2018 Texas Conference on Introductory History Courses

On Friday and Saturday, September 28–29, 2018, the AHA held its fourth annual Texas Conference on Introductory History Courses, returning to the University of Texas at Austin. Featured speakers included: Anne F. Hyde, Univ. of Oklahoma; Emilio Zamora, Univ. of Texas at Austin and incoming President, Texas State Historical Association; Raymund Paredes, Commissioner of Higher Education, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board; and Brad Cartwright, Unive. of Texas, El Paso. AHA Executive Director James Grossman and the AHA’s incoming Vice President, Teaching Division, Laura McEnaney (Whittier Coll.) also participated, to facilitate discussions and listen to history instructors share their experiences and concerns. Unfortunately, conference co-organizer Trinidad Gonzales (South Texas College) was unable to participate because of last-minute travel difficulties.

This free, two-day, statewide conference welcomed over 100 instructors of college history courses, from a range of settings including high school dual-credit programs, community colleges, and four-year universities, as well as others with an interest in the courses. Together, we explored disciplinary goals and approaches to teaching and learning history at the college introductory level; shared experiences in each of the course topics; discussed the state policy context that sustains them as a graduation requirement for every student at a public college or university in Texas; and considered the challenges and opportunities for high-quality students learning in the state’s expanding dual-enrollment programs. More than a dozen attendees took advantage of the opportunity to workshop their own classroom materials with peers in an assignment “charrette.”

The AHA extends its thanks to the Department of History at the University of Texas at Austin, Department Chair Jacqueline Jones, and staff members Courtney Meador and Art Flores, for their hospitality and their work making this event possible. Thank you to Milestone Documents for its sponsorship of box lunches for conference attendees.

Resources from the 2018 Annual Texas Conference on Introductory History Courses

2018 Texas Conference Program

Plagued By Doubt: Uncertainty as History’s Pedagogy

Anne Hyde delivered the keynote presentation, “Plagued By Doubt: Uncertainty as History’s Pedagogy.” How can college faculty introduce students to history in ways that parallel how historical expertise and uncertainty actually work? Are there things that instructors—even in large lecture courses—can do to help students learn the specific approaches to evidence and argument that distinguish history from other disciplines?

Rethinking the US History Survey
by Steven Mintz (Univ. of Texas, Austin)

Gamification in the History Classroom
by Brad Cartwright (Univ. of Texas, El Paso)

Teaching with Primary Sources
by Erik Anderson (San Antonio Coll.) and Gene Preuss (Univ. of Houston, Downtown)