g4inventory.htmlneration 4a: Said KK from Generation 4b: "As you may have already experienced, we all go through a phase of frustration in this class. Yes, it's a prerequisite to move on. (A1) It's like Maslow's hierarchy of needs. You need to get past each stage to move up to,...(I forgot what it's called). (C1) Anyway,...If you look into CC and CG's reports, you'll see that they turned out to be just fine. (A1)"

"If you got this far -- Congratulations for getting over the frustration stage! As for me, I was so happy that I finally got over stage #1. Even though I felt like a total idiot, I'm glad that I still have some friends left over. All of my friends thought that I was losing it with all of my whining!" said JH from Generation 4.

RT from Generation 4a recommends GM's Page from Generation 3a: "From his Page you can learn how to use the web search engine, Lycos. You can also learn more about the generational curriculum in traffic psychology. The design of his Page also makes you feel like you are in Hawaii. The nice beach scene and the soothing blue background give it that effect. His "who am I" section was innovative and it helped to personalize the page, by giving some information about himself to the viewer."

"Welcome to my report #1 on the generational curriculum, which I am a part of and its existence in cyberspace." said FF from Generation 3a -- quoted by LV from Generation 4b.

S1&A1

"If you need help don't be afraid to ask the instructor. If you need a fellow student's perspective root around in the generational curriculum because the chances are that some of us who have been through this have experienced whatever it is you're feeling now. (S1) Remember we've been there AND

survived. (A1)" said CF from Generation 4b -- quoted by LV from Generation 4b.

"I felt high in anxiety ", said CC from Generation 3a -- quoted by RS from Generation 4b.

"When I first got on the Internet, I felt confused and disoriented.", said CK from Generation 3 -- quoted by HS from Generation 4b.

"MO from Generation 4a says, "At first, navigating through all of the files began to confuse me, it all seems like a big blob. But as I practiced using the links, going to and from my home page to other people's documents and the instructors home page, things began to come together. All it really takes is a lot of practice.

"In our first week of class, I felt very lost. ", said SA from Generation 3 -- quoted by LL from Generation 4a.

LA from Generation 4a reviewing Generations 1, 2, and 3 wrote: "The overall appearance of the generational site is unique in its own way. There are tons of information each generation has contributed to to the site. A viewer can't possibly view everything in the site in one day. It would take several days to actually read each report of all the students."

A1&S1

LA from Generation 4b describing self: "The key is to get on the computer and force yourself to understand what you are basically supposed to do. (A1) I spent endless hours doing things on the computer. I have never spent so much time in the computer labs in my life! After a while, I got the basic idea of what I am doing. The feeling of frustration slowly went away. Now, as the semester is coming to a close, I am very happy I stuck out the course because I learned a lot about the internet. This is a new beginning into the future. (S1)"

A1&S1

LA from Generation 4b refers to RB from Generation 2: "This person found the course difficult at first and there was a lot of anxiety and fear present. She felt there needed to be patience to overcome the fear. (A1) This is in order to be successful with the internet. (S1)"

A1&S1

Quoting LA from Generation 4b: "Students in the past have gone through the same problems as me. (A1) One example is from SH. This student is from generation 4a. She expresses some of her problems in report 2. She explains about being lost in the first week of class. She realized others had the same problems as her. This helped her to cope and go on with the class. (S1)"

C2&S1

MM from Generation 4a discussing GH from Generation 1: "While going through his home pages, I noticed that all his pages look about the same. I guess that's how it was earlier when the thought of pictures weren't important. It's okay. These are the kind of pages you look back to and think "primitive." (C2) I do not mean that in a bad way though. It's just somewhere to look back at and think "this is where our pages today are spinning off from." And I'm sure future generations will think of our pages in the same way. (S1)"

A1&S1

MM from Genertion 4a noticed these patterns of adjustment over the generations: "First few weeks -- Frustration & Anger: (A1) ND from Generation 3 says, "I sought her help because she was a fellow student and she would probably understand more of the anxieties and frustrations I felt at that moment since she had been through it before." (S1) CO from Generation 3 wrote: "I went home many times and yelled at everyone because I was irritated, frustrated, and tired." LM from Generation 2 wrote: "The frustration of not knowing what I was doing at first, coupled with the frustration of knowing that asking for help would not only be frustrating in itself but also humiliating, produced an awful compounded emotion." NG from Generation 3 wrote: "The longer I sat in class the more irritated I got which made me want to literally cry." Then, after a few weeks, you see a glimmer of light. DK from Generation 2 wrote: "Week Five was a time of enlightenment, because I started to see the light." AA from Generation 1 wrote: "I have the courage to go on to conquer more skills before the semester is through." JJ from Generation 1 wrote: " BINGO! I got in! My first taste of triumph!! I was relieved and happy." CB from Generation 1 wrote towards the end: "I am definitely happy with what I've accomplished this semester!" CM from Generation 3 wrote: "This was truly a great feeling which followed the completion of each of my web pages."

