Dean Susan Merritt, School of Computer Science and Information Systems, encouraged the collaboration. M. H. Abrams, et al. The method for designing the course was to take the standard course, taught many times by Dr. Driver, and replace or augment some of the work with technology based assignments. At various times, students are asked to find material at Web sites for specific topics. Many students come to the class with experience in these and more powerful tools.
Teachers face two challenges.
They need to reassure some students that the basics are enough and they do not need to imitate the more showy efforts of some of their classmates. Teachers also need to restrain some students from concentrating on technical wizardry at the expense of content. The major assignments are four Web projects Teams of students, grouped by the teachers, are assigned to specific passages of the Beowulf poem. The students are to describe what happens in their passage and also write on important themes and terms. They incorporate appropriate images and include annotated links to helpful Web sites.