On the Record documents the work of an experiential learning history course at the University of Guelph. Focusing on local, oral histories, the fifteen students in this course travelled to Norfolk Manor Retirement Home to be partnered with seniors who have agreed to share their memories through an oral history interview.
Everybody has a story to share.
This is why HIST3450: A Local, Oral History was designed - to help future historians capture these stories and learn the best practices for portraying recent history on the web. Every student in this course participates in the entire oral history process: from establishing a topic with their participant and conducting background research to interviewing, transcribing, and contextualizing their interview for a web audience. The third year students are introduced to ethical research practices, interview methodology, the pros and cons of public, digital history, and provide a reflection on the process as part of their final projects.