LL from Generation 4a quotes LW from Generation 2:

"Realizing that nothing catastrophic will happen if I push the wrong button was an important first lesson."

SK from Generation 4a quotes NM from Generation 2: "My first goal was to read my classmates weekly reports."

BB from Generation 4b quotes KD from Generation 2: "I knew that I needed to spend more time on the computer."

BB from Generation 4b quotes MO from Generation 1: "It's always there somewhere, you just need to keep looking."

BB from Generation 4a quotes CA from Generation 1: "I've tried again and again to upload my word processing documents and regardless of what I do or whose directions I follow the end result is the same, no document."

C1&A1&S1

JS from Generation 4 quotes KM from Generation 1: "The first section that I thought was interesting was Dr. James's discussion of atmosphere. He said that for the students it was "normal to feel frustrated, angry and anxious" when working with the computer. (C1) It made me feel good that I and the rest of us were not the only ones feeling the same thing. (A1) Dr. James further stated that the group can act as a contagion. The few enthusiastic individuals in a group can increase the other students' acceptance level making it easier to tolerate the frustration that comes along. (S1) He also states the group serves as a "damage control" allowing a person to air their complaints, which is what we have been doing each session. Others in the class listen and offer solution including volunteering to give assistance. (S1)"

A2&C2&S2

MM from Generation 4a wrote about the future generations: "Advice to Dr. James? Well........Dr. James, just be patient with the new people. I know that the process is very hard. The only thing that will help will be to push them and keep on telling them every week that they need to learn it. (A2) Also, the worksheets that you gave us this semester really help. It gives us a guideline of what you want from us. (C2) Other than that, just be patient and then I'm sure they'll understand it and will want to do more. (S2)"

RT from Generation 4b explains his understanding of "virtual reality and cyber-psychology" (an assigned topic): "Virtual reality is the dimension that is created in cyberspace. This dimension is infinite and is not bounded by physical barriers, nor can it be measured by physical principles. According to Dr. James, virtual reality is created by interactivity. This interactivity is what forms cyberspace and creates the dimension of virtual reality. Interactivity is created by the links that are available on the internet. There are also many other forms of interactivity, such as: newsgroups, chat groups, e-mail, listservs, etc. Cyberspace is the product created by the human mind, therefore it represents a portion of the human mind. Although cyberspace is limited by the amount of input it receives from the minds of people, its potential for growth is limitless just like the minds of humans. Thus, cyberspace is created by the communal mind of people all over the world. Through interactivity of minds cyberspace grows, and represents a microcosm of the minds of humans more and more."

A2&S1

MM from Generation 4a wrote: "This is what the previous generations have figured out, regardless of whether they liked it or not. One particular team figured out that it can actually be fun to search the net using search engines. (A2) RC from Generation 2 states, "I am so impressed to see how much information I can get from the Internet." I agree. One thing for sure, is that if you don't try it, you won't know what you are missing. (S1)"

RT of Generation 4b wants to transmit to future generations what he has learned about search engines: "I have learned that web search engines can be very different from each other. Some may be more useful than others in searching for certain topics. There is also a difference in results when the exact same topic is searched through different search engines. Therefore, I have learned that in order to get the largest array of results I should conduct my search in different search engines. I have also learned through my experience in searching that the world wide web is incredibly large. Thank God, that we have search engines that act like library databases to organize and search for specific topics. I also learned that the search engines can provide different types of results by searching through different databases such as: e-mail, usenet newsgroups, etc."

RS from Generation 4a meets face to face with KB of Generation 1: "One thing that I've been trying to figure out about KB's home page ever since I first saw his page that had a painting on it, was "who's this?" Well, today I discovered that the picture on his home page is of Emanuel Swedenborg. I always thought, until today, that it was George Washington. Shows how much I know. I was never really good at history anyway! But the main thing I really like about his page is that it really helped me. Even though there weren't that many pictures and backgrounds and all of those colors, I still appreciate it because KB is "The Man!" Besides, he's the only one that I've ever met from that generation." (Note: KB used to come around to help new students in the computer lab).

C2&S2

MM from Generation 4b wrote: "In doing this report, I learned a lot about search engines. I learned the very minute details in wording that really made a difference when searching through the internet. I also learned that search engines are very much needed, especially for the internet novice, like many of us are. I think that if we did not have search engines, we would miss so many of the pages out there available to us. Though you need to know the basics for each search engine you try, it will be very helpful in the end. (C2) There is a wealth of information out there in the net just waiting to be learned and the search engines are the key to finding all of this information. (S2)"

TA of Generation 4b discusses the benefits of belonging to the generational curriculum cybercommunity: "This is the prime example of how this site is different from all others. This is a Cybercommunity. This class benefits and progresses by both information left by previous generations, and by helping out each other in our own generation. We don't just worry about ourselves and our individual reports. We give suggestions and receive comments on how to improve our pages, and to teach each other all the computer-know-hows. We learn as a group, and we all become like an integrated "community". As an individual, I benefit by increasing my awareness of what is on the Net. All those countless hours surfing around have given me new and different ideas about the unlimited use of the World Wide Web. I learned something new everytime I touched the computer, and with all the helpful hints we gave each other in class, I now practice all those shortcuts and thingamabobs. As a contributor to this generation, I think it will be terrific to see how generations improve, not only in technology, but in the ideas of thinking. Imagine by the time we see HTML 5.0, who knows what the pages will look like? It would probably make this report look like a stone tablet with words chipped on it."

