My research interests center on the intersection of social studies education and media, using critical and socio-cultural theories to make sense of how teachers and students make sense of, and utilize, different forms of media in teaching and learning social studies (i.e., film, video games, web). In particular, I am interested in the role of ideology on the part of curriculum and instructional media producers, as well as teachers, has on student conceptions of citizenship and history within the context of social studies education.

Ongoing Research Projects

Virtual Historical Field Trips

I am current in the data analysis stage of an instrumental case study of Colonial Williamsburg's Electronic Field Trip Program.  Specifically, I am examining their model, essentially a hybrid distance learning model, in order to better understand its affordances and constraints for use in the social studies as a model for historical virtual field trips. In addition, I am doing a pedagogical content analysis of two modules in particular, The Slave Trade and Jamestown Unearthed for the content and perspectives included as well as how they engage students in authentic instruction and historical thinking. Finally, I am examining the role of ideology in the production of curriculum media and how conceptions of citizenship and history on the part of curriculum and instructional media producers may impact teachers and students who participate in the curriculum.

Stoddard, J. (in preparation) A virtual field trip model for the social studies. Manuscript in preparation.

Stoddard, J. Colonial Williamsburg’s Electronic Field Trip Model: A Model Virtual Field Trip for the Social Studies? Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New York, NY, March 24, 2008.

Teaching and Learning History with Film

I am in the process of publishing the results of my dissertation research, titled Is That How It Really Happened? Using Film To Engage Students In Historical Thinking, in a series of manuscripts. Essentially, I wanted to better understand how teachers utilized both fiction an documentary film to teach history, what students were being asked to do with information from the films, and how these films and activities affected students understanding of the past and how films act as historical sources.

Major themes from the study include: the use of film to help students develop historical empathy, both in the form of perspective recognition and affectively for caring (using Barton & Levstik's terms);  the impact of teachers' epistemological views of film as historical sources and how that impacts their practice with film (i.e., they viewed documentary film as being historical truth); the use of film as a medium for discussion controversial historical issues and students' experiences (e.g., students with little previous knowledge of an event were heavily influenced by often one-sided films and activities); and the various uses of different types of film for diverse purposes in the classroom (as engaging content, for historical inquiry, as a way to bring in different perspectives).

Below are early papers from presentations and manuscripts that have been published or are under review.

Stoddard, J. (in review). The competing roles of epistemology and ideology in teachers’ pedagogy with historical media. Manuscript submitted for publication.

Stoddard, J. (in review). The ideological implications of using “educational” film to teach controversial events. Manuscript submitted for publication.

Stoddard, J. (2007). Attempting to understand the lives of others: Film as a tool for developing historical empathy. In A. Marcus (Ed.) Celluloid blackboard: Teaching history with film. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.

Epistemology Drives Pedagogy: Two History Teachers’ Practice with Film. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL, April 11 2007.

Film as a Tool for Engaging Students in Historical Thinking. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Education Research Association, San Francisco, April 11, 2006.

Tinsel Town as Teacher

Marcus, A. & Stoddard, J. (May/June, 2007). Tinsel town as teacher: Hollywood film in the high school history classroom. The History Teacher, 40(3), 303-330.

Stoddard, J. & Marcus, A. (Spring, 2006). The burden of historical representation: Race, freedom and “educational” Hollywood film. Film & History, 36(1), 26-35.

Stoddard, J. & Marcus, A. (Spring 2005). Based on a true story: Using Hollywood film in history classes. The Journal: Wisconsin Council for the Social Studies, 4(1), 40-46.

9/11 Curriculum & Textbook Study

I worked with Professor Diana Hess in the analysis of curriculum created and distributed by different organizations in the period immediately following the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001. I am currently working on a follow up study of popular high school U.S. History, World History, and Government textbooks for the ways in which they incorporated the events of 9/11 and the war on terror. This study utilized primarily qualitative textual analysis of the curriculum materials and some interviews with curriculum producers. We have focused on assessment items related to 9/11 in the curriculum and text and how they are used to scaffold student engagement, especially in how they may or may not engage students in examining the events of 9/11 and terrorism as controversial or contested.

Hess, D., Stoddard, J. & Murto, S. (forthcoming, 2008). Examining the Treatment of 9/11 and Terrorism in High School Textbooks. In J. Bixby & J. Pace (Eds.) Educating Democratic Citizens in Troubled Times: Qualitative Studies of Current Efforts. Albany, NY: SUNY Press.

Hess, D. & Stoddard, J. (2007). 9/11 and terrorism: “The ultimate teachable moment” in textbooks and supplemental curricula. Social Education, 71(5), 230-236.

Hess, D., Stoddard, J., & Freedman, E. (in preparation). September 11, 2001: A case study of curricular controversy. Manuscript in preparation.

Other Related Publications:

In addition to larger research projects, I have two articles and a book chapter in press or under review that relate to teaching and learning with media in the social studies.

Stoddard, J., Hofer, M., & Buchanan, M. (April, 2008). The ‘starving time’ wikinquiry: Using a wiki to foster historical inquiry. Social Education, 72 (3), 144-146, 158-160.

Stoddard, J. (in press) Socratic seminar: A model for film discussion in the social studies. In E. Heilman, R. Fruja & M. Missias (Eds.) Social studies and diversity teacher education: What we do and why we do it.

Manfra, M. & Stoddard, J.* (in press). Powerful and authentic digital media and strategies for teaching genocide and the Holocaust. Manuscript submitted for publication.

* Fully co-authored work