Papers by Robert Roy Foresman
In the April 2016 article listed within the laudable pages of Perspectives on History, the newsma... more In the April 2016 article listed within the laudable pages of Perspectives on History, the newsmagazine of the American Historical Association, James Grossman and Emily Swafford present the AHA's four-year reconsideration of the " purpose and content of history education in colleges and universities " in Graduate Education Reconsidered. The common sense " outcomes-based approach " to history education display foresight by the AHA in this commendable work. This sagacity is due, in part, to the AHA's History Tuning project that is evaluating what skill sets and curriculum are most valuable for students. This suggested pedagogical approach directs faculty and administration to encourage and prepare students to discover alternative historical careers after college, outside the field of academia. Grossman and Swafford suggest that a type of historical 'gate' exists for which only about " half of our PhDs " squeeze through to find the ardent, supple fields of " lifetime faculty tenure. " Quite simply, there is a disproportionate amount of us that can secure tenure-track appointments upon graduation. So in calibrating the AHA's current position on the purpose and content of history education, colleges, and universities, as the writers suggest, need an " outcomes-based approach " that requires " articulating purposes and goals " to provoke change. Part of the AHA's position change focuses on educational vicissitudes on the undergraduate level, where placing emphasis on the " role of the history major in liberal education " is needed. The other proposition the article presents is that there needs to be a replacement of the " broad rubric of 'critical thinking' with the more precise 'historical thinking' as our contribution to that education. " So what is this historical thinking they mention? How does it differ from the rubric of critical thinking? More importantly, why does it matter? According to the AHA article, it matters because it expands employment opportunities and career diversity. It also matters because, as Grossman and Swafford suggest, history " programs are still preparing students for jobs that most of our Ph.D. students will never occupy. Perhaps more important, we are squandering opportunities to increase the influence of historical thinking in contexts outside the professoriate. We are also squandering resources by ignoring those alumni who have not followed the route for which they were prepared. " British historian E. H. Carr indicated in What is History? that it is " not a single, well-defined narrative or bundle of facts that can be memorized, but a terrain of contestation between competing and evolving interpretations whose influence is as much shaped by time and place as by any given set of facts. " This statement seems to answer some portion of the original question. However, what about thinking?
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In the spring semester of 2015, I was given the opportunity to develop a digital history project ... more In the spring semester of 2015, I was given the opportunity to develop a digital history project at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Since my historical interest mainly involves baseball, and at that time I was researching the 1879 Northwestern Baseball League for a book, I was thinking about what options there might be to create a digital history project that included the 1879 NWBL. At that time, I had recently discovered that the league had only played half of its season when it folded in mid-July. One of the obvious historical questions that had been on my mind was that if a complete ‘championship season’ ran its’ course in 1879, who would have won? Was there a way to simulate the season that might provide this information? I had done this on other gaming platforms with contemporary baseball rosters and seasons. Then, I realized that Out of the Park Baseball 16 (OOTPB) provided a perfect opportunity to uniquely answer this question. This is how my idea for a digital history project came about. OOTP Baseball allows the user to recreate historical baseball leagues or even develop fictional leagues at the creators’ discretion. For this project, parameters were set to function in 1879, and the league with all the historical data gathered was included. The 36-game season was the framework for this ‘tryout’ that included a Championship series occurring at the end of the simulated 1879 season. The simulation model was set for 10 seasons to give an impartial representation of what the actual results might have been if a whole season had been played.
The emergent digital game-based learning (DGBL) concept is attracting educational enthusiasts across the world. This article will follow that global trend and demonstrate how Out of the Park Baseball provides a valuable framework for classroom-based, DGBL projects. The aim of this article is to exhibit the benefits, learning outcomes and potential for DGBL baseball projects in college and high school classrooms. This commentary will also reveal that DGBL can provide learning engagement and motivation for students when given the opportunity to participate in similar DGBL ventures. The editorial will offer a brief explanation of DGBL and provide simulation results, comparative analysis and conceptual modeling for a DGBL baseball project utilizing Out of the Park Baseball. Additionally, the work will provide learning outcomes for the classroom project and includes a suggested reading list that potential instructors may access. The hope is that this article will be referenced as a curriculum development resource in future DGBL projects.
