The Stories We Can Tell: Using Digital Primary Sources in the Archival Studies Classroom

ABSTRACT In the following set of case studies, two faculty members share their semester-long experiences teaching MLIS graduate students how to interpret and use primary sources from regional collections to construct digital history exhibits. The authors highlight their use of reflective learning and concepts from place-based education as pedagogical through lines in instructional settings. Pairing these methods with components of digital archival literacy and skill-building exercises provided students with a unique experiential space from which to explore the capacities of digital primary sources to support new modes of storytelling. This article encourages educators to incorporate the lessons and analytical strategies derived from the cases to enhance connections between pedagogy, digital primary source literacies, and experiential learning within LIS curricula.