team activities

and other learning

exercises that allow students to

do each of the basic tasks

defined above and get feedback on their mastery

of that skill

16

Discussion Question

Given the evidence presented here, how well are the students doing on creating an argument? How might the process be made more visible to them?

17

Step 5: Motivation

© David Pace & Joan Middendorf, 2004

What will motivate the

students? Consider

principles of student

motivation that will enhance the learning

environment.

18

Step 6: Evaluation

© David Pace & Joan Middendorf, 2004

How well are students

mastering these learning tasks? Create

forms of assessment that provide specific

information about the extent

of student mastery of the

particular learning tasks

defined in Step 2. Are there other

bottlenecks?

19

Step 6: Evaluation -- Have students learned to make arguments?

Student 1, Assignment 1, a class on the Student 1, Assignment 1, a class on the HolocaustHolocaust

“ “History is a History is a relative subject which can be which can be viewed in viewed in different lights. For example, the . For example, the underlying causes of the extermination of Jews underlying causes of the extermination of Jews can be viewed in can be viewed in many theoretical approaches. . The bookThe book The Origins of Nazi Violence The Origins of Nazi Violence by Enzo by Enzo Traverso approached the Holocaust in a Traverso approached the Holocaust in a material and ideological way…On the other material and ideological way…On the other hand, the bookhand, the book The Roots of Evil The Roots of Evil by Ervin Staub by Ervin Staub approached the Holocaust from a psychological approached the Holocaust from a psychological point of view.”point of view.”

20

Step 6: Evaluation -- Have students learned to make arguments?

Student 1, Assignment 3, a class on the HolocaustStudent 1, Assignment 3, a class on the Holocaust

““This paper seeks to discuss why much of the German This paper seeks to discuss why much of the German population willingly conformed to extermination during population willingly conformed to extermination during World War II. Three specific aspects of this question will be World War II. Three specific aspects of this question will be analyzed: analyzed: 1) The effects of post-World War I and anti-Semitic The effects of post-World War I and anti-Semitic feelings before extermination began feelings before extermination began 2) the experience of the experience of duress felt by the German population brought on by the Nazi duress felt by the German population brought on by the Nazi regime regime 3) the effect the role of power has on an ordinary the effect the role of power has on an ordinary person. These aspects created an environment in which person. These aspects created an environment in which ordinary people could commit atrocities. Specifically, ordinary people could commit atrocities. Specifically, examples of ordinary people committing atrocities will be taken from Police Battalion 101. This was a large group of . This was a large group of ordinary Germans who were assigned to the task of killing ordinary Germans who were assigned to the task of killing and deporting Jews and Poles in Poland.”and deporting Jews and Poles in Poland.”

21

Why Bother with all of This?

Develops basis for targeted evaluation of student learning

Provides a map for interventions to foster student learning

Provides a frame and a common language for curricular development

22

To work with this paradigm (14:30) Session 1: Using

decoding to better evaluate students’ learning

Session 2: Using Decoding to Develop Curricula and Departmental Response Teaching Challenges

23

Choose a topic for discussion:Strategies for using these

methods for departmental change: go to the RIGHT side of room

Using these methods for individual courses: move to the LEFT side of room