Lessons Learned from National Park Service Electronic Visitors: Implications for K-12 Classrooms and Teachers.

During the early 1990s, Art Hutchinson, in his role as Park Ranger and Coordinator of Education/School Services at Mesa Verde (Colorado), was exploring possible applications of the early digital information and multimedia technologies. The goal was to provide new experiences for Park visitors on-site as well as for students across the Four Corners region. The authors spent considerable time examining the impact of emerging technologies on Mesa Verde National Parks and related sites. In the summer months of 1995, the National Park Service's Hovenweep National Monument and Kansas State University (KSU) decided to launch the development of a multi-page Web site to provide additional services to visitors. The appearance of the Web site was to reflect the look and feel of the cultural artifacts preserved within the Hovenweep National Monument. Specifically, the design for the Web site not only addressed the subject or primary content of the Monument, but also, reflected that primary content through graphics. The initial plan for the site included the following features: historical information, discussion of the various villages within the Monument, the location of the Monument, other important visitor information items, a link to the National Park Service Web site, a Guest Book designed to provide an opportunity for visitor feedback, and a center for links to other regional and/or related Web sites. Application of lessons from Hovenweep to K-12 settings and teacher education are discussed. (AEF)