Students in a British history course recently completed an extensive timeline of the British Reformations in context. Professor Michelle Brock structured the project as an assignment that amounted to 15% of the course grade. The timeline also serves as a resource for students writing their final essays for the course. This approach to DH emphasizes that digital projects are not simply end products but also can inform written works.
TimelineJS was chosen by Brock as the appropriate tool for this project due to its visual capabilities. Prior to the beginning of the term, Brock consulted with the DHAT to plan how to instruct students on using this tool to contextualize the British Reformations. An essential feature was the tag functionality of TimelineJS to indicate whether an event occured in the English Reformation, Scottish Reformation, or the Continental European Reformation. Brock describes the goal of the assignment:
“The goal of this three-tiered timeline is to give student a visual overview of the trajectory of the European, English, and Scottish Reformations, and a more tangible representation of the relationship between the three. This should also provide a deeper understanding of the English and Scottish Reformations in their European contexts, as well as an illustration of their respective local and national dimensions. Students will then use this timeline to help write their final essay.”
Students worked in three groups of four to populate the spreadsheet that powers the timeline. Students were responsible for identifying and entering key events, documents, and people for their respective Reformation (a period spanning between 1450 – 1650). Each entry had to include a brief descriptive paragraph (80 – 120 words) explaining the significance of the topic. Students were encouraged to include images where appropriate. And, if applicable, students could include links to video on YouTube.
Each member of the group was expected to contribute 7 – 10 entries. Groups were expected to work collaboratively over the course of the semester. A librarian provided initial training to the class on January 19. The students completed their work on March 30. In addition, all the students had to turn in an individual timeline report that specified which entries they wrote and the list of sources used to write those entries.
The final timeline has 73 entries about the Reformations.
Interested in using TimelineJS in your couse? See our introduction to TimelineJS.
Wanafunzi katika kozi ya historia ya Uingereza hivi karibuni walikamilisha mstari wa wakati wa Marekebisho ya Uingereza katika muktadha. Profesa Michelle Brock aliunda mradi huo kama kazi ambayo ilifikia asilimia 15 ya alama ya kozi. Mstari wa wakati pia hutumika kama rasilimali kwa wanafunzi kuandika insha zao za mwisho kwa kozi. Njia hii ya DH inasisitiza kwamba miradi ya dijiti si bidhaa za mwisho tu lakini pia inaweza kuelimisha kazi zilizoandikwa. TimelineJS ilichaguliwa na Brock kama chombo sahihi kwa ajili ya mradi huu kutokana na uwezo wake wa kuona. Kabla ya kuanza kwa muhula, Brock alishauriana na DHAT kupanga jinsi ya kuwafundisha wanafunzi juu ya kutumia chombo hiki kuweka katika muktadha Marekebisho ya Uingereza. Kipengele muhimu kilikuwa utendaji wa lebo ya TimelineJS kuonyesha kama tukio lilitokea katika Marekebisho ya Kiingereza, Marekebisho ya Scotland, au Marekebisho ya Bara la Ulaya. Brock anaelezea lengo la kazi hii: Lengo la mstari huu wa muda wa ngazi tatu ni kumpa mwanafunzi muhtasari wa kuona wa trajectory ya Ulaya, Kiingereza, na Scottish Reformations, na uwakilishi zaidi wa uhusiano kati ya tatu. Hii pia inapaswa kutoa uelewa wa kina wa Marekebisho ya Kiingereza na Scotland katika muktadha wao wa Ulaya, na pia mfano wa vipimo vyao vya ndani na kitaifa. Wanafunzi watatumia mstari huu wa wakati kusaidia kuandika insha yao ya mwisho. Wanafunzi walifanya kazi katika vikundi vitatu vya wanne kujaza karatasi ya spreadsheet ambayo ina nguvu mstari wa wakati. Wanafunzi walikuwa na jukumu la kutambua na kuingia matukio muhimu, nyaraka, na watu kwa ajili ya Marekebisho yao husika (kipindi kati ya 1450 na 1650). Kila makala ilihitaji kuwa na kifungu kifupi cha maneno 80 hadi 120 kinachoeleza umuhimu wa habari hiyo. Wanafunzi walitiwa moyo kutia ndani picha inapofaa. Na, ikiwa inatumika, wanafunzi wanaweza kujumuisha viungo vya video kwenye YouTube. Kila mwanachama wa kundi alitarajiwa kuchangia 7 <unk> 10 entries. Vikundi vilitarajiwa kufanya kazi kwa ushirikiano katika kipindi cha muhula. Mwalimu wa maktaba aliandaa mafunzo ya kwanza kwa darasa hilo mnamo Januari 19. Wanafunzi hao walimaliza kazi yao tarehe 30 Machi. Zaidi ya hayo, wanafunzi wote walipaswa kuwasilisha ripoti ya kila mtu ya mstari wa wakati ambao ulifafanua ni maandishi gani waliyoandika na orodha ya vyanzo vilivyotumiwa kuandika maandishi hayo. Mstari wa mwisho wa muda una vichwa 73 kuhusu Marekebisho. Je, una nia ya kutumia TimelineJS katika couse yako? Angalia utangulizi wetu kwa TimelineJS.