The Stone Age Meets the
Information Age - Engaging Students in Prehistoric Problem
Solving

Jeanne Sept
Indiana University
http://www.indiana.edu/~origins/teach/Olduvai.html

"Investigating Olduvai: Archaeology of Human Origins" (Indiana University Press, 1997) is a case study designed to give students an authentic experience interpreting real archaeological data from a famous early site in Africa. The program uses multiple media to lure students into problem-solving. By exploring a real archaeological database step by step, students learn about the fascinating ambiguities of prehistoric evidence and get involved in archaeological analysis and interpretation for themselves. There are no multiple choice or quiz questions in this program. Instead, students learn new terms and concepts as they need them to investigate and write answers to a selection of research questions. Students learn which data are relevant to each question, and are guided to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate these data as evidence with which they can build their own interpretations.