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
First-Year Experience Program
at 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.
First-Year Experience Model
at 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
Contributions of History Classes
to 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
America Grows Up:
This Thing Called Youth
Bethany 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.
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
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
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.
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.
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
taking care of her
younger siblings, mowing
the lawn with a push
mower, and dusting
furniture. She handwashed milk bottles and
used a tabletop churner to separate the
milk. She learned how to bake at a very
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
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.
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.
Propaganda, Music, and Revolution
Daniel 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.
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
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.
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
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
Propaganda, Music, and Revolution
Assignment II: What We Asked For
1. Choose one of the major Nationalist movements of the 19th
century (Italy, Germany, Austro-Hungary, Spain, and Russia)
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
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
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
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).
Controversy, Challenges, and Changes:
The Promise of Education
Joseph 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.
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
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, 18512005
• 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
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
Controversy, Challenges, and Changes
Microfilm Full Page
(excerpt)
Controversy, Challenges, and Changes
Advertisements
Students engage with
the entire newspaper,
including advertisements
Controversy, Challenges, and Changes
Other Types of News
Students engage with sports
news and local news
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
Controversy, Challenges, and Changes
Minot State University
Celebrating 100 Years: Our Place … Our Legacy … Our Vision.
A student float for one of the
Liberty Loan Parades.
Soldiers and spectators
gathered on the streets of
Minot after a Liberty Loan
Parade.
Minot Normal School was
very patriotic in supporting
the Great War. Students and
faculty took part in Liberty
Loan campaigns, parades,
and marches.
Group project example
Poster on student organizations
at Minot State Normal School
Clothes and blankets made by
the students of the 1918
summer session at Minot.
Henry Finn died on July
23, 1918, while giving
medical attention to
wounded soldiers in Noman’s Land. Minot Normal
School was informed in
September of that year of
his passing.
The women in this picture are
dressed in their Red Cross
Production Corps uniforms. This
voluntary branch of the Red Cross
produced clothing for the soldiers
on the front lines, surgical
dressings, and blankets.
Tablet located in the
Hall of Old Main that
honors those from the
campus that served in
armed forces during
WWI.
All photographs used with permission. MSU photograph Archives.
Members of the Production
Corp. posing for a picture
outside of Old Main.
Two trees were
planted to honor
Henry Finn and Fred
Cooper. The campus
has also planted a
memorial garden and
placed two white
crosses around the
trees, but are no
longer there today.
The center grave is the
first of Henry Finn’s
burial spots. His remains
were later moved to the
Oise-Aisne American
Cemetery at Fere-enTardenois, France.
Controversy, Challenges, and Changes
Minot State University
Celebrating 100 Years: Our Place … Our Legacy … Our Vision.
A student float for one of the
Liberty Loan Parades.
Soldiers and spectators
gathered on the streets of
Minot after a Liberty Loan
Parade.
Group project example
Poster on World War I activities
at Minot State Normal School
Clothes and blankets made by
the students of the 1918
summer session at Minot.
Henry Finn died on July
23, 1918, while giving
medical attention to
wounded soldiers in Noman’s Land. Minot Normal
School was informed in
September of that year of
his passing.
The women in this picture are
dressed in their Red Cross
Production Corps uniforms. This
voluntary branch of the Red Cross
produced clothing for the soldiers
on the front lines, surgical
dressings, and blankets.
Tablet located in the
Hall of Old Main that
honors those from the
campus that served in
armed forces during
WWI.
All photographs used with permission. MSU photograph Archives.
Minot Normal School was
very patriotic in supporting
the Great War. Students and
faculty took part in Liberty
Loan campaigns, parades,
and marches.
Members of the Production
Corp. posing for a picture
outside of Old Main.
Two trees were
planted to honor
Henry Finn and Fred
Cooper. The campus
has also planted a
memorial garden and
placed two white
crosses around the
trees, but are no
longer there today.
The center grave is the
first of Henry Finn’s
burial spots. His remains
were later moved to the
Oise-Aisne American
Cemetery at Fere-enTardenois, France.
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
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 twohanded 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.
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
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
It’s Only a Game . . . Until You LOSE!
Screenshots
Zanithyl
Uzia
Gromill
Halfschin
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 Çatal Hüyük 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?
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.
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.
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.
Perceptions of Greatness
Raymond 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.
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
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
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.
Perceptions of Greatness
Excerpt from student PowerPoint presentation
Thomas Jefferson
Perceptions of Greatness
Continuation of PowerPoint excerpt
An Elected Official & Representative
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.
Perceptions of Greatness
Continuation of PowerPoint excerpt
Politics and Beliefs
• 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
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.
Benefits of Applied History
Activities in 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
Benefits of Technology for
Experiential Learning 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)
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
For more information, contact
Bethany Andreasen
bethany.andreasen@minotstateu.edu
Daniel Ringrose
daniel.ringrose@minotstateu.edu
Joseph Jastrzembski
joseph.jastrzembski@minotstateu.edu
Tiffany Ziegler
tiffany.ziegler@minotstateu.edu
Raymond Screws
raymond.screws@minotstateu.edu