by When discussing historical thinking, I wanted to look at how technological advancements in the humanities have affected such a concept. To begin, there are several elements that I can think of that have remained at the heart of history teaching over the decades. For one, the observation and studying of reliable primary and secondary sources remained pivotal to historical thinking. The need to rely on the data we collect and utilize remains pivotal to historical thinking. Secondly, the necessity for historians to collect their data in order to formulate conclusions on historical events remain pivotal for historical thinking. Without such a practice remaining, history couldn’t be able to be challenged and adapted properly for future historians to revise and update for readers to understand our past.
With the technological advancements and changes throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, history teachers have responded in several ways. One such way is the access of available data for researchers and historians. Thanks to the internet, the reach of information is global and easily accessible for anyone who needs to gather scholarly sources and materials of any kind. Another thing of note is the ability to store historical artifacts and data by preserving it digitally on a digital archive. Since traditional storage areas can run out of space, causing the stress of needing to remove old scholarly material or prevent new material from coming in, the ability to store certain primary sources digitally provides a seemingly infinite storage space for researchers and individuals to access.
With all this in mind, a series of external expectations developed with the rise of digital teaching that constrained teaching and learning in history. These constraints can be found in how we teach and understand history. When I reflect on this, I immediately think of the spread of historical disinformation on blog posts and social media. Between social media providing readers with individualized news preferences and research materials, unreliable source materials can be easily spread to people’s phones and computers and have them change their perceptions on historical events (the American Civil War, etc.). On top of that, searching through digital archives can be cumbersome for people who just want to quickly search for their scholarly materials. Lastly, modern entertainment mediums can provide a false or incomplete version of history. Hollywood films will often leave out or overexaggerate moments in history in order to make their movie more appealing, which causes viewers to have unrealistic views of history (300, Gone with the Wind, etc.).
In conclusion, technological change has a major impact on historical thinking. While some elements of historical thinking remain despite these changes, the immediate and long term impacts can be felt when it pertains to historical thinking. Whether as a benefit or a hinderance, historical thinking plays a pivotal part in how we understand our past. As history becomes more reliable on the digital humanities, it will certainly continue to change how historians look to the past and relay that information in the present. Regardless, historical thinking will continue to play a pivotal role in a historian’s line of work, regardless of the changes and challenges that technology presents.
