Learning to think historically

Good historical thinking requires more than mastery of facts, it demands a detailed, densely textured analysis of the relations among those facts. Historical analysis demands the ability to apply abstract concepts to develop hypotheses about cause and effect; the hypotheses must be rigorously supported by evidence and withstand the weight of counter-arguments. The present work offers a cognitive analysis of historical thinking and the knowledge representation needed to support such thinking. It then outlines the design of a computer-based hypermedia system based on that analysis, and evaluates the reasons why the system helps students learn to think historically.