World History on the World Wide Web: A Student Satisfaction Survey and a Blinding Flash of the Obvious

Abstract

A COLLEAGUE OF MINE once observed that papers from first-year history students often feature blinding flashes of the obvious: sweeping declarations that war is bad, social inequality is unfair, or that China is a big place. These sorts of papers sometimes begin with mind-boggling generalizations like Throughout history, all mankind has fought for justice (or some other impossible-to-prove statement). This article contains just such a blinding flash of the obvious. It is an observation that results from analysis of student surveys, curricular planning and instructional design, but nonetheless seems spectacularly obvious in hindsight. However, we might gain some insight into the challenges of teaching with technology by considering why few writers or researchers have dealt with this particular blinding flash of the obvious. Even technologically proficient students, though generally enthusiastic about the use of online materials in undergraduate courses, have deep reservations about reading assignments located on the web instead of paper. These concerns include cost consideration, physical and technological limitations of the various options, and a deeply-held concern about readability which should prompt a cautious approach by technology adopters. In particular, our experience in using sometimes-lengthy