The educational potential of the PostNauka website for studying medieval Western European history in universities

A.A. Zorina^*, O.M. Melnikova^**

Udmurt State University, Izhevsk, 426034 Russia

E-mail: ^*zorina1970@mail.ru, ^**79124576324@yandex.ru.ru

Received July 25, 2022

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Full text PDF

DOI: 10.26907/2541-7738.2022.6.202-211

For citation: Zorina A.A., Melnikova O.M. The educational potential of the PostNauka website for studying medieval Western European history in universities. Uchenye Zapiski Kazanskogo Universiteta. Seriya Gumanitarnye Nauki, 2022, vol. 164, no. 6, pp. 202–211. doi: 10.26907/2541-7738.2022.6.202-211. (In Russian)

Abstract

This article discusses the PostNauka’s educational potential for studying medieval Western European history and describes the main features distinguishing it from other e-learning projects. A new and widely distributing information culture has developed in humanities scholarship because of the rapid Internet evolution. Online research and educational resources have become an integral part of studying in universities, including historical ones. Among such resources, the PostNauka project stands out. It aims to provide access to solid data on a variety of ideas and concepts. Here, we classify and summarize its content on medieval history using the examples of several annotated indexes of the video lectures on the Middle Ages in Western Europe that are arranged based on the chronological, problem- and topic-related, cultural, and personal principles. Possible benefits from using the materials and courses of this project while studying medieval history and historiography are considered. The best ways to organize interaction during seminars on the historiography of the Middle Ages are singled out. The analysis shows that the PostNauka’s lectures are both popular and reliable because of the professionalism of the lecturers who cover a range of urgent topics by telling gripping and evidence-based stories at convenient timing. The conclusion is made that using the PostNauka’s materials for studying is a good chance to gain stable knowledge on the history of a particular period, and it also helps students to develop skills in applying this source (video lectures) for writing their reports, term and graduation theses, as well as for compiling annotated catalogs.

Keywords: medieval history, electronic resources, PostNauka, education

References

1. Dunaeva Yu.V. The Internet, digital formats, and historical research. Sotsial’nye i Gumanitarnye Nauki. Otechestvennaya i Zarubezhnaya Literatura. Seriya 5. Istoriya, 2010, no. 4, pp. 20–30. (In Russian)
2. Myagkov G.P., Nedashkovskaya N.I, Nedashkovsky L.F. Prostranstvo seti Internet dlya issledovatelei istorii Srednevekov’ya: informatsionno-spravochnye resursy, nauchnye tsentry, kommunikatsiya, istochniki [The Internet Space for Researchers of the History of the Middle Ages: Information and Reference Resources, Scientific Centers, Communication, and Sources]. Kazan, Izd. Inst. Ist. Akad. Nauk RT, 2008. 56 p. (In Russian)
3. Sokolov A.K., Bokarev Yu.P., Borisova L.V. Istochnikovedenie noveishei istorii Rossii: teoriya, metodologiya, praktika. [A Source Study of the Recent History of Russia: Theory, Methodology, and Practice]. Moscow, Vyssh. Shk., 2004. 687 p. (In Russian)
4. Zamoryakhin A.V. Internet-resursy v izuchenii istorii srednikh vekov [Internet Resources in the Study of the History of the Middle Ages: Methodological Materials]. Perm, Permsk. Gos. Univ., 2005. 38 p. (In Russian)
5. Supriyanovich A.G. The Internet for historians. In: Sotvorenie istorii. Chelovek. Pamyat’. Tekst. [The Making of History. Human. Memory. Text.] Kazan, Master Lain, 2001, pp. 442–449. (In Russian)
6. Buller A., Linchenko A.A. Media and history: The discourse of historical responsibility in a changing world. Dialog so Vremenem, 2021, no. 77, pp. 61–77. (In Russian)
7. Repina L.P. Science and society: Public history in the context of historical culture of the globalization era. Uchenye Zapiski Kazanskogo Universiteta. Seriya Gumanitarnye Nauki, 2015, vol. 157, no. 3, pp. 55–67. (In Russian)
8. Filyushkin A.I. Medievalism: Why do we need the Middle Ages today? Istoricheskaya Ekspertiza, 2018, no. 4, pp. 153–162. (In Russian)
9. Rusanov A.V. Medievalism studies: How the modern Middle Ages is studied. Vox medii aevi, 2019, no. 2, pp. 12–45. doi: 10.24411/2587-6619-2019-00009. (In Russian)

The content is available under the license Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.