WJEC Ignite: Michael Huntsberger

Michael Huntsberger

Linfield CollegeLinfield College

BEA IGNITEBEA IGNITE

Turn your undergraduate studentsTurn your undergraduate studentsinto History Detectivesinto History Detectives

Improving the mass Improving the mass media history media history

project: project: Turning Turning

undergraduate undergraduate students into students into

“History Detectives”“History Detectives”Michael HuntsbergerMichael HuntsbergerDepartment of Mass CommunicationDepartment of Mass CommunicationLinfield College, McMinnville OR USALinfield College, McMinnville OR USA

World Journalism Education Conference 3 World Journalism Education Conference 3 - Ignite!- Ignite!

Mechelen, Belgium July 2013Mechelen, Belgium July 2013

TMTM

Image: http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn84022657/1862-09-06/ed-1/seq-1/

Improving

The problem•Students not interested in media history.

•Students lack connections to the past.

•Students lack training in historical research methods.

The result•Disengaged students.

•Poor research papers.Image:

http://www.onlineuniversities-weblog.com/50226711/images/bored_student.jpg

The idea

•Connect students Connect students to media history to media history through the through the history they know history they know best and they best and they can access - their can access - their family history.family history.

Imagehttp://2.bp.blogspot.com/_H5kAZb40_o8/SwMGk63R7DI/AAAAAAAABt4/f1vfoaIYXtw/s1600/family+reunion-2.jpg

The inspiration

•History Detectives (Public Broadcasting Service, USA)

•Programs available on line http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/>

Image: http://fox-lenz.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/pbs-history-detectives-comp-442x590.jpg

The assignment• Identify a communication artifact from

family history - personal letter, diary, photograph, newspaper article, magazine article, audio or videotape recording, etc.

•Answer these research questions:

•How does this artifact connect your family to a specific issue, event, or person in a specific medium during a specific time in U.S. mass media history?

•What is its significance in the context of media history?

•Write a 3000-3500 word paper.

The final paper (rubric)•Project design (25%) - introduction,

research questions, literature review, methodology.

•Original research (35%) - primary sources, evidence, relevance.

•Analysis and conclusions (30%) - explanation, interpretation, context.

•Composition (10%) - scholarly standards, grammar, citations, references.

The example•Title: Political Ideology, Nationalism and

their effects on reporting during the [US] Civil War.

•Artifact: 3x great grandfather’s journal entry from September 8, 1862 - “Read news of a battle at Bull Run, Union troops victorious.”

•RQs: How did he receive the news? Since historians regard the battle as a Union defeat, why did he believe it was a Union victory?

The evidence

•Student travels to state newspaper archive, locates report in September 2, 1862 edition of The [Jacksonville] Oregon Sentinel.

• Journal documents the ancestor was in Jacksonville throughout September 1862.

Image: http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn84022657/1862-09-06/ed-1/seq-2/

Other projects•A family member’s service in a US A family member’s service in a US

Civil War regiment led to a Civil War regiment led to a comparative study of newspaper comparative study of newspaper coverage of large and small battles on coverage of large and small battles on July 4, 1863.July 4, 1863.

•A medal awarded by the Chinese A medal awarded by the Chinese government sparked a comparative government sparked a comparative investigation of magazine and film investigation of magazine and film coverage of the China airlift during coverage of the China airlift during World War II. World War II.

Image: http://www.michigan.gov/images/civsoldi_9757_7.gif; http://dmn.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Flyi

ng-Tigers-Scramble.jpg

The outcomesThe outcomes•Nature and scope of class discussions Nature and scope of class discussions

showed students were more enthusiastic showed students were more enthusiastic about the final project.about the final project.

•Office hour contacts and online discussion Office hour contacts and online discussion boards showed students were more boards showed students were more engaged with the instructor, and with engaged with the instructor, and with each other.each other.

•More substantive - and interesting - More substantive - and interesting - projects!projects!

•4% improvement in scores for the course.4% improvement in scores for the course.Image:

http://www.gpb.org/files/national/history_detectives.jpg