HIST 820 Teaching History

Doctoral analysis and pedagogy of using primary sources, historical scholarship, and digital resources in classroom and other educational settings. Emphasis is placed on online teaching.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

Course Guide

View this course’s outcomes, policies, schedule, and more.*

*The information contained in our Course Guides is provided as a sample. Specific course curriculum and requirements for each course are provided by individual instructors each semester. Students should not use Course Guides to find and complete assignments, class prerequisites, or order books.


Sound pedagogical methodology and an understanding of the worldview foundations and presuppositions of pedagogy and educational material are essential for a collegiate educator. However, the skills and practical realities of teaching at the college level are not always emphasized in doctoral courses or programs in history or throughout the humanities. This course addresses those deficiencies. It provides an opportunity for students to draw upon their own content areas of study and expertise as they hone their teaching skills and apply pedagogical methods and the Christian worldview to course design and development. 


Textbook readings and lecture presentations

No details available.

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (3)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student is required to create a thread in response to the provided prompt for each discussion. Original threads should be at least 750 words and each of the 2 replies should be at least 300 words. Please see the instructions for more detail.

Discussion: AI in Higher Education

For this discussion, the student will analyze the role of Artificial Intelligence in an online college history classroom. Original threads should be at least 500 words and each of the 2 replies should be at least 300 words. Please see the instructions for more detail.

Worldview Analysis Assignment

Using 2 chapters from History and the Christian Historian, edited by Ronald Wells, the student will write a 3-5-page critical analysis of how the authors of these two chapters articulate and apply the Christian worldview. This will be a comparative paper in which the student contrasts the approaches to the Christian worldview presented by the chosen authors. 

Drawing upon the relevant course readings, applicable Scripture, and/or personal experiences, the student will write a 2-3 page examination of the role of leadership in the life and work of a university professor. Use appropriate sources to analyze ways in which professors are, or should, be leaders in the classroom and in their respective areas of scholarly focus. Be clear and be specific with the application of relevant leadership principles and concepts.

Book Review Assignment

The student will write a 700-800 word book review on Patterns in History: A Christian Perspective on Historical Thought by David W. Bebbington in current Turabian format. 

Course Map Assignment

This assignment is designed to help the student plan and organize for the Final Course Project. Using the template provided, the student will provide preliminary information for the final course to be designed by the end of the term. These materials will include a course title, learning outcomes for the entire course, a basic module outline of the course, and preliminary textbooks/course material. The student will be allowed to modify these later.

Lecture Critique Response Assignment

Using student and instructor responses in Discussion: Online History Lecture, the student will write a 1-2 page paper in which he or she will reflect upon these comments, considering the pros and cons of suggestions, the intricacies of lecture design, and how controversial topics/issues were handled within the lecture. 

Transcript Assessment Assignment

Using the template provided, LU’s course catalog, and the student’s own previous graduate transcript, each student will complete his or her own transcript assessment and determine which courses they are qualified to teach.

Syllabus Assignments (2)

The student will complete 2 syllabi for the same sample course for these assignments: Syllabus: Online Course Assignment and Syllabus: Residential Course Assignment. The online syllabus should relate to the Course Map Assignment.

Final Project Assignment

Using the template provided, the student will create a full sample 8 week online course. The student should utilize the material from the Course Map Assignment and the Syllabus: Online Course Assignment. In addition to the material from these assignments, the Final Project Assignment will also need objectives for each module and assignments/assignment instructions for each module.


Top 1% For Online Programs

Have questions about this course or a program?

Speak to one of our admissions specialists.