Applied History, Student Engagement Activities, and Technology in First-Year Experience Learning Communities

1. Applied History, Student Engagement Activities, and Technology in First-Year Experience Learning Communities Minot State University History Faculty Dr. Bethany Andreasen Dr. Daniel Ringrose Dr. Joseph Jastrzembski Dr. Tiffany Ziegler Dr. Raymond Screws

2. First-Year Experience Programat Minot State University • Intended to offer first-year students the opportunity to participate in a powerful learning experience that will inspire their transition to university life and learning through unique learning communities, peer mentors, and opportunities to engage with the campus and larger community. • Students who participate in the First-Year Experience register for three courses that are connected by a theme. Instructors work together to create meaningful assignments around the theme and across the courses. • The same students register for all three connected courses to form a learning community. Class sizes are restricted, in most cases, to approximately twenty students.

3. First-Year Experience Modelat Minot State University Students enroll in a First-Year Experience Learning Community (FYE) that consists of three classes: • INT 110 • Interdisciplinary freshman seminar focusing on the FYE theme (2 credits) • Two existing courses (2-4 credits each) • One or both are General Education courses • One may be a non-General Education course required in a particular major program

4. Contributions of History Classesto FYE Communities • Because of their breadth, History survey classes can contribute to a wide variety of FYE themes • All history survey courses at Minot State University offer General Education credit • FYE activities incorporate historical information and research with elements of the other disciplines that are part of the FYE

5. America Grows Up:This Thing Called YouthBethany Andreasen FYE Description Children, tweens, teenagers, adolescents, young adults—Each evokes a different image depending on when you grew up. Most of these descriptors didn't exist in 1900. Examine the evolution of American youth through the 20th century, including development of attitudes, behavior, and appearance of American youth and societal consequences.

6. America Grows Up Courses INT 110: Freshman Seminar HIST 104: United States History since 1877 ENGL 110: College Composition I Students Students from a variety of majors enrolled in this FYE

7. America Grows Up Use of Technology in the FYE Especially important in examining American youth and popular culture • Presentation of historical documentaries focused on the experience of American youth • Presentation of feature films popular with and/or portraying American youth during particular historical periods • Internet access to clips of popular music, television shows, images of toys, etc. • Some FYE students utilized digital images in the biographies they constructed

8. America Grows Up Biography Assignments Assignment 1: Interview a resident of Edgewood Vista (an assisted living community) and write a paper capturing part of an resident’s story about themselves, including their early years, and their memories of entertainment during their youth. Assignment 2: Based upon your further interviews of your resident, write a biography of them from birth to the age of 25. All of the biographies produced by the class will be collected in a book that will be placed in the Minot State University Library and the North Dakota State Library. Both assignments provided for review of paper drafts by peers (fellow students), Writing Center tutors, and by the residents themselves.

9. America Grows Up Excerpt from Resident Biography, written by FYE Student On July 20, 1924, Jane Doe was born in Todd County, Minnesota. She was born in a small one-story farm house where a doctor came to deliver her. She was born on a farm, but her family had only lived there for a few years. She is the eldest of four children, three girls and one boy. Jane’s grandmother, whom she spent much time with, nicknamed her “JJ,” and the name has stuck with her ever since. JJ moved to Esmond, North Dakota, a small town with about 400 people, and started first grade. Her home was a small one story house heated with an oil fuel furnace. Her family also had a small electric refrigerator in the kitchen. She stated, “Our refrigerator and oven were very small, nothing like we have today.” The stove was heated with both wood and coal which also produced some heat for their home. Her family had a pump well from which they hand pumped hard water to drink and use for cooking.

10. America Grows Up Continuation of Excerpt from Resident Biography She crossed the alley to her pastor’s house and filled buckets of softer water in which they wash their clothes. One day when she was getting soft water she saw her pastor giving his sons a bottle of beer and she couldn’t believe it. JJ shared a bedroom with her two sisters and all three of them slept in the same bed. Being she was the oldest, she held the most responsibilities such as young age. She first learned to bake bread and then advanced to baking cookies and cakes. Even though she had many responsibilities she still made time to have fun with friends. She and her girlfriends would visit often at each other’s houses and go to drive-in theaters on Saturday taking care of her younger siblings, mowing the lawn with a push mower, and dusting furniture. She hand- washed milk bottles and nights. She enjoyed listening and laughing at the different voices of the characters in the movies. She also spent a lot of time roller skating with “key skates” that just strapped onto her shoes. In the winter many of her friends would go to a giant hill where they would ski. JJ liked to watch them but she never dared to try it. used a tabletop churner to separate the milk. She learned how to bake at a very

11. America Grows Up Goals and Historical Connections The biography assignments required students to interview elderly members of the local community, undertaking historical research. In so doing, they were able to apply what they had learned in the classroom concerning the historical development of the United States during the first half of the twentieth century, as well as the changing nature of the experience of American youth during that period. This process reinforced and expanded their understanding of the daily experiences of average Americans over time.

