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, University of Oklahoma; Emilio Zamora, University 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, University of Texas, El Paso. AHA Executive Director James Grossman and the AHA's incoming Vice President, Teaching Division, Laura McEnaney (Whittier College) 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."

You can view a video recording of Anne Hyde's keynote address online here (external link).

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.

Questions? Email Julia Brookins at jbrookins@historians.org

Location: Avaya Auditorium,

Peter O'Donnell Jr. Building (POB)

University of Texas at Austin

201 E 24th St

Austin, TX 78712

Resources from the 2018 Annual Texas Conference on Introductory History Courses

2018 Texas Conference Program 

Plagued by Doubt: Uncertainty as History's Pedagogy

by Anne Hyde (University of Oklahoma), keynote address and selected bibliography

You can view a video recording of Anne Hyde's keynote address online here (external link).

Rethinking the US History Survey

by Steven Mintz (University of Texas at Austin)

Gamification in the History Classroom 

by Brad Cartwright (University of Texas, El Paso)

Teaching with Primary Sources

by Erik Anderson (San Antonio Colllege) and Gene Pruess (University of Houston Downtown)