“Though it would seem that the uncertainty of a “fake news” era might require the authority of a uniform textbook narrative, instead, sending students directly to original sources provided the necessary antidote to “fake news” and concerns about credibility” pg 108
“Because you could never “cover” every fact and figure from the time period in a survey course, these types of courses are ripe for rethinking and reframing how to shift our learning goals from coverage to understanding.” pg 110
The greatest benefit of “unhooking information from authority” is that anyone can post information, yet this also results in its greatest pitfall as there are no requirements or restrictions for what can or can’t be posted. The internet has made things more equitable for those who can access it, but there still exists a gap between those with media literacy skills and those without. Vecchiola mentions how many students find comfort in the “authority of a uniform textbook narrative,” but the information from this source does not provide any substantive skills. This connects to the paradox of survey history courses, as the amount of information that can be covered is technically infinite, so any attempt to provide a crash course on “everything” in a content area is fallible.
When teachers use Omeka in the classroom they are providing something often not given to students in traditional learning environments: agency. By allowing students to research primary documents, items, and pictures for any topic of their choosing, teachers can engage the creative parts of students’ brains that are often not engaged when covering historical content. But one of the major cons in this approach is that there is a learning curve for conducting research, as students must feel comfortable with the tool they are using and the research they are doing in order to efficiently complete their work. In the same way that information has been “unhooked from authority” creates problems of media literacy, giving students a tool to conduct research does not necessarily mean they are also given the means to understanding what makes a source “good.” It is up to teachers to provide skills, not content, to students so that they can better access the unlimited world of content they live in.