12. Propaganda, Music, and RevolutionDaniel Ringrose Description Art and music have been closely linked to movements of nationalism and revolution, both as tools of propaganda and as reflections of national pulse. These classes will examine the relationships between social, industrial, and political revolutions of the last two-and-a-half centuries, and the art, literature, and music that were born of each.

13. Propaganda, Music, and Revolution Courses INT 110: Freshman Seminar HIST 102: Western Civilization since 1789 MUSC 124: Music Theory II Students Music majors enrolled in this FYE

14. Propaganda, Music, and Revolution Assignment I: What We Asked For Select a historical text from among several provided by the instructors. Set this text to original music, between 30-60 seconds long, in a manner that complements the meaning of the text and reflects the musical language of the time. Provide a 2-page supporting document that explains the context of the text, why it is important, and what is going on in your music. You may either use the words (or some of the words) for a song, or as inspiration for a piece of music without words. For example, processional, dance, or background music which would fit a situation, or a piece of chamber music which depicts the feeling of a moment or movement.

15. Propaganda, Music, and Revolution Types of texts provided • Poem by Voltaire on the Lisbon Earthquake • French Revolutionary song text • Verse/Ballad from 19th century British coal miners • Scottish poem/newspaper clipping on cholera (1831) • Nutritional chart of peasant diet and calories • Image of the guillotine and French Revolutionary justice • Image and description of the Festival of the Supreme Being in Revolutionary France

16. Propaganda, Music, and Revolution Assignment I: What We Received • Original songs and non-choral pieces • Full scores for multiple instruments and/or voices • Four classes were spent editing scores and performing draft versions with the class • Final versions were introduced and directed by the composer, with classmates performing and entire class as audience • Performances were recorded

17. Propaganda, Music, and Revolution Assignment II: What We Asked For • Choose one of the major Nationalist movements of the 19th century (Italy, Germany, Austro-Hungary, Spain, and Russia) • Locate an authentic folk tune, or an authentic tune used by a classical composer from that nation during that same time period. Important Nationalist composers include Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Verdi, Wagner, Smetana, as well as many others. • Use this folk tune, or a portion of this folk tune, as the basis for a patriotic song that could be taught in an elementary school setting. As children from across a region learn and hear this song, the concept of belonging to a larger, unified group would be reinforced. Your song should be at least two stanzas long, and should include a chorus that hammers home the message. Text may be borrowed from a period source, written by you, or a combination. • Score it for solo voice and piano and keep in mind the most effective musical characteristics for both the audience and purpose, including rhythm, harmony, melody, and texture.

18. Propaganda, Music, and Revolution Assignment II: What We Received • Pieces suitable for all ages • Anthems that reflected 19th century nationalism • Creative Lyrics, Historical Awareness • 2 and 4-part choral arrangements • Tunes as the basis of the piece • Tunes woven into or reworked into hybrid or new music

19. Propaganda, Music, and Revolution Experiential learning activities • Multiple iterations/drafts and public performances for both assignments • Students composed, directed, and performed their work with their peers • Students introduced their projects and peers discussed the music, lyrics, performance issues, and connection to historical themes

20. Propaganda, Music, and Revolution Goals and Historical Connections These assignments let students manipulate and experience historical texts and themes by creating original songs, pieces, or anthems. This created a strong understanding of the social conditions of revolution and industrial life (assignment I) and of 19th century nationalism (assignment II).

21. Controversy, Challenges, and Changes:The Promise of EducationJoseph Jastrzembski Description Walk in the footsteps of Minot’s pioneers in education. Discover the difficulties they encountered and overcame in constructing and managing a campus in what some state leaders considered as a “rowdy” and “immoral” community.  Experience history with the five senses as we examine the music, photographs, artifacts, and physical landscape of Minot State University’s past. INT 110 will merge with an a broader examination of the foundations of the American educational system (ED 250) and in concert with a sweeping look at the American experience and understanding of liberty (HIST 104) starting with the end of the American Civil War. Join us as we examine the controversies, challenges, and evolutionary changes of education in our nation.

