Abstract
History contains a dynamic record of the interactions of people, events, and landscapes, yet instruction often relies on limited interpretations and inaccurate traditions based on standardized practices. Historical inquiry, in contrast, fosters interaction directly with historical evidence guided by curiosity and solution seeking. Inquiries developed through historical identity, sustainability, and historical preservation unveil the interaction of the past and the present. When adapted for remote practices, historical identity centers learning through the challenges of historical preservation in consideration of sustainability. Interaction with haptic three-dimensionally printed historical artifacts and virtual reality drives online learning experiences. This problem-based strategy builds interest, connection, and curiosity in history with students, which is a concern especially with asynchronous education.
TopIntroduction
Historical inquiry leads to pathways along which students interpret, connect, and explore history producing lasting understanding. Problems and questions posed on the basis of historical identity yoked with sustainability generates the tools for inquiries. Inquiry creates the conditions under which learning becomes a consequence of action, a process that often falls aside in traditional or online learning environments. With sustainability as a tool for inquiry, the student evaluates the preservation of a historical place or location in consideration of the three elements of sustainability, equity, environment, and economy (Figure 1). By unfolding the layers of evidence, the student considers the balance between these elements. Without a balance, sustainability becomes increasingly unlikely resulting in a decline in the efficacy of historical preservation. Conversely, as the student considers evidence mounts supporting preservation, balance between the three elements leads to a centering on the Venn diagram (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Sustainability Venn Diagram.
Note: This illustrates the three elements of sustainability, environment, economy, and equity. When conditions favor a balance between these factors, sustainability can be maintained. If pressures favor one element over the others, the conditions of sustainability degrade. Diagram developed by the author based on resources (Berke, 2002; Campbell, 1996; and Mohamed et al., 2017). An inquiry develops from evidence derived from research based on shared or student identified resources. Students with less research experience may require shared resources while other students may pursue evidence on their own. Project-based learning, a method of instruction that drives learning through student-direction, curiosity, and exploration leading to an exhibited or presented outcome, provides a tool promoting asynchronous learning. Project-based learning experiences build from a posed problem or essential question and conclude with a student produced outcome (Sharrock, 2013). First posed during a synchronous learning event, the evaluation of the sustainability of a historical place or object forms the posed problem. Resources providing evidence used in the evaluation are shared at this time. Asynchronously, the student then selects the historical place or object and begins collecting evidence used to evaluate the sustainability. The final product of the learning event tends to be student-created work, such as a report, presentation, play, infographic, narrative, or artwork, that explains the history and sustainability of the historic place or object.
Sustainability, which is transdisciplinary by nature, requires understanding of the complex interaction of economy, social justice, and environmental science (Campbell, 1996, Scholz, Lang, Wiek, Walter & Stuffacher, 2006). As a transdisciplinary study, sustainability connects multiple subjects creating a holistic learning experience. Sustainability is broadly defined as the balance between economic, environmental, and social factors preserving and producing the long-term ability of a system to reproduce or replenish itself (Campbell, 1996). Scholz et al. (2006) stress the transdisciplinary nature of learning and problem solving fostered by inquiry. They highlight the interaction between many disciplines in efforts to solve problems in sustainability through case study exploration. Historical identity, the historical characteristic of a place or object, also functions transdisciplinarily through connections to science, social justice, and technology. As a tool for inquiry, historical identity functions to create case studies where the learner explores the conditions by creating an evaluation of the sustainability of a historical place or object. This is similar to the sustainability case studies of Scholz et al. (2006). In addition, as a transdisciplinary topic, it functions to bring the subjects together effectively breaking down traditional silos and building holistic learning experiences, which are crucial in development of 21st century skills (Fingal, 2021; Kruger, 2021; Pajak, 2021).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Transdisciplinary Fields: A field of study requiring application and utilization of tools across the sciences and social sciences in order to comprehend multi-scale and multi-layered systems ( Scholz et al., 2006 ).
