In the second semester of 1997, HST209 Public History, a second year undergraduate subject, was offered at Charles Sturt University for the first time, and in an experimental way, as an on-line (Internet) integrated subject for internal and external students. In this paper, I will report in more detail on the development of the project together with the results of its 1997 trial run.

It proved to be less than a full or satisfactory trial, mainly because of problems arising from university information technology (IT) policies.

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HST209 has been taught for a number of years as an internal, face to face, subject. In early 1997, a decision was made to offer it as an external, or distance-education, subject. Nestled within this decision was another decision - a personal one - that HST209 would present itself in a third mode as well, as an Internet-based subject. That is, an on-line version would be prepared so that the subject could be undertaken entirely through the Internet making use of resources on the Internet. A further decision was that the Internet features developed would also be included, or integrated, into the internal and external modes and that those students would be encouraged to make what use they could of those features.

In 1996, CSU commenced a university-wide project to place internal and external subject outlines on-line. The purpose is to make experimental use of on-line teaching methodology, but in a limited way and as much for the experiential benefit of lecturers as for the convenience of students.

Conceived separately and independently, HST209 Public History uses the approved page design for the sake of uniformity but goes much further than the official on-line project. As well as the subject outline content, all study materials, such as weekly tutorial notes, are available on-line and links are provided not only to university resources but to World Wide Web sites throughout the world. The planned placing of readings on-line, although technically easy, had to be abandoned because of copyright restrictions. Otherwise, virtually everything required by the student can be found on-line.

It is possible, therefore, to study HST209 entirely on-line through the Internet without reference to an internal, face to face, class (or lecturer) or to the printed materials of the standard external, distance-education, package other than the booklet of recommended readings.

… it was still necessary to produce a printed version of HST209 for external students. This was done in a way that utilised the material prepared for the Internet version. The process was to develop first the Internet version of the subject and then, with only minimum modifications, to use the same material in the external printed subject outline and notes. In turn, internal students are provided with the same printed study materials for their version of the subject.

The reasons for this approach, namely that of centring the subject on the Internet version, are two fold: 1) to encourage student use of the Internet version; and 2), to blur differences between internal and external students.

Reflecting on the first reason, my aim is to encourage students to make full use of the resources that the Internet, and electronic communications generally, offer a subject such as Public History. For example, all study topics in the subject, to some degree and in some way, encourage use of World Wide Web resources. I want my students to regard the Internet as a facility central to the work of public historians - and to their future careers as Arts graduates. In short, by giving primacy to the Internet version of the subject I hope that students will come to see the HST209 website as an important part of the subject and not just as a gimmick.

The second reason is more of a long-term concern, particularly as the subject over time picks up more external students. Electronic media, especially the use of discussion lists, might be able to bridge some of the pedagogical differences between internal and external studies.

… the external student, no matter how excellent the study package, is disadvantaged by not having the opportunity of sustained personal interaction with lecturers and fellow students. Internet and e-mail may offer a way to dissolve, or at least reduce, the walls of isolation. Accordingly, each tutorial topic in the subject has an accompanying electronic discussion list to which both internal and external students can contribute. In 1998, it is planned to invite students and lecturers from other universities to join in the discussion on particular topics.

In the 1997 trial, our tutorial discussion lists provided a virtual tutorial room where internal students met not only with their external colleagues but also with internal students from other tutorial groups. The on-line tutorial was by necessity asynchronous and took place over a time frame of a week or two. Indeed, as ideas matured or views were reconsidered, messages continued to be posted long after the formal closing of a topic.

One interesting development was that some of the more reserved students in face to face tutorials became especially "chatty" in the on-line tutorial. The students themselves volunteered reasons for this change in behaviour. They felt that the discussion list gave them a certain anonymity (even though their names were posted with their contributions) as well as time to consider and compose their contributions to the discussion.

Because of chronic software failure, our use of discussion lists was subject to major disruption but enough happened to encourage plans for further attempts in 1998 with improved software. One important change will be a switch from a simple linear discussion list to a "forum" arrangement with "threading" of discussions. This will allow students to arrange their contributions under headings and subheadings, thus making connections with earlier entries. Each tutorial topic, fourteen in all, will have its own forum with additional forums provided for semester-long activities such as mediawatch, an activity requiring the posting of relevant news items.

In an ideal IT world, all students, rich and poor - far and near, would be able to meet on the Internet to share their views and ideas. The real world situation is, of course, far from ideal. Not all students have access to the Internet; many students do not even have access to computers. Therefore, the subject has been developed in such a way that both internal and external students can make as little, or as great, a use of the Internet as their individual circumstances allow. An external student can still elect to work only with the traditional printed mail pack, communicating by post and ignoring the hands-on Internet aspects of the subject, only being required to read about it in their printed notes. Internal students are still provided with conventional face to face classes and their only compulsory use of the Internet comes with a computer lab class on the topic of "Contesting History on the Internet" . Additional Internet activity on their part occurs out of class. They are certainly encouraged by their lecturer to make use of the website, in preparing for tutorials for example. But, what use is made of the website is at their discretion.

As well as on-line tutorials (discussion lists), the 1997 trial featured use of the Internet in a number of ways.

Student involvement in the 1997 trial was both voluntary and occasional. Not all students, both internal and external, had access to computers and the Internet. For internal students, access was theoretically available through the computer labs but these were often fully booked and unavailable. A few students had home or work computers with Internet access. But, even for these students, I had to be conscious of their need to ration on-line time so as not to exhaust their limited free access time to the university's web service. Therefore, the project asked students to use the on-line version of the subject only when, and if, they wished. Use was further restricted by technical problems with the site itself. Given these inhibiting factors, the level of usage was very satisfying.

With an enrolment of about 45 internal and 4 external students, our surveys on usage, conducted mid and end of semester, show that about one half of the class made some (out of class) use of the website with about one quarter making more frequent use (accessed more than six times). (The number of external students is small, as this is the first time the subject has been offered in an external mode and has yet to find its market.)

The anecdotal feedback from the class was largely positive in terms of what the website had to offer their studies in the subject. Further positive support can be seen in the number of URL references provided in footnotes in the final essay. However, because of the disrupted and incomplete nature of this first trial run, no comprehensive qualitative survey of student opinion was conducted specifically on the trial.

A number of students did, however, volunteer unsolicited comments about the on-line aspect of the subject in a separate evaluation conducted by the university at the end of the semester. This survey, undertaken with all undergraduate subjects every couple of years, is mainly concerned with monitoring the quality of teaching being provided. (I am pleased to say this subject scored very well in its assessment!) Some 41 students responded, of whom eleven volunteered a written comment about our use of the Internet. All comments were essentially positive although some were critical of aspects of the activity.

Some of the positive comments offered:

There were two or three additional comments offering the same criticism of the lack of an introductory session to the website early in the semester. The criticism is justified and the subject's schedule allows for such a session in the future. The problem in 1997 was that a classroom demonstration had been intended for week one of semester but for reasons beyond my control the website was not functioning until the third week of semester. By that stage other priorities had to be addressed in class time.

Our 1997 trial, although disrupted and incomplete, achieved enough to demonstrate that the Internet added to the quality of our studies in public history - through our discussion lists, the links to WWW resources and as a vehicle for presenting Internet-based study material.

I will conclude with a final student criticism, one that I endorse completely, "The Internet site ought to have more support from the Uni."

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