Shannon's+Page

Opening History's "Black Boxes": Decoding the Disciplinary Unconscious of Historians
 * Chapter 8 **

Black Boxes; Sociologist of Science Bruno Latour These are the figures placed in engineering diagrams to represent procedures that have been omitted from the diagram either because they are too basic to keep repeating or too complex to fit into the representation. The tendency of members in a particular community is to build on what is known ('assumed material') to solve larger problems rather than constantly examining all of the basics each time a new problem is encountered. For example, a biologist working on heredity would not keep reconsidering the structure of DNA. That's assumed material.

"Living in a social organization that works by swimming downstream from basic practices towards complex intellectual processes, they may feel uneasy about reversing course and spending time opening up the black boxes that must remain closed whey they do their professional work" (p. 98).
 * Implications for Interdisciplinary Work **


 * Educational Research on History as a Discipline **



pen the black boxes in the field of history... Historian and high school or college students were asked to think-aloud during their reading of historical texts.

Historians look beyond the text "to the complex of conventions, values, assumptions, rhetorical forms, power structures, and intentions...", but they rarely teach these historical analysis strategies to their students.

--Oversimplification of history in textbooks and curriculum --History does not use the term 'data'. Instead, it's a WEAVING of networks of words --Convincing or unconvincing instead of true or false. --Students to learn how to provide and support evidence in papers. Use: for example, first, because, however --Support history faculty with teaching of historical analysis strategies




 * The Freshman Learning Project: Observing Disciplinary Differences **

Indiana University Freshman Learning Project: engaging faculty in reevaluating the role of disciplines in teaching in higher education. - FLP fellows work to solve curriculum issues with chosen faculty -Comparison of disciplines: some conclude with a consensus, others leave issues in the air -Some rely on visual representation; others are in the realm of words
 * "Decoding the disciplines" **
 * "Decoding the disciplines" **

Used above processes in the field of history Outcomes:
 * The History Learning Project: Defining Ways of Thinking and Practicing in a Single Discipline **
 * There was a realization that historians often 'bracket out' their knowledge of subsequent events to teach one period, leaving students without a framework to understand cause and effect and larger scale.
 * Students do not always realize that artifacts represent the values of that time period.-Students rarely understand the significant difference between the use of primary versus secondary sources.
 * Reading strategies for long, complex narratives are different than reading strategies for other subjects.
 * Historians can place themselves in another era and relinquish the knowledge and values of current times (p. 102).
 * Students often cannot erect emotional barriers; "...the past and present bleed together" (p 103).
 * Historians admit there is rarely an absolute consensus on the validity of a single position, and this can be hard for students to accept. College-aged students can particularly have difficulties because they don't have **ego-strength** (Baxter Magolda). It would require complex cognitive abilities (viewing issues from multiple perspectives, constructing arguments).

Some students do just fine in history without completely understanding the cognitive processes that historians undergo, but educators need to understand their students' learning styles and realize that one size does not fit all.
 * Conclusion **

Professors need to continue to explore: **What makes my subject difficult?**