AT from Generation 4b reflects on the comparatively low tech state of Generation 1 Pages: "I sometimes dread having to go back to Generation 1 pages because they seem so...........gray! No backgrounds worth looking at! Well, I could be exaggerating just a little bit. But, of course that's to be expected since technology is advancing with time. But I realize that I shouldn't be so bent on what's on the cover. Yes, I've had this lecture many times! It's not what's on the outside that counts. It's what's inside. Okay. Well, maybe I'm being a little (or a lot) superficial, but that's just the way society has made me to become! I'm sure I'm not the only one! Look at what others are saying on their reports!"

JH of Generation 4 wrote: "When I first checked out the student pages, I was extremely impressed. To think that I would soon have my homepage up, with my own address was quite neat, yet, it seemed so far away. No,...I wasn't being pessimistic, it was just that all the work that went into everyone's pages seemed so advanced. I thought, "this is going to be a lot of work, what did I get myself into?" Well, guess what, it is a lot of work, and for the first time, I'll forgive myself for taking this course because, it is well worth it. Being a part of this generational cybercommunity made me feel like even tough I hardly knew anyone, I was really a part of this cybercommunity. It's kind of like your own community, the different class sections are the sub-divisions."

RT from Generation 4 informs future generations about the excitement of learning Internet skills and quotes from Generations 2 and 3 as collateral evidence: "After the initial struggles through negative emotions, doubt, frustration, and anxiety there comes a period of realization. You will begin to realize exactly what you are a part of in the generational curriculum. The power of your fingertips will be realized when you understand how much knowledge and information you have available to you. When this sinks in, you will feel overwhelmed initially, then you will become excited and fascinated to be a part of the generational curriculum. RY (Generation 2) relates his fascination, "As far as being satisfied with the Internet and the computer, I think I am more amazed than anything. I find myself like a kid in a candy store, looking at everything in wonderment and basking in the newness of it all." ND (Generation 3) tells of her feelings after realization, "My very first experience with Netscape was mind boggling. I was lost and confused. Getting into Netscape was intimidating. There seemed to be the endless sites to look through. I felt like a child with a new toy, but at the same I also felt like an ant standing in the middle of the superhighway. Both fear and excitement ran through me as I looked through the net." RT ends with: When you are able to transfer this excitement into the work you are producing, adapting to the internet will become an enjoyable process."

Advice on search engines given by SH from Generation 4. "BD of Generation 3, like me, had a hard time picking what she wanted after the search engine choices came up on the screen. It seems to be that some of the students might have had problems figuring out what to search for, but they had no problem using the web search engines. I learned that it is best to look things up in more then one search engine to get the best results. Also if you don't see what you want in the first ten items there are more -- just keep in mind the the percentage goes down as you go down the list."

RC of Generation 4b recalls the progress she feels she's made through her connection with the generations:

"When I first enrolled in this course, I was overwhelmed by the thought of the internet, home pages, and publishing reports. I didn't know anything about the generational curriculum, and I cared less about being in generation four. All I wanted to do was pass the course so that I could graduate. Now, it's about a week before graduation, and the last thing I have to do for this class is finish this report. I'm proud to say that my attitudes about this class and about the internet have changed drastically. Now, I'm proud to be a part of the generational curriculum and a part of generation four. I feel that it's a privilege to have accomplished all that I have this semester, through this course. I am a part of this cybercommunity that will hopefully continue on well after I have gone. It's a site that I know I will visit from time to time, as the years pass. It will be interesting to see how much progress will be made when generation 10 comes around. This sense of accomplishment that I am beginning to feel since the end is so near, cannot even be put into words. I think that I really pushed myself to the limits in this course and all that I have accomplished this semester. When I first started this semester, I thought that I would never make it through this course. There were so many problems and frustrations that I faced, but I overcame them all to get where I am today, right now. I did it.

The feelings that I have had over the course of the semester are not uncommon. JH of generation 4a also reports similar reactions to being a part of the generational curriculum. She mentions the sense of community that she feels because she a member of generation 4a, and she also tells about the sense of accomplishment that she has gained through this course. LA (generation 4b) also views her participation in the generational curriculum in a positive way. She was glad to be able to make her contributions on the web so that others might be able to benefit from it. She has also learned new skills dealing with the computer and the internet that will be invaluable to her in her future endeavors. DH (generation 4b) also shares his feelings of pride in being a part of the generational curriculum. He also states that he has come away from this class having learned useful information.

