Virtual Presentation by L. Daniele Bradshaw, for
Global Learn Asia Pacific 2010

Definition and Information
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Digital historical resources are collections of images, artifacts, and primary/secondary source texts.
Libraries, universities, historical societies, individuals, and others have created digital resources that facilitate research and exploration (Ayers, 1999).
Many are stored as Internet collections.

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The World Wide Web is the primary delivery mechanism for digital historical documents.
The quality and range of documents available on the Web has significantly increased
(Rosenzweig, 2001; Lee &
Molebash, 2004).

Benefits of Digital Historical
Resources
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Digital historical resources can facilitate critical historical inquiry.
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Web-based digital resources can empower users to construct an understanding of history.

Benefits of Digital Historical
Resources
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The narratives, accounts, or presentations in these resources can also promote historical inquiry (Berson & Balyta, 2004;
Lee, 2002; Lee & Molebash, 2004; Mason et al., 2000).

Benefits of Digital Historical
Resources

Digital historical resources can help users understand the nature of evidence and the constructed role of historical and social interpretations (Bolick, Hicks, Lee,
Molebash, & Doolittle, 2004; Waring,
2007).

Importance of Critical Historical
Inquiry

Critical historical inquiry benefits learners, regardless of subject domain or grade level (Brown, 2000; Tally & Goldenberg,
2005).
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It is important to take a critical stance towards online information, such as in digital historical resources (Alvermann,
2001; Labbo, 1999; Leu et.al., 2004; Lee,
Doolittle, & Hicks, 2006).

Importance of Critical Historical
Inquiry

Users need to implement meaning-making strategic abilities to navigate and assemble knowledge from Internet resources
(Lemke, 1998; Peters & Lankshear, 1996).

Engaging in Critical Historical
Inquiry

Critical historical inquiry can involve the following tasks:
◦ Examining bias and discriminating between quality information and other data (Berson &
Berson, 2004).
◦ Assessing an author’s point of view (Dutt-
Doner, Cook-Cotone, &Allen, 2007).

Engaging in Critical Historical
Inquiry

(continued)
◦ Comparing information in the online resources to prior background knowledge
(Dutt-Doner, Cook-Cotone, &Allen, 2007).
◦ Reviewing written texts, visual applications, and spoken words to question the beliefs, attitudes, and values (Holum & Gahala, 2001).
◦ Analyzing and understanding historical information in the context of experience and situational influences (International Reading
Association, 2002).

Engaging in Critical Historical
Inquiry

Critical historical inquiry can also involve discerning the meanings of multimedia, visual imagery, virtual environments, and text (Holum & Gahala, 2001; Kinzer,
2003).

Engaging in Critical Historical
Inquiry

Warnick discusses four characteristics of online digital discourse:
◦ Shifts in the nature of persuasive strategies used in online discourse;
◦ Individuation of content tailored to users' interests;
◦ Increased use of all forms of interactivity;
◦ Changes in conceptions of text and authorship
(Warnick, 2005).
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These characteristics of online digital discourse have implications for critical inquiry of digital historical resources.

Engaging in Critical Historical
Inquiry

Internet content is dynamic and information pathways are often hypertextual and changeable (Leu, D,
Kinzer, C., Coiro, J., & Cammack, D., 2004).
◦ This is important to remember when examining digital historical resources.

Discussion of World Civilization
Online Digital Resources
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Bradshaw will facilitate this interactive participant forum.
 In a collaborative learning forum, participants can review information on the same topic from different Web pages.
 Then, participants can compare and contrast information.
 This will lead to a discussion on viewpoints and sources (Labbo, 1999).

Discussion of World Civilization
Online Digital Resources
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Participants will also discuss the assumptions, forms of authority, or modes of signification that are produced through this medium (Frechette, 2002).
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The role of hypertext is to allow digital responsiveness to the needs of a reader (Reinking, 1987). Participants will explore the role of the hypertext in the world civilization websites.

Discussion of World Civilization
Online Digital Resources
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The Internet is a huge source of digital historical resources.
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Using the discussion questions as a starting point, we will explore some
Internet world civilization resources.
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Participants, feel free to share any additional sites that we can explore.

Discussion of World Civilization
Online Digital Resources
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Please show the highest respect for the cultures we discuss and for the other participants. This is an academic forum.
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Note: The discussion questions are intentionally broad. This provides latitude for a range of responses. Thank you for your respectful participation.

Discussion of World Civilization
Online Digital Resources
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Compare and contrast the information on the websites. You may choose to stay within a particular region, or you may explore them all. Let’s discuss these questions:
◦ What are your viewpoints on these resources?
◦ How is the world civilization information presented on these websites?
◦ If you have prior knowledge, how does the information compare to what you already know?
◦ What are some of the assumptions, forms of authority, or modes of signification that are produced in these websites?
◦ Hypertext (linking to additional information) facilitates digital responsiveness to a reader. However, the reader has to be able to make sense of that particular information pathway (Reinking, 1987). What is the role of the hypertext in the world civilization websites?

Accessing the Website Links
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Just press the “Control” button as you
“right click” on the link.
◦ OR
Please highlight the entire URL link that you want to see. Then, “right click” on it.
Then, scroll to “open hyperlink.” This will also open the websites for you.

