Online network technology has opened up great possibilities for students to gain access to previously inaccessible resource material and provides a new avenue for creatively presenting information on the World Wide Web. Yet it also has been the source of confusion for NHD students who have struggled to use this new technology effectively. The following provides some guidelines. Computers have for years been an excellent tool to help students create and produce NHD entries. A stroll through the exhibit room or a review of papers or documentaries at any NHD contest reveals a wide array of uses for the computer.
Most students use computers to write papers, topic descriptions and bibliographies.
Many have proven that they are adept at using computers to create illustrative maps, graphs, timelines, charts and exciting graphics for their entries. Another exhibit included a graph that compared black and white populations in a Florida community between 1880 and 1920. Graphs and charts like these strengthen the analysis of an NHD entry and allow students to include significant information while adding to the entry's overall visual appeal. Some students even include small computers within their exhibits that display graphic presentations or short video clips. At every contest, students display their creativity in the Documentary category by using computer technology to create special effects in the form of animation, graphics and other visuals for slidetape and videotape presentations.