TA of Generation 4b makes a comprative analysis of generational Pages to see how they're changing: "One would guess that the pages would improve as the technology advances. Those in the earlier generations did not have as many features to put in their homepages. For example, compare GH's page (Generation 1) with our very own generation's ES's Page (Generation 4b). Notice how text-based GH's one is and how graphic intensive ES's is? That is a small but significant example of how much we have advanced in just four generations. To gain more understanding about ways we have or have not been improving, we have to see it in different factors. I'm going to use 7 categories to comapre them on: Quality, Depth, Richness, Scholarship, Connectivity, Site Integration, and Navigation Capabilities."

YA of Generation 4b tells how she used her newly learned HTML skills to help out the English Department: "Being part of Generation 4b is going to be a learning experience that I'm sure I'll never forget. My Personal Homepage will be a constant reminder of what I accomplished while in this class. Through the different reports, I am learning more and more about the capabilities of the Internet and also gaining knowledge about creating my homepage. One example of this is that through my first report, I came across the various interactive capabilites of the web that I never new existed... like the interactive mall. Before this class I was only capable of creating a very minimal homepage, as seen here. As you can see, by comparing that homepage to my homepage for this class, I was able to utilize more advanced HTML tags such as background tags, and different color tags. All of the information I get through my experiences in this class may be useful to me in the future. I will know how to search the Internet for information I may need and also have basic HTML knowledge. In fact, it has already been helpful for the office that I am currently working at. The Manoa Writing Program has their own homepage and after finding out that I was taking this class, they decided to put my newly found Web knowledge to the test. I was able to take printed publications of certain documents and put them on their homepage. Such documents include Writing Matters 3: Writing and Research, Tips for Teachers, and organizing their Writing Intensive Main Page."

RT of Generation 4 explains to future generations how search engines work: "HOW DO WEB SEARCH ENGINES WORK? To find out how web search engines work and which engines are recommended for specific searches go to searching the internet. There are many articles to link to from this page that give advice on which web search engines are the best to use for your purposes. I clicked on Understanding WWW Search Tools and got some information on web search engines. The article divides the search engine into two major types of databases. The first, arranges internet resources into classificatory schemes such as: alphabetical, chronological, geographical, subject-oriented, and combination type orders. This database is good for browsing because it provides a wide selection of topics that are related to one another, and options by categories."

SH from Generation 4 shares an insight on self-induced stress and advises daily attention to one's Home Page: "Taking this class is like some one picked you up from where you were and dumped you in the middle of space, Cyber-sapce that is, and you have to find your way out kind of like going on one of those wilderness servival weekends. This seems to be my feeling for most of the samester. After the first signs of total and utter terror wore off, I was left with stress. Some of which I have to say was self induced (from not working on the reports and just surfing around the net). Now I think that I have got it!! Once that you have been "lost", "stressed" or both at the same time you understand what it is that you have to do and it seems to come a lot easyer. Now the chalenge that you face is finding the time to do what you have to do. The Computer becomes your best friend and evry minute that you have you need to spend it doing your reports and making your homepage better."

MI from Generation 4 wrote: "Overall, It is exciting to think that my work could be read by future generations and by people around the world today and in the future. Not only can I put out my work, but I could also get some feedback. It saves so much time and takes very little effort. Can it be better? Hopefully, future generations of my family could be a participant in this great technology and be delighted to see my contribution to this cyber-community, and that they too, could be a netizen."

RC of Generation 4 tries to discover the principles of the generational community approach: "The principles for the generational curriculum can be seen by looking at the types of assignments that the students are given. One principle that I think is evident is that everything is done for the benefit of the student. Topics are chosen by the students. Students are encouraged to write for future students as their audience. Students also use the reports of past generations to help them with their own reports. Another principle is that the students should learn from the generations of the past, thus reports are made "generationally cumulative." Another principle is group dynamic forces. I think of this as a sense of belonging that students can walk away with after having been a part of the generational curriculum. One method that was used for our generation is a group photo that is available on our generation's home page. "

MI from Generation 4 quotes RN from Generation 1: "...I learned how to maintain my composure under stressful situations. This skill will be put to good use for as we all know, life is full of those kinds of stressful events. I gained much more from this class than I thought I would and I hope my classmates feel the same way."

RT attempts to explain to future generations his understanding of "Virtual Reality and Cyberspace" (an assigned topic): "Because our minds are exclusively involved in a cybercommunity, and our minds are in virtual space, the cyberspace we create is a virtual reality. Dr. James explains,"Cyberspace is a virtual reality that facilitates communication and encourages the formation of real communities." Feel proud to be a part of a world-wide community and a contributor to the never ending expansion of virtual space. Are you still confused? Don't worry, I'm still confused myself. The concept of cyberspace is not an easy thing to learn. There are so many principles to examine and my little explanation barely touches the tip of the iceberg. However, one of the advantages of cyberspace is the easy accessibility of information and the diversity of opinions of thousands of other people. Dr. John Suler provides his professional view of cyberspace by examining issues that cyberspace is beginning to encounter. There also various opinions among my classmates who have created an FAQ file on cyber-psychology and cyberspace. You can also check out my FAQ file."

