History 1700 American Civilization

Congratulations to Marianne McKnight. She will be developing a truely exemplary online course for History 1700: American Civilization.

The following is a summary of her description and purpose:

"This course presents America's story as a rich and extremely complex one that begins thousands of years before Europeans set foot in the Americas where a panoply of diverse civilizations already existed, It examines the conditions and forces that converged Native Americans, Europeans, and Africans in what perhaps could be described as an unparalleled mosaic of cultures, skin shades, and belief systems.

The breadth of this course, however, is often its greatest liability. There is so much to cover in so little time... In over to privde the coverage, many instructors are overcome by the temptation to teach History 1700 in the classic introductory survey course mode-- present marathon lecture, assign a textbook to read, give students tests. ... My goal is to develop an Internet course that prompts the same degree of synergism found in face to face classes, and combine it with technology that takes student engagement far beyond the walls of a physical space. "

She will be working with Marc Lundstrom and Carolyn Jacobson on the design and development of her course.

We look forward to learning about the process of the development of her course!