Macbeth: High School Literature
The Digital Macbeth Project is used by the tenth grade Literature course as an aid for interpreting the play. The multimedia project consists of an interactive library of supporting materials - including video snippets of select scenes from three productions, images of characters, supporting texts, and tools that allow for students to "mark-up" resources.
The project was designed and constructed through a collaboration between the English Department and the New Lab for Teaching and Learning (NLTL). Originally written in HyperCard during the mid 90's, the project has been re-written in TK3 - a more aesthetic, multimedia processor. Students access the program via a cross platform CD-ROM that is fully supported by the NLTL.
While the digital assets are plentiful they only are truly meaningful when used in a relevant context - which is structured by the Assignment. While students can explore and key-word search the entire project in seconds, it is the Assignment that shapes the materials providing a purpose and direction. The CD-ROM acts as a secondary resource to the paperback version of the play and classroom discussion; it serves as a valuable aid in navigating the play and offers a resource for helping students research their assignments.
The culminating Assignment for the Macbeth Project has evolved to offer the students an opportunity to create their own videos using digital video cameras and Imovie Software. The flexibility of the multimedia program allows for these videos to be added to the collection for students to view in the years to come.