Alan Marcus

Professor

Titles:

Professor
University of Connecticut Teaching Fellow

Academic Degrees:

Ph.D. Curriculum & Teacher Education, Stanford University 2003
M.A.T Social Studies Education, Boston University 1992
B.S. Political Science, Tufts University 1990

Areas of Expertise:

History Education

Holocaust Education

Teaching with Film

Museum Education

Teacher Education

Social Studies Education

Biography:

Alan Marcus is Professor in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction at the University of Connecticut and is a UConn Teaching Fellow. His scholarship and teaching focus on museum education, teaching with film, and global education, with an emphasis on the Holocaust and teaching difficult history. Alan collaborates with museum educators across the United States and internationally, is a Faculty Fellow for the Holocaust Institute for Teacher Education at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and runs an education abroad program for pre-service teachers in Nottingham, England. Alan is the past president of the Connecticut Council for the Social Studies and was the lead editor, and a writer, for the new State of Connecticut Social Studies Standards. His current research includes evaluating the potential and limitations of virtual interactive Holocaust survivor testimony, participating as a part of the “Technology Meets Testimony” scholar network at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich, and studying the use of Virtual Reality with Holocaust survivors at museums. Alan is a former high school social studies teacher and regularly collaborates with K-12 teachers on curriculum development and innovative pedagogy.

Funded Research:

The Virtual Reality Experience at the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Research Center

Technology Meets Testimony: International scholar network exploring Holocaust survivor
digital testimony

The Forever Project: The Benefits and Dilemmas of Using Virtual Interactive Holocaust Survivor Testimony

Making History: Implementing CT’s New Social Studies Frameworks

Supporting student learning at history museums: the practices of teachers and museum professionals

Hollywood History in High School: the relationship between teachers’ use of film and students’ perceptions and understanding of history.

Representing the past, reflecting the present: How students learn history at history museums

Selected Publications:

Holocaust education in transition from live to virtual survivor testimony: Pedagogical and ethical dilemmas. (2021). Holocaust Studies.

Mapping the pandemic: teaching critical map literacy with interactive COVID-19 maps. (2021). Social Studies Research & Practice. 16 (2).

Monuments expire, but offensive monuments can be powerful history lessons. (2020, September 4) The Conversation

The grey zone of Holocaust education: Teaching the Holocaust with film. (2020). In A. Patt & L. Hilton (Eds.), Understanding the teaching of the Holocaust. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press.

Teaching about genocide with film. (2020). In S. Totten (Ed.), Teaching About Genocide: Advice and Suggestions from Secondary Level Teachers and Professors. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.

Promoting Intercultural Competence in Professional Spaces: Education Abroad Experiences in England for Social Studies Pre-Service Teachers. (2019). Global Education Review, 6 (4). 31-49.

Why we need to rethink how we teach the Holocaust. (2018, May). The Conversation.

Teaching History with Film: Strategies for Secondary Social Studies. (2018). 2^nd Edition. New York: Routledge.

Teaching The Holocaust Through Film. (2017). Social Education. 81 (3) 172-176.

Teaching history with Museums: Strategies for K-12 social studies. (2017). 2^nd Edition. New York: Routledge.

Teaching Difficult History with Film. (2017). New York: Routledge.

Enhancing Intercultural Understanding for Pre-service Teachers through Developing and Sustaining Education Abroad Experiences. (2015). The Journal of International Social Studies. 5 (2) 22-37.

How secondary history teachers use and think about museums: Current practices and untapped promise for promoting historical understanding. (2012). Theory and Research in Social Education.

The inconvenient truth about teaching history with documentary film: Strategies for presenting multiple perspectives and teaching controversial issues. (2009). The Social Studies. 100 (6), 279-285.

“The reality of it all:” History students read the movies. (2006, Fall). Theory and Research in Social Education.

Honors/Awards:

University of Connecticut Teaching Fellow.

AAUP-University of Connecticut Excellence Award for Innovation in Teaching. 2011

Stanford Teacher Education Program Award: Excellence in Teaching by a Graduate Student. June 2001

Stanford University School of Education Fellowship. 1999-2000

Leadership/Associations/Committees/Outreach:

Lead Editor, and writer, State of Connecticut Social Studies Standards

Director. Understanding Global Perspectives in History and Education. Created and lead semester-long program for UConn pre-service history teachers in Nottingham, England. Fall 2015-present.

Faculty Fellow (HITE), United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Editorial Board, Theory & Research in Social Education (2013-2016)

Editorial Board Member, Canadian Social Studies. 2012-present.

Past President and Board Member, Connecticut Council for the Social Studies.

Neag Social Studies Alumni Association (NSAA). Founder and faculty sponsor.

Teaching American History in the Capitol Region (CREC Teaching American History Grant)