TA of Generation 4b reviews and passes on lore about the history of the generations: "The Generational Curriculum has been going on since 1975, when Dr. James realized the need for better writing skills. As he observed from social forces in the classroom, posting people's work help them gain self-confidence and self-esteem, which are essential to good writing. Leon James brings up "Authenticity" by writing with "oral and written communicative competence". Communicating is what it is all about. Although the Generational Curriculum has been around for a while, the use of it online is fairly new. Using the World Wide Web is a great way to post people's work for all to see... The whole world has access to your reports! Awesome!! I was terribly excited when a Web search engine brought up my Page when I typed in my name."

"Everyone encounters problems with the first attempt at the internet. The chief problem that I had was frustration. I was an internet novice. I hadn't been on the internet before, or even sent e-mail. However, I did not consider myself a computer novice because I have always been handy with computers. My mistake was thinking that this would translate to the internet. It didn't. I couldn't have been more wrong. I was totally lost. At times, I didn't know what to enter or what to click. This was a whole new experience for me, and I was shocked at being so confused and hopeless. This is what led to my frustration. I couldn't believe that I couldn't figure things out. I couldn't believe that I had to go and ask someone for help; usually if it dealt with computers, I was the one that people would come to for help. Now, it was the other way around. What was going on? What did I do to overcome this? I relaxed, took a deep breath, started from scratch, and tucked my ego away in a safe place.

Frustration, time constraints, and fear are all problems that students of various generations face in trying to make it through the semester. In generation 1, NG tells of her battles with frustration in the beginning of the semester. She also mentions that she had some problems because the time consuming nature of the course and the amount of work involved. DB also of generation1 reported that she had some problems because of the "time" variable too. KO (generation 3) tells about another kind of problem that she had when first experiencing the internet. The problem that she experienced was fear. She states that it was her computer phobia that she had to overcome.

CM of Generation 4b (who was also a member of Generation 3) devised a scoring system for the generational pages. Here is a sample: "Technique=9; Integration=8; Connectivity=10; total=27/30. It can be seen through CM's Shocking WIB (Generation 3) that there is an overall improvement in appearance for Generation 3. It can be observed that there is a greater increase in the use of colorful backgrounds, navigation buttons, and colored text. The reason for this improvement mainly lies in the amount of time which this generation has to spend on the functioning of their webs. As a result of the previous generations, the st dents in Generation 3 were able to modify the appearance of their webs. Another reason for the improvement in appearance is the amount of emphasis that Dr. James put on the attractiveness of the web pages. The reason for this emphasis was the creation of the World Ideas Bank (or WIB) which was run by students and relied on the contributions of visitors. This was the first project which launched the need for an attractive web page. If you access my database called Spiritual Experiences you will witness the effect Dr. James had on its appearance."

MI from Generation 4 comments on her online personality, saying: "I think I am more relaxed now as an internet user. Before, I had a short fuse, was impatient, and got frustrated very easily. Now that I have learned more and know my way around, I'm a bit more comfortable and mellow. The experience is a lot more fun. But as far as my personality, I'm more willing to just go off in different tangents. Previous to this class, I was very self-conscious of what I said and what type of image I conveyed to people. I don't inhibit myself too much now. I change my identity every so often in the chat rooms. It's fun being a chameleon! It is something I could never do in real life."

JK from Generation 4 wrote: "Being a part of a generational cyberspace community is really exciting. The idea that future generations will be reading what I am experiencing right now for years to come is amazing to me. Society will be able to watch as communities such as this one begins to develop over the years. We have the opportunity to have a first hand look in cyberspace at how attitudes and culture changes over the years. Each generation brings into the community a unique perspective of their learning experience. Each class is different and unique in their ideas and approaches to learning and yet, all the generations come together as one with similar ideas and thoughts."

RT from Generation 4 admits to an intial technophobia followed by his excitement at discovering search engines: "I found my first experience with a search engine to be exhilarating and enlightening. I was excited to be able to access sports scores live on the internet. The web search engines are very user friendly, because I was a computer illiterate when I first did this search. In fact, I was a technophobic, who didn't even know how to use a word processor! The search engine was so organized that all I had to do was click on the words that interested me and it would lead me from one screen to another until I got what I desired. Later, I also learned to type the word espnet in the search window and I would get that page directly without having to go through multiple screens."

CO from Generation 4b gives a critique of a student-maintained database started by Generation 3:

"Upon entering the WIB (World Ideas Bank), I was very interested in the kinds of topics that were shown. They seemed like something out of the book "Chicken Soup For The Soul," so I think people would be interested in something rather similar on-line. Although it certainly seems like people did not hear that there was such a thing as this database with similar information -- no outsiders contributed any stories for the databank, only fellow classmates. I think the topics need to have a more catching-popping-eye-opening kind of category. A simple "Moments to remember..." is not what people are going to look up in any net search. Maybe a simpler and more commonly used word would be easier to find using a net search. For instance maybe love, or friendship would work.

