TimelineJS is a tool that organizes content based on a timeline of events. This is very useful for dealing with a history of events and attaching interactive photos and descriptions of each notable step in the history of a larger theme to gain context. This free tool creates professional results, which can be seen on news sites such as Time and CNN. A timeline can serve as a valuable resource in explaining the history around a subject in the classroom. This TimelineJS of interactive user interfaces is a good example. A timeline history of women in computing is embedded at the bottom of this article. This tool prompts interaction more than a plain document, reading, or video, and can be useful in getting students to engage with the content.
Timelines are designed to be easy to create and do not require web design experience. This makes it perfect for both student projects and materials that faculty create. Some examples of potential timelines:
- A timeline of events to show the historical context of a modern day issue or event
- A timeline of the change in a technology, the environment or an element of society
- A senior student’s ePortfolio built as a timeline, documenting their growth through their college career
- A course syllabus that contains an interactive timeline of the semester
TimelineJS provides instructions for creating your own timeline. This can be done almost entirely with Google Sheets and can be shared in a way that allows you to embed your sheet in a Canvas page or other website. To embed your content in a Canvas page, follow our directions for other items that can be embedded with an iframe code.
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