Bridging the Gap: Competencies for Teaching with Primary Sources

Abstract:This article reports on research done at Brigham Young University on supporting teaching with primary sources. It reviews the literature on primary source literacy and lessons gleaned from interviews with faculty to begin to identify the competencies necessary to teach the skills of primary source literacy. It breaks these competencies down into manageable groups, both for special collections professionals and for faculty. The areas of competency include (1) domain knowledge and primary source skills, (2) pedagogy and instructional design skills, and (3) communications and soft skills. The article also examines two particularly effective teaching techniques—scaffolding and modeling. It concludes with a call for further conversation about how to teach with primary sources.