Social studies education & digital source materials Research Paper

Social studies education & digital source materials - Research Paper Example This helps to contribute to research and evaluation in the field of social studies and technology. Digital sources extend the learning experience beyond the traditional learning experience. This is because technology introduces students to activities in which skills and content are taught more meaningfully (Savage, Armstrong, & Potthoff, 2000). In order to achieve this, instructors need to understand and make sure that they respond to the needs of their students. Teachers can then design learning experiences that will challenge their students to make informed connections and this will in turn expand their knowledge (White, 2000). Teachers can come up with a variety of ways that may include digital sources to deliver a given concept. This is because the understanding capabilities of their students differ. In order to make learning more meaningful, they have to meet the needs of every student that may require them to go beyond the traditional learning techniques (Levstik & Tyson, 2008). One way in which technology can be applied in the social studies curriculum is by using digital sources similar to the ones found at the Virginia Center for Digital History. At the center, they have developed a series of digital history projects (Ross, 2006). The main aim being to develop high standard quality, properly researched and reliable history material for the website globally and deliver them to the general public, schools and historical societies among other institutions. The digital archive can also be found online through the Virginia Center for Digital History (Savage, Armstrong, & Potthoff, 2000). Students from all over the world can then access the primary information that is readily available online and use it to understand the importance of people and events that occurred in the past. This is because the site provides students with raw data at their disposal that can be manipulated and interpreted. Institutions can also use these