22. Controversy, Challenges, and Changes Courses INT 110: Freshman Seminar HIST 104: United States History since 1877 ED 250: Foundations of Education Students History majors and Education majors provided almost all of the enrollment for this FYE

23. Controversy, Challenges, and Changes Assignment 1 Students worked with primary sources to tie historical developments in American education to their historical context. • Identified “events” • Located events using the New York Times, 1851-2005 • Utilized skills developed in information literacy session on the use of the New York Times print index, ProQuest Historical Newspapers: New York Times database, and microfilm

24. Controversy, Challenges, and Changes Sample ProQuest Full Text Article (excerpt) Database article: Provides relevant educational content but no context Sample ProQuest Article Full Page (excerpt) Full page provides context as well as content

25. Controversy, Challenges, and Changes Microfilm Full Page (excerpt)

26. Controversy, Challenges, and Changes Advertisements Students engage with the entire newspaper, including advertisements

27. Controversy, Challenges, and Changes Other Types of News Students engage with sports news and local news

28. Controversy, Challenges, and Changes Team Research Poster Presentation One of the requirements for passing this course is for your team to research and offer a poster session on an approved topic to the campus population. • Posters will be reproduced at the campus publications office • Public history resource lab will be accessible for use (by appointment and during class) • Each team member must be able to talk about, discuss, and answer questions about the poster and topic independently for 3-5 minutes • Notes cards are allowed, but you cannot read from the cards • You must cite all sources for text and photographs • Innovation is a plus for poster design and use of support materials and technologies

29. Controversy, Challenges, and Changes Group project example Poster on student organizations at Minot State Normal School

30. Controversy, Challenges, and Changes Group project example Poster on World War I activities at Minot State Normal School

31. Controversy, Challenges, and Changes Goals and Historical Connections 1. The New York Times project developed skills that students utilized in researching the history of Minot State University • Locating and using primary sources • Seeking and understanding historical context 2. The Minot State University history project allowed students to utilize their familiarity with primary sources to research and to place their own university and its story in historical context

32. It’s Only a Game . . . Until You LOSE!Tiffany Ziegler Description As any high level hunter, mage, warlock, or druid can tell you, gaming is serious business, especially when you're down to two hit points and you’re staring down the two- handed sword of your enemy. Online role-playing games seriously challenge the way we understand common concepts like culture, gender, communication, language, and identity. In our course/guild we explore these themes and more through discussion, reading, research, writing . . . and, of course, gaming.

33. It’s Only a Game . . . Until You LOSE! Courses INT 110: Freshman Seminar HIST 211: World Civilizations to 1500 ENGL 110: College Composition Students Students from a variety of majors enrolled in this FYE

34. It’s Only a Game . . . Until You LOSE! INT 110: In-class activity • Log into your World of Warcraft (WoW) account • Create a screenshot of your toon • Post the screenshot on the FYE Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/groups/FYEOnly

35. It’s Only a Game . . . Until You LOSE! Screenshots Zanithyl Uzia Halfschin Gromill

36. It’s Only a Game . . . Until You LOSE! History 211: Mini-Boss Fight One • The Task: Identify the characteristics of a “civilization” as explained in class and/or in your book by ranking the characteristics in order of importance, being sure to explain your rationale for your choices. This is the first part of your essay response. • In the second part of your essay, indicate, using specific evidence (from lecture, the textbook, and the documents), how these characteristics are either present or not present in two of the following: 1. Mesopotamian cities, 2. the cities of the Indus River Valley (Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa), and finally 3. the city of ÇatalHüyük in modern-day Turkey. • For the third part of your essay think back to the first time you played WoW…the day you created your toon. What parallels can you draw between the beginning of the game and early civilizations, especially concerning success and failure?

37. It’s Only a Game . . . Until You LOSE! Example of Student Response: Uzia In the World of Warcraft, or Azeroth, there are countless examples of why it is indeed a civilization. There is a bank, auction house, and person-to-person trade, which are all ways of not just long-distance trade, but personal trade. There is in game mail, the heroes call board, and even an achievement system which is a way of keeping permanent records. It most definitely has a significant number of people engaged in non-food-producing activities. Those activities being archeology, jewel crafting, blacksmithing, and a lot more. Cities that serve as administrative centers would be Stormwind, Ironforge, The Exodar, Darnasus, and possibly even Dalaran. The statues I the entrance to Stormwind, the Stormwind cathedral and even the Stormwind castle could all be considered monumental buildings. The Eastern Kingdoms is ruled by King Varian Wrynn, so there is obviously a political system. Believe it or not, there are quite a few status distinctions. There are raiders, PVPers, role players, people who play the auction house, and noobs. Blacksmithing and leather working are advances in science and art. I would say Azeroth is indeed a civilization.

