Danylo Zdravic is a fourth-year Professional Communication student at The Creative School graduating this semester with a minor in History. His primary interests include 20th-century international relations, North American and European Diplomatic History, and how global wars have shaped culture, political institutions, technology, as well as collective memory. A staunch advocate for examining the past to better understand contemporary issues, Danylo’s research focuses on how historical thinking shapes students’ understanding of the world and how to think critically about topics as part of cultivating unique perspectives or informed opinions. In his downtime, if he is not reading books about American foreign policy then he usually pokes fun at historical inaccuracies in popular films or TV shows.
Research Summary
What exactly does history mean to postsecondary students not majoring in history? Are there tangible benefits students gain by taking these classes? Does it ultimately matter for their success in the long term? This project relies upon a mixed-method framework that utilizes secondary research examining the impact of history faculties across universities/colleges in North America alongside primary findings through interviews conducted with the history faculty at TMU to ascertain whether history courses here at the university serve students well beyond history-majoring students themselves. A thematic analysis was conducted to find the most prevalent motifs brought up in this discourse and has found that the level of personal connection to course material, tailoring the curriculum to accommodate students from varying majors, and holding classroom discussions connecting material to current events makes history courses significant for students that take them.
