A few months ago, we had a vigorous debate on this blog about “uncoverage,” the method of teaching that doesn’t try to cover everything in the textbook but instead picks a few topics or event and dissects them deeply. The theory is that students won’t and don’t remember everything they are asked to understand in a broadly covered survey, but will, maybe, with some luck, remember things they are asked to investigate deeply.
In that debate, I expressed some doubts about how that method would work in a large lecture class, doubts I still have. But I am convinced that with smaller classes there is something to the method.
Toward that end, this semester I’ve divided my syllabus into five three-week sections, each of which will focus on answering a single question. The sections will proceed forward chronologically, although I will take a lecture at the end of each section to teach about the subsequent history of the debate.
For instance, my first questions is: “Was the United States founded as a Christian country?” Certainly that’s a hot topic today, and one that’s perhaps not even historical (see John Fea’s book). But the question-method does three things for me: (1) it allows me to begin at the beginning, and carry forward to the Revolution, then the Market Revolution, then the Civil War, etc.; (2) it keeps the lectures focused on a single question–I’ll always begin and end with the question, so students will receive information that they will immediately find useful; and (3) it will allow the student to leave the class with a working historical knowledge of a current hotly debated question.
I get to cheat a little, because this class is focused on religion and because it’s smaller than most of my surveys (40 versus 120). At the same time, it’s already been fun to write the lectures about the questions, because I find them fascinating myself.
Has anyone else tried this?
I have not but I like the idea. I divided my American West course this semester into four units, each with its own mini-exam; I think using a large question for each would have been brilliant.
Joshua,
We’ll see! I’ll keep you informed about how it goes. I did assign a few books I haven’t yet read (but needed an excuse to) so I hope they fit with the overarching topic. George Marsden’s A SHORT LIFE OF JONATHAN EDWARDS is perfect so far, mainly because it juxtaposes Edwards with Ben Franklin in a really thoughtful and genius way. More later…
Kevin
I think this could work really well, especially since it is a clear departure from the memorization that many students have experienced as “history” in high school. I hope it goes well! Will you be having students write essays on each question in an attempt to answer them?
Hi Gale, Yup, each section will end with them writing a short essay on the question that we’ve been considering for the past three weeks. They are short essays–3-4 pages–because they are going to have to do (and I’m going to have to grade) five. And I’ve been tailoring the lectures toward the question. We’ll see. –Kevin
A few years back I converted all of my lectures so that they are structured around 1-2 questions, rather than an outline. So, for example, “Why was World War I initially an unpopular war? What events shifted American public opinion?”
I try to point out to students periodically that I am offering *my* best answer to the question, and that the “facts” in the lecture are offered as supporting evidence – thus each lecture ideally becomes a mini-model of historical interpretation (whether I actually succeed, or they notice, is another question).
In the past couple of semesters I have also switched to the type of essay format you’re describing. I call them “Inquiry Responses”: 3-4 pages, clear thesis, lots and lots of (relevant) evidence from readings, docs, lectures required. This Fall I was surprised at how much improvement I saw over the course of the semester. Students who were flailing on the first few were generally, at the term’s end, writing thoughtful, clearly-argued historical analysis. You are smarter than I – I made the mistake of assigning one every 1-2 weeks, which meant too much work for them, and an avalanche of marking for me. Five sounds about right.
Good luck!