Making Better Historians: Using Oral History and Public History to Enhance Historical Training

This pedagogy-focused article, consisting of three essays, describes courses and course projects that were designed to engage students in the use of oral history to produce public and professional forms of historical presentation. Each essay describes the course content and design, then focuses on the significance of the project, the pitfalls encountered and how to overcome them, and lessons learned. In the conclusion, the authors consider how oral history and public history can be integral to "making better historians "-better readers of historical sources, better writers of history, and better interpreters of history to the public-for students across the educational spectrum, from beginning undergraduates to advanced graduate students.