Some of the topics students explore include the origins of Vietnamese nationalism, the strategies and tactics of the United States during the war, the origins of the cold war, U.S. policy in Southeast Asia, and veterans' issues. A weekly chat is optional. Now, by David Willson. Forty students are enrolled this semester. Students have interviewed family members, South Vietnamese refugees, American veterans, former Central Intelligence Agency officials, and war protesters.
Students submit a summary of the interview.
Mr. Solheim says he plans to add an archive of the interviews to the Web site. For the midterm exam, students must draft a policy document that might have been submitted by an adviser to the U.S. president at a turning point in the war, such as the 1968 Tet Offensive. Students post answers to briefing questions on the course's message board.