Please feel free to contact me at foresmanrr@lopers.unk.edu with any questions or for the opportunity to collaborate further. The full article is free and open to the public.
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William Bradford was a leader in the English Protestant reform movement, and would become a long-... more William Bradford was a leader in the English Protestant reform movement, and would become a long-tenured Governor of the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts beginning in 1621. In his historical work, Of Plymouth Plantation, Bradford chronicles a detailed account of the English Protestants who fled England after persecution from British authorities and dominant religious groups in the late 16th Century to the Dutch Republic near Amsterdam (Netherlands). Subsequently, Bradford chronicles the historical events that occurred when the Puritans (a pejorative term applied to the English Protestants ) depart Leyden (Leiland, Netherlands) immigrating to the North American colonies at Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620. The scope of work covers a timeline between 1590 until 1657. The current format of this work was not the original intent of Bradford, however he indicated in his writings:
"I have bene the larger in these things, and so shall Grave leave in some like passages following, (thoug in other things I shal labour to be more contrate,) that their children may see with what difficulties their fathers wrastled in going throug these things in their first beginnings, and how God brought them along notwithstanding all their weaknesses and infirmities. As allso that some use may be made hereof in after times by others in such like waightie imployments"
So, from Bradford’s own words, we understand that his purpose in this interpretation is to have a chronicled account of events that befell the Puritan immigrants in Plymouth so as others might be able to examine the legacy at a later date. A characterization, or depiction of Bradford’s history is surely providential, as throughout the work he relates multiple accounts of how ‘God brought them along’ and their communal purpose was pre-ordained, destined by God himself. Although we may consider Bradford’s account as providential on the surface, there are strengths and weaknesses in this chronicle that develop upon critical examination.
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Conference Presentations by Robert Roy Foresman
Technological innovations in the early twentieth century helped to forge a new family dynamic tha... more Technological innovations in the early twentieth century helped to forge a new family dynamic that provided opportunities for women of the Great Plains to explore art, literature and music. Not only were these innovations instrumental in providing avenues for cultural exploration that had otherwise been marginalized in the daily life of women and their families, their introduction in the rural homes of the Great Plains were representative of a national, cultural shift from a nascent to modern lifestyle. Some of these technological innovations were critical to augmenting women’s labor in the rural home, providing her and the family with increased time for cultural and social pursuits. While scholarship has been devoted to the impact of technological innovations in the home such as electricity, modern appliances or implements on the daily life and labors of rural women in the early twentieth century, Edison’s phonograph has been somewhat undervalued. Mari Sandoz’s posthumous work, The Christmas of the Phonograph Records, A Recollection, provides a strong illustration of the impact of Edison’s musical innovation on a rural home in early twentieth century America—and furthermore is representative of how an innovation was capable of changing the rural household dynamic. This research will explore the impact of the phonograph on the American pastoral family in the first decade of the twentieth century, and provide a critical review of Sandoz’s work as the theme.
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An abundance of professional and amateur historians, baseball enthusiasts and sports reporters ha... more An abundance of professional and amateur historians, baseball enthusiasts and sports reporters have discussed the Northwestern Baseball League that began in 1879 over the course of 135 years. It has been included in many baseball chronicles, and the brevity of discussion has been limited to, utilizing baseball vernacular—one-inning of a nine-inning game. At first glance, many publications present the beginning and end of the 1879 Northwestern League through a generalized summary. However, Angelo J. Louisa and Robert P. Nash have revealed the contours of the 1879 Northwestern Baseball League in an excellent review of the development of professional baseball in Nebraska during the nineteenth Century. Their article, Growing in the River City: The Development of Professional Baseball in 19th Century Omaha, was the source and inspiration for this study, and is commendable.