To start off with, I would say, if at all possible to try to put a counter up on each page. That way, this would students to keep track of how many people actually visit versus how many people leave contributions. Then according to that, maybe they can use this to analyze what happens when they start changing different things in a systematic way to see what interests the general public. I also would suggest research on these topics to present a little more what the whole purpose of the database is. Maybe the students can poll around to see what kind of topics are of interest. The way I see it is that they have to adjust it to suit the audience's eye. No matter what. A page has to be eye opening. Maybe several students can work on one. Someone who's interested in framework, work on the framework, someone interested in advertising can go around finding ways to advertise and so on. So that the whole burden of designing a single database will bring out a little of what the students will be interested in.

CM was a member of two generations (3 and 4b) and he sees his involvement as a progression: "One of the benefits of being in Generation 4b is that I've been able to look at all the mistakes the previous generations have made, and been able to learn from them, thus improving the quality of my web sites. I do remember that one of the benefits that I took from being in Generation Three was that of a great sense of accomplishment. This was a feeling in which I never really forgot about. In fact, it was one of the prime motivators in me becoming part of Generation 4b. I view this class as a challenge for my creative side in which I enjoy expressing. Why is it a challenge? Because, the Internet is a novel world to me. There is so much to discover about it, let alone become a part of it through the contributions of my web sites. As a result of the unlimited ways of setting up a home page, I am forced to critically think about the most effective way to becoming a positive source of reality in the world of cyberspace. How am I to make my presence known? Make my mark? This is an exciting endeavour which is fed by the unknown which the Internet offers. It is the unknown road in which I travel on the Internet, which makes everything much more exciting and enjoyable."

RC from Generation 4b writes about her problems while learning and adapting to the Internet and confirms this experience in prior generations as well."

Here's advice from CO of Generation 4 concerning loading time for Pages: "My biggest pet peeve of the Internet is the time that it takes for pages to load up. I'll say it again, I hate it. I just press that lovely stop key and move right on. So, if your page happens to take more that 10 or 15 seconds, sorry, but I can't wait for you. There's way more information out there to be looking at."

YA of Generation 4 reviews some of the history of the generational curriculum that she researched: "An article entitled Searching for Oral and Written Communicative Competence discusses the Generational Curriculum and how it came to being. Professor James defined oral and written communicative competence as "[needing} more instruction on basic literacy skills." In order to enhance this skill, Dr. James proposed that a classroom should be treated in a community setting and since research showed that students tend to perform better if they know their work would be displayed to others, he also proposed that these papers be placed on the Internet. As you can see, Dr. James tried to promote free writing while integrating it with scientific thought. Before coming online, students wrote papers according to these guidelines and through the help of other students, these papers soon were put up on the web and placed into Daily Round Archives according to topics. In 1992, students were able to access the World Wide Web and this soon became the primary way of presenting students' reports. As a result, here you are, reading one of my reports online."

JK from Generation 4 wrote: "For some reason, it is difficult for many students to look for help from others that are knowledgable. There was one student who refused to ask for help from a CLIC lab monitor. I felt the same way. I thought that I would sound too stupid or ask dumb questions so I just sat at the computer and seeked out solutions on my own. I think that was a learning process all on its own. Through my mistakes, I learned and found other ways of solving things or new techniques to use."

JK from Generation 4 summarizes the experiences of prior students and her own: "Soon after the realization that it is possible to overcome most of the problems that are thrown at them, a rush of excitement beholds the students and they now feel as though they can do so much with what they have learned. They even feel comfortable enough to offer advice to those who decide to venture this path. I think a lot of students get excited when they realize that they can do it. There is a sense of accomplishment when they see something beginning to form that they are creating. I know that I am getting excited by seeing my reports and my home page on the Internet. Some example feelings of prior students... "this class has helped to push me past my aversion to computers and into the "now" which I'm very grateful for." (KH from Generation 2) "I felt happy, proud, and satisfied since I had found a resolution to access my Home Page file by myself." (NMC from Generation 2) "There is a light at the end of the tunnel and I have been able to grow and develop new skills in searching the World Wide Web." (TS from Generation 1).

RT from Generation 4 admits to a sense of healthy competition among the generations: "The community created within the class and with previous generations makes learning much more enjoyable. I am able to explore the many different viewpoints of students in the past and present. There is also a sense of competition among my peers that motivates me to put up a page that is comparable to the best pages. There is also the physical factor when we meet once a week in a classroom to discuss our problems. Overall, the learning process in a cybercommunity is much more enjoyable than learning in the boring, traditional technique of lecturing."

"Just from reading what prior generations have written has helped me understand a lot more about the Internet and other aspects of cyberspace. It hasn't only helped me in computer knowledge but also in spiritual and emotional aspects. It eases my mind knowing that others are going through the same process as me, and that there were students before me who have survived this ordeal and feel good about it. This class can be very informative and educational, and fun, but, you have to make it be that. A lot of how the course goes depends on you, the student. It takes a great deal of self determination and work to do well and to appreciate what you are benefitting from by taking this class." -- quoting JK from Generation 4.