38. It’s Only a Game . . . Until You LOSE! Example of Student Response: Zanithyl The World of Warcraft and the early civilizations have many similarities. To begin is the act of trading. In the game you can find armor, pelts, and other merchandise to trade among the people. Also there is a large trading center that players will go to trade their goods, which is much like how trade was done in early civilizations. The merchandise was brought to a central location, such as Harappa, and from there people would trade their goods among each other much like the game of WoW. Another similarity between WoW and the early civilizations is the domesticated animals. Hunters have an animal that will help them while they are on their missions, much like hunting dogs used in the earlier civilizations. Hunting dogs were used to retrieve birds and protect the people, like the hunters animal in the game of WoW. The last similarity is the structure of hierarchy. There are people in the game who have achieved high levels that can easily kill or manipulate those that are lower levels. If you look at the levels as wealth you can relate them to early civilizations. The wealthier you are the more successful you are in early civilizations. Classes are produce because the players who are higher levels will form together to beat those of lower levels much like civilizations.

39. It’s Only a Game . . . Until you LOSE! Goals and Historical Connections We tend to look down on video games—they are only for play and recreation.  Yet, video games can be used in academic settings as well to strengthen student learning.  This assignment allowed students to make historical connections in a non-traditional manner.  By playing WoW while writing their papers, students were able to draw tangible parallels to the earliest of civilizations.  Writing a paper, reading documents, and having a class discussion do help students to understand history, but when history comes to life in the form of a video game students move beyond simple understanding to experience.

40. Perceptions of GreatnessRaymond Screws Description Development of the atomic bomb, the invention of penicillin, and the Packers winning the Super Bowl – all great events, but what makes each great? To explore this question and many others, sign up for this cohort where you will examine historical actors and events considered to be great and analyze the reasons why they have been accorded this status. You will also delve into the performance aspects of a historical drama and examine how it impacts your perceptions of the great events and/or great people being portrayed. You will explore genres such as sports, music, literature, art, and biographies to define greatness in each context.

41. Perceptions of Greatness Courses INT 110: Freshman Seminar HIST 103: United States History to 1877 THEA 110: Introduction to Theatre Arts Students Students from a variety of majors enrolled in this FYE

42. Perceptions of Greatness Focus Topic The topic that each class used for the most focused interconnection was the Salem Witch Trials. Each class participated in an activity that utilized this historical moment. • HIST 104—Studied the trials as part of the development of Puritan Massachusetts • INT 110—Studied particular individuals involved in the trials as possible examples of greatness • THEA 110—Studied Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible, and were involved in some manner with the campus production of the play

43. Perceptions of Greatness HIST 103 and INT 110 Dual Assignment Students wrote research papers for HIST 103 that covered some aspect of American History that covered the theme “Perceptions of Greatness.” The INT 110 instructor then had the students create PowerPoint presentations to supplement their research papers.

44. Perceptions of Greatness Excerpt from student PowerPoint presentation Thomas Jefferson

45. Perceptions of Greatness An Elected Official & Representative Continuation of PowerPoint excerpt • Locally Magistrate County Lieutenant House of Burgesses Virginia Legislature Governor of VA • Nationally First & Second Continental Congresses American Minister to France Fist Secretary of State Second Vice President Third President of the U.S.

46. Perceptions of Greatness Politics and Beliefs Continuation of PowerPoint excerpt • Leader of the Democratic-Republican Party • Opposed a strong central government and championed states rights • Virginia’s Legal Code and statute for Religious Freedom • Separation of church and state • The importance of education • Dedicated advocate for Liberty "I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man." - Thomas Jefferson

47. Perceptions of Greatness Goals and Historical Connections Among the central purposes of history are the promotion of a better understanding of the course of human experience, and creation of the ability to rationally and reflectively utilize that information, where relevant, in the process of making decisions in one's life.  For this reason, the course will focus not only on the who, what, where, and when of history, but also the why and how of history.  The lessons, examinations, and paper that are part of the course will ask the student to use the factual knowledge he or she gains about the American past to formulate and evaluate hypotheses about the reasons underlying historical developments and the ways in which they took place.

48. Benefits of Applied HistoryActivitiesin FYEs • FYEs provide rich opportunities for assignments requiring students to apply knowledge and skills from their courses in a “hands-on” environment • Historical themes ground FYE projects and create common focus and connection to events and ideas • Students are able to draw connections among their classes, especially when there are parallel assignments • Students come to understand the relevance of General Education classes to their majors • Multiple revisions result in products that are more sophisticated and better grounded in an accurate understanding of history

49. Benefits of Technology forExperientialLearning in History • Technology makes it possible to create opportunities for students to interact not only with written texts, but also with images, music, and video • Many students enter with sufficient technical mastery, which faculty can leverage to gain their interest in the topics under study • When properly-designed, hands-on technology-based projects require a significant level of student engagement • Technology-based projects are easily shared with wider audiences (just remember to ask students to sign releases)

50. Conclusions and Advice • Technology doesn’t make the process easier • Requires more class time to direct the project • Technical problems can result in loss of material • Great potential for time-wasting moments of distraction • Communication, planning, and follow-up are essential or your technology-based project will fail • Projects work best if all students have same access to the particular device(s) that you plan to use