The Impact of Using Digital Timelines in the Social Studies Classroom

In this study, the process and effects of integrating an innovative technology were examined in one U.S. history teacher’s classroom. Specifically, the impact on the teacher and the students from using digital timelines to understand history are presented. Recommendations from this study include: (a) the importance of examining and including a variety of documents to present multiple perspectives and to portray different voices in a digital timeline, (b) the need for the teacher to articulate and describe the how and the why of the digital timeline assignments as it relates to understanding historical content knowledge, and (c) the need for students to think critically about the dates, events, and figures included in their timelines.