JK from Generation 4 gives advice on search engines: "For the most part, I found that prior generations found that using search engines was a positive experience. They pretty much shared the same views as I did. They found it to be really easy, except for the large results. It required a little more effort to find a way to reduce the large amount of results, but the majority expressed positive feelings about search engines. I pulled a few quotes from some students: RB from Generation 3: "I learned that it is necessary to carefully select the links that you choose to work with." CN from Generation 2: "There were no real problems or negative emotions to speak of." HH from Generation 3a: "I found that by using this summary option, I was able to save a lot of time choosing to save the appropriate listings."

RS from Generation 4b announces a new search engine service: "Yahoo! has a new search engine. When you are at their home page, to the right you will see a link to a "new search." This is supposed to be an updated, more efficient way of searching with Yahoo! I tried this search and found it to be a little more user friendly. For detailed information, see their help page for the new search features. Some added features include: relevance scoring on results and new query options for more efficient searching. I find Yahoo! to be the best search engine to use while looking up general categories and topics. It is easy to look through the specified categories and narrow down to specific areas of interest."

More advice on searching the Web by KB of Generation 4b: "I have found better ways to do searches. When I first started, I did searches that resulted in tens of thousands of pages that were relevant. There was no way that I could sift through all of that. I began reading the help pages and found better ways of inputting keywords and how to use Boolean searching. I have found that the Web has everything and anything that you want to look for. There is a vast amount of information, useless and relevant. It is addicting and exciting. You can be searching for something in particular and run across something totally off the subject and end up looking at links to those for hours. It keeps the mind stimulated as I think of it. When I am doing searches, I keep jumping to new ideas and new information that looks interesting. I'm learning about all kinds of things that I would have never sat in the library looking at.

CM from Generation 4b wrote about her mixed feelings: "My reactions to being in a generational cyber-community vary. In some cases, I think it is great being a part of this new cyber-world that has been created over time. However, I don't like the fact that there may be some computer hackers out there who know how to find out more about you than you wanted to give out. Cyberspace to me is a dark vast area, with so many things connected to it, yet so little time to observe it all. I would feel proud to have my grandchildren look at my homepage, yet also disappointed watching them surf the net for so long. I know that in the future, surfing the net will become the "in" thing, if it's not already. However, I have mixed feelings about the whole ordeal. I find myself at times eager to get online waiting to surf the net. Yet on other occasions I would rather stay far away from the computer and do other things instead."

RT summarizes his experiences as a member of both Generations 3 and 4 (having taken two succeeding courses): "Although, I do not know many of the people from past generations in a physical sense, I am able to know them through the ideas and experiences they published in the generational curriculum. Access to the minds of these students, allows for a much larger diversity of viewpoints, which enhances the learning process. As a generational curriculum we have access to material posted by a professional such as Dr. James, and others who can be found through search engines. The ideas published by these qualified men and women give us the textbook knowledge we normally get in a regular course. However, it is the relationships that are built through the minds of our peers that provide the motivation and desire to gain more knowledge. The relationships of minds among the generational curriculum will continue to grow as the years progress, and the boundaries of this learning process is endless. I am proud and humbled to be a part of this process."

CM from Generation 4b quotes SH from Generation 1 who discusses his feelings about being depressed while on the internet. "Depression. How do I fight depression? I just take a break from the typing that I am doing. When I first started using the online editor (emacs) I remember becoming extremely agitated, as well as depressed with the work that I was doing, I began to mentally curse the instructor for giving us such a frustrating homework. Normally this is not the case for me, I guess under only extremely stressful situations I become like that. Normally, I find that I just sit back and try to put the situation into perspective. If I become really depressed, I find that a long hot shower does wonders for me. I usually find that after relaxing like that, I come back with even more creativity, and motivation to do better."

RT from Generation 4 uses a quotation from JL (Generation 1) to advise future generations to learn to trust the computer: "One of the factors essential to achieving success in adapting to the internet is to learn to trust the computer. I am not saying that you should put 100% blind faith in the computer, but you should have enough trust that the computer does not hinder your progress. Initially you may face some fears about the reliability of computers, but eventually the computer will earn your trust (hopefully). JL (G1) expresses her initial fears about the computer, "I remembered when Dr. James said to 'go anywhere, do anything' and nothing will happen to the computer, it took me awhile to comprehend that advice. I was so afraid at first to hit any keys, fearing that I would delete something or can't get out of it." JL eventually overcame this paranoid fear and succeeded in her goals. Imagine if her mistrust persisted, she would never have been able to explore the internet, thereby, hindering her adaptation to the internet."

JU of Generation 4 gives this hint about Web addresses: "Another useful hint is the Copy/Paste method. This is good when you have a few sentences that you want to copy onto your report or you have an address that you want to go to, but don't want to write the whole thing out. Simply highlight the address or the sentence that you want to copy. Use the mouse and go to Edit on the toolbar. Click on Copy and it will be copied in the computer. Find the place where you want this copied information to go and go back to Edit. Now click on Paste and the copied information now appears in that space."

