Vol 32 (2012): Special Issue: Making Educational Oral Histories in the 21st Century
Articles

Teaching and Learning Oral History/Theory/Performance: A Case Study of the Scholarship of Discovery, Integration, Application, and Teaching

Jennifer Clary-Lemon
University of Winnipeg
Lynne Williams
University of Winnipeg

Abstract

In this piece, we argue that oral histories are rich sites of teaching and learning that bridge the concept of disciplinary ownership and create opportunities for diverse scholarship, using Boyer’s four-part model of scholarship: Discovery, Integration, Application, and Teaching. In this case study, we describe the circular motion of oral history, theory, research, practice, and performance between researcher, student, and community group, arguing that oral history projects and their outcomes, as sites of applied knowledge, offer opportunities for multiple stakeholders to move beyond disciplinary, methodological, and institutional boundaries. We describe a long-term oral history project that, in various iterations, represented linguistic research, interdisciplinary communication, teaching tool, and theatrical performance in response to community-based needs.