Place-Based Education: An experience that “immerses students in local heritage, cultures, landscapes, opportunities, and experiences,” which provide a foundation for the transdisciplinary studies across the curriculum ( Vander Ark et al., 2020 ).
Historical Context: The historical record of a place, such as a landscape or structure, or an object in relationship with associated or connected people, events, and locations.
Project-Based Learning: A method of instruction that drives learning through student-direction, curiosity, and exploration leading to an exhibited or presented outcome (Barton & Levstik, 2003 AU51: The in-text citation "Barton & Levstik, 2003" is not in the reference list. Please correct the citation, add the reference to the list, or delete the citation. ; Sharrock, 2013 ). Project-based learning experiences build from a posed problem or essential question and conclude with a student produced outcome ( Sharrock, 2013 ).
Historical Narratives: Stories developed from interpretation and inquiry based on evidence collected from a historical site, event, place, or person. They are considered to be an integral part of historical inquiry ( Barton & Levstik, 2004 AU50: The citation "Barton & Levstik, 2004" matches multiple references. Please add letters (e.g. "Smith 2000a"), or additional authors to the citation, to uniquely match references and citations. ; Yeager & Foster, 2001 ).
Object Identity: The historical identity contained within artifacts that provide tangible and portable links to the people of the past when placed in the context of history ( Stewart, Keith, & Scottie, 2004 ).
Heritage or Historical Tourism: The National Trust for Historic Preservation defines heritage tourism as traveling to experience the places, artifacts, and activities that authentically represent the stories and people of the past and present. It includes visitation to cultural, historic, and natural resources ( Gibson, 2015b ).
Historical Inquiry: A process, beginning with a question, problem, or challenge based in history, that relies on reasoning and reflective thought grounded in evidence and leading to a possible solution, hypothesis, or theory to resolve it ( Barton & Levstik, 2004 AU49: The citation "Barton & Levstik, 2004" matches multiple references. Please add letters (e.g. "Smith 2000a"), or additional authors to the citation, to uniquely match references and citations. ).
Provenance: A detailed record of the ownership or collecting histories of an object, which is used in a historical inquiry to connect historic events and people to the object ( Archaeological Institute of America, 2020b ; Lyons, 2016 ).
Restoration: The act or process of accurately depicting the form, features, and character of a property as it appeared at a particular period of time by means of the removal of features from other periods in its history and reconstruction of missing features from the restoration period. The limited and sensitive upgrading of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems and other code-required work to make properties functional is appropriate within a restoration project ( Gibson, 2015c ).
Digital Artifact: A digital or scanned historical object allowing for preservation of the original object while providing access to that artifact to a global community ( Means, et al., 2013 ).
Power of Place: The historical identity that provides linkage between the present and the what-had-been and a container of memory for a group of people ( Lewis, 1995 ). Protection of these places as linkage points is essential for maintaining culture and heritage ( Lewis, 1995 ; Al-Baghdadi, 2017 ; Isakhan & Meskell, 2019 ).
Heritage Object: A quality of object identity where people tend to have strong and often symbolic ties to objects, which can become focal points of cultural heritage ( Al-Baghdadi, 2017 ; Isakhan & Meskell, 2019 ).
3D Digital Object: A type of digital object that has been replicated and shared through augmented reality or 3D printing techniques ( Means et al., 2013 ).
Conflict Transformation: The process of reaching a durable and mutually satisfactory solution by transforming the orientation of the conflict toward a positive peace and the end of structural can cultural forms of violence. “Conflict transformation is concerned with transforming the systems, structures and relationships that give rise to violence and injustice” (Psaltis et al., 2017 p. 2).
Adaptive Reuse: The preservation of historic structures by restoration and repurposing. Also: The recycling of buildings and the preservation of historic structures from demolition through rehabilitation and repurpose ( Cantell, 2005 ).