Introduction

The Devon Record Office aims to provide the widest possible public access to and the greatest public benefit from the county’s written records. Documentary sources form the foundation of many kinds of heritage and social education and underpin teaching and learning at all levels. We therefore have a responsibility to educate our users and the wider community. In discharging this responsibility we work in partnership with organisations which provide formal and informal learning opportunities throughout Devon and further afield, so that understanding of the use of archives is widely disseminated.

Aims and objectives

The Devon Record Office is now part of the Lifelong Learning Branch of Devon County Council, and the use of archives in education will be the responsibility of a Lifelong Learning Heritage Education Group. Education provision will take the form of

• original documentary sources or surrogates or copies

• interpretation and guidance in the use of archival material

• support and advice for education providers and other groups

Methods of delivery

Education through and about documentary sources, their historical context, and the information which they contain will be delivered by means of:

• direct teaching within or outside the record offices

• outreach visits to schools, colleges, universities, and other centres

• advice and support, both formal and informal, for education professionals and others engaged in teaching and learning

• talks and classes at service points or at other libraries and museums

• publications and packs of source materials

• on-line access in the record offices to catalogues of archival collections, Information Devon, the National Grid for Learning, and the Community Learning Grid, and through the Internet to these and our own web pages

The learning context

We work with education providers and in learning environments to support and encourage the use of archives.

Schools and colleges

Archives can be used to support many areas of the mainstream curriculum. We provide:

• written sources, documents, pictures, photographs, etc for
  the study of History and Geography at Key Stages 1-3 and
  at GCSE and ‘A’ level

• support for the Museum Education Service, in the form of  
  access to original sources.

Higher education

Sources in the Devon Record Office are used at both undergraduate and postgraduate level in the study of:

• History, Geography, and Economic and Social History
  (including Medical History) at the University of Exeter

• History, Heritage Management, Architecture, and Education
  at the University of Plymouth

• related subjects and courses in universities throughout
  Britain and abroad.

Lifelong learning

The scope for the use of archives in lifelong learning, both as a resource in themselves and as part of a wider learning experience, is almost unlimited. In particular we aim to support:

• community education classes and courses (mainly delivered through community colleges), especially in family, local, and social history

• university lifelong learning and Open University courses in
  local history and geography

• courses on palaeography and local history delivered in conjunction with local history societies

• ICT and literacy courses organised by the Devon Library
  and Information Service

• lectures, courses, and classes based in local museums.

Partnership working

Supporting and working with others is essential for the promotion of archives as an educational resource. We have strong links with a number of organisations and individuals, including:

• the Devon County Council Museum Education Officer

• the Devon County Council Museums Officer, who has a
  brief to promote lifelong learning

• Community and Continuing Education within Devon
  County Council

• Exeter City Museums

• the universities of Exeter and Plymouth

• the Devon Curators’ Group and the Devon Museums
  Forum

• the Group for Heritage Education in Devon