Websites for Discussion
Middle East
PBS Global Connections http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/globalconnections
/mideast/themes/geography/index.html
Oriental Institute of the University of
Chicago http://oi.uchicago.edu/OI/MUS/ED/TRC/ME
SO/mesohome.html

Websites for Discussion
Africa
BBC-The Story of Africa http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/fe atures/storyofafrica/index.shtml
Smithsonian Natural History Web: African
Voices http://www.mnh.si.edu/africanvoices/

Websites for Discussion
India
The British Museum http://www.ancientindia.co.uk/index.html
BBC-Ancient India http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/india/

Websites for Discussion
China
Asia for Educators http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/
CNN-Visions of China http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/1999/china.
50/imperial.icon/

Websites for Discussion
Persia
National Geographic-Persia http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/08/ iran-archaeology/del-giudice-text
The British Museum http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/forgott enempire/

Websites for Discussion
Greece
Emory University-Odyssey Online-Greece http://www.carlos.emory.edu/ODYSSEY/GR
EECE/home.html
BBC Ancient History-Greeks http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/greek s/

Websites for Discussion
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire http://www.pbs.org/empires/romans/index.h
tml
Emory University-Rome http://carlos.emory.edu/ODYSSEY/ROME/h omepg.html

Websites for Discussion
American History
National Museum of American History http://americanhistory.si.edu/
Teaching American History http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/

Additional References
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Alvermann, D.E. (2001). Effective literacy instruction for adolescents. Executive Summary and
Paper Commissioned by the National Reading Conference. Chicago, IL: National Reading
Conference.
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Ayers, Edward L. (1999). The past, present and future of digital history. Virginia Center for
Digital History. Retrieved from http://jefferson.village.virginia.edu/vcdh/PastsFutures.html
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Berson, M. & Balyta, P. (2004). Technological thinking and practice in the social studies: transcending the tumultuous adolescence of reform. Journal of Computing in Teacher
Education, 20 (4), 141-150.
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Bolick, C. M., Hicks, D., Lee, J. K., Molebash, P., & Doolittle, P. (2004). Digital libraries: The catalyst to transform teacher education. AACE Journal, 12 (2), 198-217. Retrieved from http://dl.aace.org/16346
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Dutt-Doner, K. M., Cook-Cottone, C., & Allen, S. (2007). Improving classroom instruction:
understanding the developmental nature of analyzing primary sources. RMLE, 30(6). Retrieved from http://www.nmsa.org/Publications/RMLEOnline/Articles/Vol30No6/tabid/1271/Default.aspx

Additional References
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Frechette, J. (2002). Developing media literacy in cyberspace: Pedagogy and critical learning for
the twenty-first century classroom. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger Publishers.
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Holum, A. & Gahala, J. (2001). Critical issue: Using technology to enhance literacy instruction.
North Central Regional Educational Laboratory. Retrieved from http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/content/cntareas/reading/li300.htm
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International Reading Association. (2002). Integrating Literacy and Technology in the
Curriculum. Retrieved from http://www.reading.org/downloads/positions/ps1048_technology.pdf
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Kinzer, C.K. (2003). The importance of recognizing the expanding boundaries of literacy.
Reading Online, 6 (10). Retrieved from http://www.readingonline.org/electronic/elec_index.asp?HREF=/electronic/kinzer/index.ht
ml
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Labbo, L. (1999). Toward a vision of the future role of technology in literacy education.
Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology.
Retrieved from http://caedofu.tripod.com/doc/labbo.pdf

Additional References
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Lee, J.K. (2002). Digital history in the history/social studies classroom. The History Teacher,
35 (4), 503-518.
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Lee, J. K., Doolittle, P., & Hicks, D. (2006). Social studies and history teachers’ uses of nondigital and digital historical resources. Social Studies Research and Practice, 1(2), 291-311.
Retrieved August 13, 2008 from http://socstrp.org/issues/ PDF/1.3.2.pdf
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Lee, J.K. & Molebash, P. (2004). Outcomes of various scaffolding strategies on student teacher’s digital historical inquiries. Journal of Social Studies Research, 28 (2), 25-35.
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Leu, D, Kinzer, C., Coiro, J., & Cammack, D. (2004). Toward a theory of new literacies emerging from the internet and other information and communication technologies. In R.
Ruddell, & N, Unrau, (Eds.), Theoretical Models and Processes of Reading. International
Reading Association. Retrieved from http://www.readingonline.org/newliteracies/lit_index.asp?HREF=/newliteracies/leu
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Mason, C., Berson. M., Diem, R., Hicks, D., Lee, J., & Dralle, T. (2000). Guidelines for using technology to prepare social studies teachers. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher
Education [Online serial], 1 (1), 107-116. Retrieved from http://www.citejournal.org/vol1/iss1/currentissues/socialstudies/article1.htm

Additional References

Peters, M. & Lankshear, C. (1996). Critical literacy and digital texts. Educational Theory.
Winter, 46 (1), 51-70.

Reinking, D. (1987). Computers, reading, and a new technology of print. In D. Reinking
(Ed.), Reading and computers: Issues for theory and practice (pp. 3-23). New York: Teachers
College Press.
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Tally, B. & Goldenberg, L. (2005). Fostering historical thinking with digitized primary sources. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 38 (1),1-21.
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Waring, S. M. (2007). Informing preservice teachers about multiple representations of historical events through the utilization of digital resources. Social Studies Research and
Practice, 2(1), 49-57.
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Warnick, B. (2005). Looking to the future: Electronic texts and the deepening interface.
Technical Communication Quarterly, 14 (3) (Summer), 327-33.