Ready or not, history teaching has joined the 21st century. The aim of the SCETNet History CD-Rom is for teachers to become familiar with the wide range of resources which are available on the Internet and how these can be accessed. The advantage with this resource is that there is no need for a class to be wired for the web as this presents the user with a virtual experience, simulating the skills required to search the web. Its one disadvantage is the slow speed with which the pages appear; however, this is a minor criticism.

The CD-Rom comprises 20 sets of activities, covering some of the most popular Scottish, British, European and world history contexts at Intermediate 2 and Higher level. It should be noted that these are really designed for teachers’ use. As they stand, the materials are too text rich and dense for pupils and would need editing if they were to be used in the classroom.

The topics range from the Scottish Wars of Independence, Mary, Queen of Scots, immigrants and exiles to social and political change in the 20th century. Included are the voyages of discovery, the American War of Independence, the abolition of the slave trade, the creation of a united Germany and issues such as fascism and nazism, race relations and the Cold War’s origins.

Each set of activities has the same format. A menu list can take the user to various web sites about that particular topic. Within a reference, there are links to other related sites. This illustrates very well the point that Internet access has to be monitored as it is so easy to wander off into other sites and lose the point of the exercise.

There are associated activities for each web page. If these were to be used for pupil activities, the information would have to be edited as most of the references are to academic sites.

However, there are a number of picture galleries and an interesting investigation of propaganda posters from pre-1933 Germany which could be used directly by and with pupils.

Each activity area ends with an essay question, which could be set either at Intermediate 2 or Higher level, the difference coming in the quality and quantity of the response from the pupil.

A “staff base” section is divided into several files. One about sites on the web is only of use if the teacher has Internet access as this would take the user from the CD-Rom to the web. There is also a file on SQA arrangements, which ties the CD-Rom’s materials and activities directly to what goes on in the class, and a file on curriculum relevance.

The CD-Rom is easy to install and use and there are clear instructions on how to access all the materials. An Internet newcomer would gain the confidence and skills required before surfing on the web independently. For the more experienced, it shows how the web’s rich resources can be used to enhance class learning activities.

There is one caveat. No where does the CD-Rom say that not all net resources are of a high quality or reliable. The user has to be aware that there is a lot of misleading or biased history on the web. As with the use of any resources, it is necessary for teachers to preview the materials pupils might access.

Despite that, this resource is to be commended as another way of further developing the skills which history teachers need in an increasingly computer-dominated world.

Jim McGonigle is principal teacher of history at Hermitage Academy in Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute, and president of the Scottish Association of Teachers of History