The accounts of the 1879 Northwestern League, as presented by Louisa and Nash and other researchers, are incomplete. A close investigation of the 1879 Northwestern League, particularly the Omaha Green Stockings, gives clearer understanding of its development and demise. The research indicates that many publications ineffectually represent the rich and vibrant story of the 1879 Northwestern League, and it is useful to continue to develop scholarship. Through scrutinizing historical data, a contour of the historical baseball landscape of the 1879 Northwestern Baseball League will become clear.
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Goals: To explore the wartime service record of Walter Matthau, famed American actor and comic. T... more Goals: To explore the wartime service record of Walter Matthau, famed American actor and comic. This paper explores his journalistic efforts during World War II that was discovered by Robert Roy Foresman in the fall of 2014.
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Publications by Robert Roy Foresman
This research chronicles the development of early twentieth-century small-town baseball in Buffal... more This research chronicles the development of early twentieth-century small-town baseball in Buffalo County, Nebraska. The central theme of this study is Winfield Charles Noyes and his early municipal and professional minor league baseball career. The research begins with an in-depth examination into Noyes’ family and biographical history from 1889 to 1907, and then follows in an exploration into Buffalo County town team baseball in 1908 and 1909. Finally, the research concludes with a succinct examination of the Kearney Kapitalists and the Nebraska State Baseball League in 1910.
The scholarship provides an opportunity to explore the development of rural Nebraska baseball within the context of cultural, social, and economic history. The thesis will also serve as a case study of small-town Nebraska baseball during the Progressive Era. The goal of this thesis is to highlight the importance of the socio-cultural world of early twentieth-century Buffalo County and its’ relationship to the development of rural Nebraska baseball.
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On July 17, 1941, the streak ended. Many people know immediately what that streak is—explaining i... more On July 17, 1941, the streak ended. Many people know immediately what that streak is—explaining it is not even necessary. Certainly, the title gives plenty of foreshadowing to “the rest of the story,” as Paul Harvey used to say. However, as stories go, we must explain the beginning before we get to the end—and in this saga the beginning starts in Cleveland. For those of you who are impatient, the story is about baseball; however, you will find that this tale contains so much more. You should also know that this narrative, while about baseball, is ultimately a mystery. Of course, there are many of you who are saying, “What story starts in Cleveland?” nevertheless; the writer will attempt to dissuade that opinion. This book examines the hex, or jinx put on the New York Yankees' Joe DiMaggio by an unsuspecting Cleveland cabbie on July 17, 1941. While there have been many publications that review Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak, and many that mention this Cleveland cab driver, no solid evidence or background has been provided on this particular subject. Further, many have overlooked the historical importance of the mysterious Cleveland cabbie; this work will attempt to accomplish this task. This book is a case in short; it reveals information not previously known to the baseball community at large and offers, through the course of investigation, new insights into the reasons for the ending of Joe DiMaggio's now legendary consecutive games hit streak. In this case the reader will find out just who this cabbie was, and discover how the cabdriver contributes to a new, previously untold baseball narrative.
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Papers by Robert Roy Foresman
The emergent digital game-based learning (DGBL) concept is attracting educational enthusiasts across the world. This article will follow that global trend and demonstrate how Out of the Park Baseball provides a valuable framework for classroom-based, DGBL projects. The aim of this article is to exhibit the benefits, learning outcomes and potential for DGBL baseball projects in college and high school classrooms. This commentary will also reveal that DGBL can provide learning engagement and motivation for students when given the opportunity to participate in similar DGBL ventures. The editorial will offer a brief explanation of DGBL and provide simulation results, comparative analysis and conceptual modeling for a DGBL baseball project utilizing Out of the Park Baseball. Additionally, the work will provide learning outcomes for the classroom project and includes a suggested reading list that potential instructors may access. The hope is that this article will be referenced as a curriculum development resource in future DGBL projects.
Please feel free to contact me at foresmanrr@lopers.unk.edu with any questions or for the opportunity to collaborate further. The full article is free and open to the public.
