Alan Marcus
Professor
Curriculum and Instruction (EDCI)
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 Educations 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 a lead writer for the State of Connecticut Social Studies Frameworks. 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 contributing as a theme lead for an AHRC (UK) project on historical testimony. 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 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/Presentations:
Marcus, Alan S., Maor, Rotem, McGregor, Ian M., Mills, Gary, Schweber, Simone, Stoddard, Jeremy, & Hicks, David. (in press) Holocaust education in transition from live to virtual survivor testimony: Pedagogical and ethical dilemmas. Holocaust Studies.
Marcus, Alan S. (2018, May). “Why we need to rethink how we teach the Holocaust” The Conversation.
Marcus, Alan S. (2017). “Teaching The Holocaust Through Film.” Social Education. 81 (3) 172-176.
Marcus, Alan S. & Mills, Gary. (2017). Teaching Difficult History with Film: Multiple Perspectives on the Holocaust in Teaching Difficult History with Film, Stoddard, Jeremy, Marcus, Alan S. & Hicks, David. (Editors). New York: Routledge.
Stoddard, Jeremy, Marcus, Alan S. & Hicks, David. (2017). Using Film to Teach Difficult Histories in Teaching Difficult History with Film. Stoddard, Jeremy, Marcus, Alan S. & Hicks, David. (Editors). New York: Routledge
Marcus, Alan S. & Kowitt, Jennifer. (2016). “Museum Footnotes: Helping Student Visitors Understand Museums.” Journal of Museum Education. 41 (4). 353-362.
Stoddard, Jeremy D., Marcus, Alan S. & Squire, Kurt. (2015). Learning Local Immigration History In and Out of the Museum. Museum & Society. 13 (1).
Stoddard, Jeremy D., Marcus, Alan S., Hicks, David. (2014). The Burden of Historical Representation: The Case of/for Indigenous Film. The History Teacher. 48 (1).
Marcus, Alan S., Grenier, Robin, & Levine, Thomas H. (2012). How secondary history teachers use and think about museums: Current practices and untapped promise for promoting historical understanding. Theory and Research in Social Education.
Marcus, Alan S. & Stoddard, Jeremy D. (2010). More Than “Showing What Happened” Exploring the Potential for Teaching History with Film. High School Journal.
Levine, Thomas H. & Marcus, Alan S. (2010) How the structure and focus of teachers’ collaborative activities facilitate and constrain teacher learning. Teaching and Teacher Education. 26 (3), 389-398.
Marcus, Alan S. (2008, Spring) Museum and school collaboration: Rethinking adult education for K- 12 teachers. Journal of Museum Education. 33 (1), 55-78.
Marcus, Alan S.; Stoddard, Jeremy D. (May/June 2007) Tinsel Town as Teacher: Hollywood Film in the High School History Classroom. The History Teacher.
Levine, Thomas H. & Marcus, Alan S. (2007, Fall) How schools close the achievement gap: Facilitating multiple trajectories of teacher learning. Journal of Advanced Academics. 19 (1), 116-138.
Marcus, Alan S.; Paxton, Richard J.; Meyerson, Peter (2006, Fall) “The reality of it all:” History students read the movies. Theory and Research in Social Education.
Stoddard, Jeremy D. & Marcus, Alan S. (2006, Spring) The Burden of Historical Representation: Race, Freedom and “Educational” Hollywood Film. Film & History. 36.1
Marcus, Alan S. (2005, March/April) “It is as it was:” Feature Film in the History Classroom. The Social Studies. 96 (2) 61-67.
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:
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
Co-lead writer, Connecticut Social Studies Frameworks
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)
In the News:
Seeing the Cracks in Controversial Statues – NPR interview
The Future of Holocaust Education: Virtual Survivor Testimony in 3D
In 2020, What are we grateful for? NPR
West VA BOE proposal draws mixed reviews over trimming social studies credits
Lessons from history are our legacy for the future
Rethinking How to Teach the Holocaust, Radio Interview – “Top of the Mind” with Julie Rose
Museum Examines Onlookers’ Role in Holocaust
Innovative Exhibits Provide Insights Into Museum Curating, Weather’s Impact on WWII
Neag and History Professors Collaborate on “Teaching History with Museums” Book
Neag Professor Leads European Embarkment on WWII Studies
9/11 Tradegy Provides Teachable Moments
It’s All in the Historical Record – But Whose?

alan.marcus@uconn.edu | |
Phone | 860 486 0281 |
Mailing Address | Unit 3033 |
Office Location | Gentry 424 |
Link | http://www.teamsocialstudies.uconn.edu |