Awards and Accolades
 

"Madonna Award"
"Best and worst dressed web courses: Strutting into the 21st century in comfort and style"
by Roger Boshier, Mamolete Mohapi, Glen Moulton, Adnan Qayyum, Leslie Sadownik and Mary Wilson

"Web courses are constructed as the answer to fiscal crises evoked by neo-liberal restructuring. They are also touted as an anarchist exemplar of 'de-schooling' as envisaged by Ivan Illich. The trouble is, some courses are vastly under-dressed and merely attempt to display a face-to-face course on-line. At the other extreme are those laced with links, animation and more than enough glitter and glam to make Liberace wince. In this study the authors employed a 43-item coding schedule to examine the accessibility, opportunities for interaction and attractiveness of 127 courses on the web. Interrelationships between the 43 variables and issues pertaining to accessibility, interaction and attractiveness were identified with the aid of SPSS. Exemplary web courses were then distinguished from mediocre web courses. In our view, Madonna exemplifies qualities that should be incorporated into web courses. After examining 127 sites the Madonna award for the 'best-dressed' site went to a University of Wisconsin History course. The 'worst-dressed' award went to a Social Foundations of Education course at a USA State University which exuded glitter but lacked substance. Reasons for these decisions are elaborated. (The word, course, used here, describes what some systems call a unit of study.)"

studyweb.com
Visual Content: 4 stars / Approx. Grade Level: 11+
Excerpt from the review:

"An excellent site, which includes a great deal of information regarding American history, covering such topics as: the effects of the Civil War, the "Old West", Spanish-American War, Prohibition, the Great Depression, civil rights movement, Nixon and Watergate, and much more. An extensive collection of biographies, links, and a photo gallery, as well as course information, sample exams, and other details, are also provided. Plenty of info for anyone interested in American history."

Eye Candy Web Reviews
Letter to the Web Editor:

"Congratulations! Your web site has been selected as a winner of the 1998 eye candy award. Because of the extremely high qualifications for selection as an Eye Candy Award Site, less than 1% of all site nominations score high enough to receive this award. In fact, an award-winning site is of such significant artistic value that a careful study of their designing is worthwhile for new and old designers alike. Your site has been evaluated by an exceptional team of fine and computer artists, designers, and new media experts."

Encyclopaedia Britannica
"Superior" (4 out of 5 stars)
Excerpt from the review:

"Although designed specifically for this particular course, "American History 102" provides a useful introduction to modern American history. It is also a superior example of the well-designed, informative, and interesting course page."

Lycos Top 5%
Content: 90; Design: 86; Overall: 86 (out of 100)
Excerpt from the review:

"[The Student Web Notes] are a great refresher course, with welcome bibliographies and illustrations covering topics such as "Roosevelt, Wilson and the Morality of Power." By all means check out The Hitchhiker's Guide to American History, one of the slickest sets of history links we've found."

Web Magazine
November 1997 Featured Site: Content 5; Design 3; Links 4; Overall 5
Excerpt from the review:

"A spectacular resource for anyone interested in what's been going on around here for the past 100+ years, it includes lecture-by-lecture "Web notes," with profiles of important figures, outlines of big trends, plenty of links to original documents, and even (shudder) exercises. Cheater's note: You'll also find sample midterms and final exams from previous semesters."

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