Publication Date

April 1, 2009

Perspectives Section

From the Teaching Division

For years the AHA Teaching Division has been interested in the capstone course. History departments have been changing their capstone courses for a variety of reasons. With the push for more accountability, these courses have become more important as a way to assess a history major’s learning experience. They help answer the question asked in accountability circles, “What is the value added by being a history major?” The Teaching Division commissioned—after inviting proposals—articles from several professors who had some experience with capstone courses. The division is now pleased to offer a Perspectives on History forum on the topic, which will be published in two parts. The first part is published here and the second will be in a fall issue. The three essays published here are by Tim Schroer (Univ. of West Georgia), who takes a reflective overview of the question; Mary Stockwell (Lourdes Coll.), who provides an account of her personal experiences in teaching a capstone course; and Wendy Pojmann, Bruce Eelman, Barbara Reeves-Ellington, and Scott Taylor (Siena Coll.), who give an interesting report on what was obviously a collaborative enterprise in their department.

— is the AHA’s assistant director for women, minorities, and teaching.

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