Curriculum

A NEW COURSE OFFERED BY THE TELEVISION ACADEMY FOUNDATION

This customizable course covers the unique history, evolution, societal impacts and influences of television with 100+ first-hand accounts from the pioneers and changemakers who experienced them. Designed as a media-rich interactive learning experience, students are engaged with hundreds of open-source materials curated and aligned into weekly learning modules. Course topics include the early days of television, from its genesis at the World’s Fair, through contemporary issues in representation, content and delivery, and technological advancements.

Click here to download a sample syllabus 

Click here to download the Instructor Resource Guide

READY TO USE CONTENT

  • Course Calendar 

  • Discussion Prompts

  • Grade Rubrics

  • Interview Clips 

  • Lecture Outlines

  • Project Instructions

  • Quiz Outlines

  • Syllabus Template

  • Supplemental Materials

  • Weekly Course ActivitIes

DOWNLOAD THE COURSE

<%20interviews [at] televisionacademy.com (")mediaeducators [at] televisionacademy.com (EMAIL US) for more information on how to request a download LMS of the course which will be available in late 2025>

ABOUT THIS PROJECT

Developed over two years by Professor Joshua Smith at Virginia Commonwealth University in collaboration with contributors from The Interviews, this curriculum idea was first presented by Richard T. Robertson as a way to incorporate these videos into an already developed media class. In 2022 and 2023 Professor Joshua Smith began including interview clips into his courses to help students see and hear first-hand accounts of advertising, censorship, and media from within the television industry. 

The response by students indicated there was a potential to create an entire semester-long course on the subject using these interviews as a replacement for a textbook. In collaboration with a team formed in 2022, this curriculum is designed for college-level media and arts programs. It provides a comprehensive look at television’s history, societal impact, and future trends. A unique feature of the course is its use of video interviews from industry professionals, which replaces the need and cost of a traditional textbook.

This project aims to support both instructors and students by offering insights directly from those who have worked in the television industry. The supporting materials have been carefully curated from reputable sources to enhance and reinforce learning, making this a valuable resource for anyone interested in the multifaceted world of television.

ABOUT THE INTERVIEW CLIPS

This course centers on the oral history of television industry professionals captured by the Television Academy Foundation’s ongoing project: The Interviews. Since The Interviews’ beginnings in 1996, we have amassed over 950 oral history interviews (over 3,000 hours) with TV professionals across a range of specialties and genres. Interview clips used for this course are organized by topic (theme). Each topic of interview clips aligns with the weekly learning, module learning and course learning objectives of this course. 

SPECIAL THANKS

Special thanks to the individuals whose contributions and ideas made this project possible: 

  • Veata Betton

  • Miracle Bizira

  • Beth Corzo-Duchardt, PhD

  • Jodi Delaney

  • Jenni Matz

  • Richard T. Robertson 

  • Joshua Smith

  • Brooklyn Snyder

  • Anne Vasquez