Spotlight, April 2015
Professor Sandweiss wanted his W125: Cities and History students to accomplish these goals:
to understand the history of cities and urbanizations worldwide to the present time
to think in visual terms (historians primarily use text)
to write clear, original work relating to change over time—history’s stock-in-trade
To help achieve these objectives, Prof. Sandweiss developed online course resources, such as unit information and readings, along with a collection area and exhibition area for students’ research—a virtual museum exhibit. Students engaged in research, collaborative learning, and digital writing using digital imagery. Working collaboratively using Google sites as a platform, students uploaded digital artifacts that were classified along particular themes. Students used a template that was created for the class to help organize their text and image elements into a coherent narrative for the virtual exhibit.
Eric Sandweiss is a Chairman, Professor, and Carmony Chair for the Department of History; Editor for the Indiana Magazine of History; and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology.