BEA Ignite shares the best peer-reviewed enterprise ideas for the classroom. In the 2017 edition held April 25th, presenters had 5 minutes to share 20 slides of the top teaching ideas at the annual convention of the Broadcast Education Association.

1. BEA IGNITE
Michael Huntsberger
Linfield College
Surfing as Pedagogy:
The Mass MediaTimeline Project

2. Getting :
Surfing as
Pedagogy:The
Mass Media
Timeline
Project
Michael Huntsberger
Department of Mass Communication
Linfield College, McMinnville OR USA
Broadcast Education Association - Ignite!
LasVegas, NV = April 2017
Improving

3. The problem
• Students not interested in [media] history.
• Students lack training in historical research methods.
• Too many facts, too many details.
The result
• Disengaged students.
• Poor research projects.
Image licensed for noncommercial use at https://
c2.staticflickr.com/8/7277/7658254172_091a89cd3b_b.jpg

4. The idea
• Hunting for Buried Treasure:
Let students discover historical
facts using the vast resources of
the World Wide Web.
Image licensed for noncommercial use at https://upload.wikimedia.org/
wikipedia/commons/0/01/Pg_076_-_Buried_Treasure_(contrast).jpg

5. The assignment
• Goal: Research events and developments in the history of mass
communication; prepare and place short reports in an interactive multimedia
timeline; finished timeline on public display in college library
• Process:
• Choose project leaders/editors (by application)
• Small groups investigate and report on timeline apps; instructor selects
• Each student prepares a total of at least nine reports, across six historical
periods; periodic deadlines over eight weeks
• Written abstracts to instructor; class members post information and media
to Google spreadsheet; project editors review, revise, etc.

6. Project evaluation(rubric)
• Reports evaluated for content, form, and functionality using the
following scale:
• Excellent - 14/15 points
• Satisfactory - 12/13 points
• Acceptable - 10/11 points
• Unacceptable - 0 points
• Bonus for completing all nine required reports - 25 points
• 5 points extra credit for additional project contributions (limit 5)

7. The Application: https://timeline.knightlab.com/

8. The Timeline JS spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/
1spyLEQAKIlZUNBbDDOBUtzEV_SWkSFNiANyETPikKQU/edit#gid=0

9. The online document: https://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/timeline3/latest/embed/index.html?
source=1spyLEQAKIlZUNBbDDOBUtzEV_SWkSFNiANyETPikKQU&font=Default&lang=
en&initial_zoom=2&height=650

10. Outomes
“I never thought I'd take a
history class in college, yet
here I am. I am thankful to
have taken this class and am
glad I have learned so
much.”
“1wasn't sure I would be
interested in this course but
it has turned out to be one
of my favorite classes that
I've ever taken!”