“The Perception of Visiting Holocaust Sites on Undergraduate Students Learning Process”

Abstract

This paper presents the main findings of a qualitative research project. The aim of the research was to explore undergraduate students’ perceived knowledge acquisition and awareness of the Holocaust, after visiting Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland. The qualitative study (focus groups & semi-structured questionnaires) involved three cohorts of students and lecturers from a university in the North West of England. The participants visited the Holocaust-related sites in Poland from 2016 to 2019. Findings indicate that students’ who actively engaged in visits to Holocaust related sites developed knowledge and awareness of the Holocaust. For many participants, this knowledge and awareness was facilitated via a reflective process that enabled empathic connection between these historical events and the students. The study also highlighted practical strategies that could be implemented to enhance the experience for future cohorts of undergraduate students visiting holocaust related sites. By adding to the limited literature on Holocaust education with undergraduate students, the study highlighted the importance and directions for future research in this area to inform future pedagogic practice.

An examination of learning ecologies associated with the Holocaust: The role of social media

“…This is particularly relevant to our study, as the Holocaust has profound ethical and moral value in the construction of shared identity and citizenship, especially in the Western world and European context. Understanding the link between the dispositions and processes involved in learning about this topic helps to provide a basis for educational interventions that focus on the development of democratic citizenship skills and how the content still applies to people's own lives and values (Bussu et al, 2023).…”

A learning ecology-based approach for enhancing Digital Holocaust Memory in European cultural heritage education

“…As discussed above, the transmission of collective memory involves a series of communicative and educational interventions [ 107 ]. These measures include diverse activities such as official ceremonies and political speeches [ 108 ], visits to memorial sites [ 109 ], exploration of museums and memorials [ 110 , 111 ], travel experiences [ 112 ], and especially engagement with educational institutions and other spaces where individuals acquire knowledge and understanding through tangible and intangible means [ 39 , 40 ]. In this section, we use the theoretical framework of the learning ecology perspective to explore how individuals participate in both formal and informal learning settings.…”