"I have bene the larger in these things, and so shall Grave leave in some like passages following, (thoug in other things I shal labour to be more contrate,) that their children may see with what difficulties their fathers wrastled in going throug these things in their first beginnings, and how God brought them along notwithstanding all their weaknesses and infirmities. As allso that some use may be made hereof in after times by others in such like waightie imployments"
So, from Bradford’s own words, we understand that his purpose in this interpretation is to have a chronicled account of events that befell the Puritan immigrants in Plymouth so as others might be able to examine the legacy at a later date. A characterization, or depiction of Bradford’s history is surely providential, as throughout the work he relates multiple accounts of how ‘God brought them along’ and their communal purpose was pre-ordained, destined by God himself. Although we may consider Bradford’s account as providential on the surface, there are strengths and weaknesses in this chronicle that develop upon critical examination.
Conference Presentations by Robert Roy Foresman
The accounts of the 1879 Northwestern League, as presented by Louisa and Nash and other researchers, are incomplete. A close investigation of the 1879 Northwestern League, particularly the Omaha Green Stockings, gives clearer understanding of its development and demise. The research indicates that many publications ineffectually represent the rich and vibrant story of the 1879 Northwestern League, and it is useful to continue to develop scholarship. Through scrutinizing historical data, a contour of the historical baseball landscape of the 1879 Northwestern Baseball League will become clear.
Publications by Robert Roy Foresman
The scholarship provides an opportunity to explore the development of rural Nebraska baseball within the context of cultural, social, and economic history. The thesis will also serve as a case study of small-town Nebraska baseball during the Progressive Era. The goal of this thesis is to highlight the importance of the socio-cultural world of early twentieth-century Buffalo County and its’ relationship to the development of rural Nebraska baseball.
The emergent digital game-based learning (DGBL) concept is attracting educational enthusiasts across the world. This article will follow that global trend and demonstrate how Out of the Park Baseball provides a valuable framework for classroom-based, DGBL projects. The aim of this article is to exhibit the benefits, learning outcomes and potential for DGBL baseball projects in college and high school classrooms. This commentary will also reveal that DGBL can provide learning engagement and motivation for students when given the opportunity to participate in similar DGBL ventures. The editorial will offer a brief explanation of DGBL and provide simulation results, comparative analysis and conceptual modeling for a DGBL baseball project utilizing Out of the Park Baseball. Additionally, the work will provide learning outcomes for the classroom project and includes a suggested reading list that potential instructors may access. The hope is that this article will be referenced as a curriculum development resource in future DGBL projects.
Please feel free to contact me at foresmanrr@lopers.unk.edu with any questions or for the opportunity to collaborate further. The full article is free and open to the public.
"I have bene the larger in these things, and so shall Grave leave in some like passages following, (thoug in other things I shal labour to be more contrate,) that their children may see with what difficulties their fathers wrastled in going throug these things in their first beginnings, and how God brought them along notwithstanding all their weaknesses and infirmities. As allso that some use may be made hereof in after times by others in such like waightie imployments"
So, from Bradford’s own words, we understand that his purpose in this interpretation is to have a chronicled account of events that befell the Puritan immigrants in Plymouth so as others might be able to examine the legacy at a later date. A characterization, or depiction of Bradford’s history is surely providential, as throughout the work he relates multiple accounts of how ‘God brought them along’ and their communal purpose was pre-ordained, destined by God himself. Although we may consider Bradford’s account as providential on the surface, there are strengths and weaknesses in this chronicle that develop upon critical examination.
The accounts of the 1879 Northwestern League, as presented by Louisa and Nash and other researchers, are incomplete. A close investigation of the 1879 Northwestern League, particularly the Omaha Green Stockings, gives clearer understanding of its development and demise. The research indicates that many publications ineffectually represent the rich and vibrant story of the 1879 Northwestern League, and it is useful to continue to develop scholarship. Through scrutinizing historical data, a contour of the historical baseball landscape of the 1879 Northwestern Baseball League will become clear.
The scholarship provides an opportunity to explore the development of rural Nebraska baseball within the context of cultural, social, and economic history. The thesis will also serve as a case study of small-town Nebraska baseball during the Progressive Era. The goal of this thesis is to highlight the importance of the socio-cultural world of early twentieth-century Buffalo County and its’ relationship to the development of rural Nebraska baseball.