{"id":249,"date":"2026-03-17T10:24:28","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T10:24:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/H890Conference\/?p=249"},"modified":"2026-03-17T10:24:28","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T10:24:28","slug":"can-citizen-humanities-transform-collaborative-learning-in-online-history-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/H890Conference\/index.php\/2026\/03\/17\/can-citizen-humanities-transform-collaborative-learning-in-online-history-education\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Citizen Humanities Transform Collaborative Learning in Online History Education?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The rapid expansion of digital technologies\u00a0has provided new and exciting\u00a0opportunities to reshape history education in online learning environments.\u00a0One such opportunity is the incorporation of\u00a0Citizen Humanities\u00a0into\u00a0history programmes,\u00a0where collective activities\u00a0foster\u00a0collaboration, knowledge production, a deeper understanding of how history is created and the chance for students to create communities of\u00a0inquiry.\u00a0At the same students will be able\u00a0to\u00a0develop essential \u2018twenty-first century skills\u2019 such as critical thinking, problem-solving, effective communication skills as well as\u00a0playing\u00a0an active part in the production of new knowledge through undertaking \u2018real time\u2019 research.\u00a0Students\u00a0consequently\u00a0become\u00a0practicing historians\u00a0in training,\u00a0and\u00a0this\u00a0gives\u00a0social relevance to historical scholarship.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For the purposes of this research project,\u00a0the community of inquiry will refer to a network of learners, educators and public participants (where possible) who will collectively engage in historical investigation, interpretation and dissemination of the knowledge gathered.\u00a0It will investigate what it means for students to learn collaboratively and consider how they\u00a0learn in this type of environment.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The reasoning behind this project comes\u00a0from\u00a0a\u00a0broad\u00a0British History Survey module\u00a0I teach\u00a0at the Open University,\u00a0which uses collaborative forums for two TMAs.\u00a0These assignments\u00a0produce the highest\u00a0average\u00a0grades of the module. The only difference between these assignments and the rest of\u00a0the assignments\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0module is the collaborative element.\u00a0For weaker students,\u00a0the chance to collaborate\u00a0in an environment which is not so academically rigid allows them to play a more inclusive role\u00a0in the learning process.\u00a0This\u00a0project will, therefore,\u00a0widen the scope\u00a0of collaboration\u00a0by using\u00a0citizen science-based projects.\u00a0It will explore\u00a0theories related\u00a0to\u00a0collaborative learning\u00a0with a particular focus on\u00a0communities of inquiry, consider how working collaboratively improves outcomes, engagement,\u00a0and gives students a\u00a0deeper understanding of and familiarity with the procedures\u00a0that are necessary to research and write history.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The overarching question it will\u00a0seek\u00a0to answer is:\u00a0How does engagement in citizen humanities projects shape collaborative learning processes\u00a0and improve academic performance\u00a0in online history education within the Community of Inquiry Framework?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This research project will rely on two theoretical frameworks, firstly\u00a0constructivism whereby learners are active participants in the learning process (Ally, 2008, p.30). This project will be grounded in authentic learning where students will work on case studies and problem based or inquiry learning (Open University, 2026).\u00a0Secondly,\u00a0the \u2018community of inquiry framework\u2019\u00a0(Garrison and Arbaugh, 2007)\u00a0has three elements which will be important for this project. The first\u00a0element is\u00a0social presence will be assessed to\u00a0determine\u00a0how this affects learning outcomes. Second cognitive presence,\u00a0which explores\u00a0how citizen science allows students to construct\u00a0and confirm meaning, and whether this leads to improved critical thinking. Finally, the framework for a community of inquiry requires a teaching presence to set parameters, provide training and build understanding.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The ontology of this research project will focus on student engagement\u00a0and improved academic outcomes,\u00a0and\u00a0as these are measurable,\u00a0this project will use a quantitative\u00a0methodology.\u00a0Participation in citizen humanities from an ontological aspect will be seen as an educational intervention that produces measurable outcomes.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ultimately,\u00a0this\u00a0research project proposes that citizen humanities can play a transformative role in the future of online history education. Through fostering communities of inquiry, it will reimagine the student experience as a participatory research environment. By exploring how students collaborate and by measuring\u00a0engagement,\u00a0academic outcomes and achievements,\u00a0this research has the potential to make a significant contribution to curriculum development.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Reference List<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ally, Mohamed (2008) \u2018Foundations of Educational Theory for Online Learning\u2019 in Anderson, T. (ed) The Theory and Practice of Online Learning, AU Press: Athabasca University, pp. 15-44 Available at\u00a0<\/span>https:\/\/www.aupress.ca\/app\/uploads\/120146_99Z_Anderson_2008-Theory_and_Practice_of_Online_Learning.pdf Accessed 1 February 2026<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Garrison, R. D, and Arbaugh J. B. (2007), \u2018Researching the community of inquiry framework:\u00a0Review, issues, and future directions\u2019,\u00a0<\/span>The\u00a0Internet\u00a0and Higher Education,\u00a0<\/span><\/i>10, pp. 157-172.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Open University (2026a) Section:5.7 \u2018Constructivism\u2019 in \u2018Drawing on Theory\u2019, H890\u00a0Reserach\u00a0and Scholarship in Digital Education.\u00a0\u00a0Available at https:\/\/learn2.open.ac.uk\/mod\/oucontent\/view.php?id=2544665&section=5.7 Accessed 16 February 2026.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Trentin, G, (2004), \u2018Networked Collaborative Learning in the Study of Modern History and Literature\u2019,\u00a0<\/span>Computers and the Humanities<\/span><\/i>, 38, pp.299-315.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The rapid expansion of digital technologies\u00a0has provided new and exciting\u00a0opportunities to reshape history education in online learning environments.\u00a0One such opportunity is the incorporation of\u00a0Citizen Humanities\u00a0into\u00a0history programmes,\u00a0where collective activities\u00a0foster\u00a0collaboration, knowledge production, a deeper understanding of how history is created and the chance for students to create communities of\u00a0inquiry.\u00a0At the same students will be able\u00a0to\u00a0develop essential \u2018twenty-first […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-249","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorised"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/H890Conference\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/249","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/H890Conference\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/H890Conference\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/H890Conference\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/H890Conference\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=249"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/H890Conference\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/249\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":250,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/H890Conference\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/249\/revisions\/250"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/H890Conference\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=249"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/H890Conference\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=249"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/H890Conference\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=249"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}