From a printed handbook to an e-handbook. The didactic concept of a Polish history handbook and attempts at its modernization in the second half of 20th C. and in the beginning of 21st C.

Abstract

For many years, a history handbook has been the most popular didactic object, during lessons and homework alike. Until recently, such handbooks have been in the form of traditional books, but the technological development and common digitization have lead to attempts to replace such books with computer software. The article presents various ideas of modernization of the didactic concept of a history handbook, proposed by the pedagogic and didactic-historic circles in the second half of 20th C. and the beginning of 21st C. (e.g. handbooks with audio / video carriers, audio-visual handbooks, educational sets). On the basis of abridged history of the handbook, from the end of 18th C. until today’s e-handbooks, the author analyses individual elements of the didactic concept of handbooks for teaching history, highlighting the symptoms of the most important changes with specific examples. The author concludes that it is the publishing market that forces, to the biggest extent, the changes in the didactic concept of a history handbook; hence, it is necessary to conduct scientific research on the efficiency of the proposed changes and consequently to determine what the real impact of the new elements of the handbook’s didactic history will be on better results of education.