The timeline shown above is a qualitative data representation of Michigan State University’s response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. The data used to create this timeline was obtained from the publicly available Michigan State University Community Letters issues from the beginning to the pandemic during the 2020 Spring semester through the end of the 2020 Fall semester.
While the iteration of the timeline you are seeing above is limited to only including the data drawn from the Michigan State University community letters, future iterations could include data points drawn from conversations had with students, faculty, staff, and other members of the MSU community. Some of the information that could be added would include but not be limited to the dates professors were informed classes were moving to digitals spaces, the dates students were allotted to move out of their dorms, the period needed to adapt to online learning, etc. In drawing all of these data points together and creating a set of timelines, all based around individuals’ lived experiences and overlaying it over the Community Letters, one might be able to best map out which of the letters were the most effective, what actions most benefited the community, and which actions caused pain points instead.
Although I do like the current design of the timeline, there are some considerations that should be made for any future iterations. The first one is that according to the developers of the software used to create this timeline, only about twenty-five data points should be added to any timeline for it not to become messy or overbearing. Given that the currently selected collection of Community Letter occupies nine data points, that only leaves the individuals sharing their stories about twenty-one empty spaces for them to fit their stories into.
Another consideration that should be made is the process that would be implemented to collect this data. Although creating the outlined timeline was a solitary affair, the creation of the subsequent timelines should be anything but. First I would recommend sharing the list of Community Letters selected with the person sharing their narrative to ensure that all the letters that affected their story are included in the selection for this timeline. I would also recommend a heavy process of revision in which the individual shares their story, it’s then translated into the visualization, the visualization is offered to the individual for review, and then adjustments are made accordingly. The more active the individual is within the revision process, the less likely they are to be unintentionally silenced or spoken over.