CM from Generation 4b summarizes her experiences: "I feel privileged to have the opportunity to learn the internet in a cyber-community as this. It gives the other students as well as myself a chance to learn from each other and about each other. We also have the chance to learn how each of us would handle a different situation or problem on the computer. I feel it is very beneficial to be learning the internet through a cyber-community rather than tyring ot learn it on your own. Overall I learned that there is so much information that you can look up on the internet, and then realize that you have too little time to go through it all, thus making learning through a cyber-community all the more worthwhile."

KM of Generation 4a admits to getting addicted: "After I got the hang of how the Internet works, I experienced what a lot of other students have experienced. I was totally addicted to the Net! I found myself spending two hours straight on my computer, just surfing the Net! I would sometimes stay home on the weekends and just stay on the computer because it was much cheaper than going out to a movie or go out drinking. When I mentioned this to my brother he said I have a real problem. Maintanence is very important. You need to discipline yourself into working on your reports daily. By doing this, you will not fall behind and have to stress out at the end of the semester when you have to worry about your finals for your other classes."

CO from Generation 4 quotes TS from Generation 1: "In the beginning, there was darkness..." and "It took a lot of patience, persistence, a very hard head, and a little help from my friends." Then CO adds: "I totally agree with TS. I realize that in order to survive in this class, people need assurance and help from others when they come across a problem. I found that this class is a survival class that doesn't involve, survival of the fittest, but a group of people who are willing to help each other out when things get hard and tough. Also each individual needs to develop patience, persistence, and control over emotions, feelings, thoughts, and motivation in order to survive. Everyone works as a team and group to get everything done."

RT from Generation 4 admires a statement by AI from Generation 3 and puts it in a context of overcoming anxiety: "AI takes on a strong attitude in overcoming her panic, as she states, "From the first week of school, I was ready to drop out. I thought long and hard about the consequences and came to this...I am not going to be, or want to be a "Loser". I am ready to risk whatever it takes to get through this course." If you have this kind of conviction, failure would not be an option and only success will come to you." Anxiety is a very uncomfortable feeling that can be used as an advantage to motivate one to progress. It is a negative motivation because one must acquire the knowledge adequately and comfortably in order to get rid of it. It will be natural to experience anxiety when one faces a task that is unfamiliar or seemingly overwhelming. This anxiety will lead to frustration, which will then lead to a decision one must make. The decision is whether to use the anxiety constructively as a motivator or to use it as an excuse to digress or quit. Most students of past generations used it to motivate themselves as evidenced by the commendable completion of their projects."

RT from Generation 4 transmits AR's (Generation 1) advice on how to build good Web Pages: "According to AR, the best way to find information is "to look at other people's Pages and trying things out on your own." He then gives tips on attitude and techniques to achieve, "give yourself a lot of time to make mistakes, ask for help, ask other students, and do not give up. Time is very important because you cannot expect to be perfect at something or understand through one quick glance or reading. The more time you spend, the easier it is to understand what is going on . . . One good suggestion is to ask for help. You can ask the guys in the lab or a fellow student . . . Another successful strategy is to take breaks every now and then. "

JU of Generation 4 admits to wanting to drop the course: "When I first started taking this class I didn't think it was the right class for me. I was thinking about dropping it because it wasn't what I expected it to be. I thought that it would go slower and we would learn the step by step directions for doing anything on the computer. I had never used the Web before this class and part of the reason was because I was afraid to. I thought it would be hard and confusing. I was surprised when I first tried it. Although it is still confusing and frustrating, I am sort of getting the hang of it. I think that the initial stage of doubt and negative feeling is due to ignorance of how to work the computer except for word processing. My advice to future generations is, Don't give up, just keep trying all kinds of commands to see which ones work. Make a friend in the class that you can go to lab with or call for help. Ask for help if you are confused or don't know how to work a certain command. You are going to spend a lot of time on the computer so somehow find the time to do it because it will help you to become more familiar with the Internet."

TA of Generation 4b offers advice to the instructor on the future of the online generational curriculum: "When I tried to think up a plan to provide a long-term solution to insure the survival of the Generational Curriculum, a few things came to mind. First of all, I suggest getting the Generational Curriculum its own domain name and/or server. Keep everything separate from the other Social Science stuff. Then, hire people to take care of the site. Dr. James cannot maintain this site solely by himself as he has tried to do so far, especially when more and more people take his courses. These assistants could fix the links on people's pages that don't work, or the pictures that don't work, etc... They could also make the pages look more attractive and stuff, since some pages look bland. No offense, but the Lab monitors aren't much help at times. (Sometimes the Lab Monitors are downright RUDE!) Thus, with the help of GOOD teaching assistants, beginners will be prepared with basic knowledge sooner, and make the learning level progress at a much higher rate. With these things incorporated, I think it would insure the survival of the Generational Curriculum."

LA of Generation 4b reviews the benefits of the generational approach: "I see many benefits of being a member of Generation 4b. My input can be viewed by different classes within the generational curriculum, as well as the public. I am still contributing to the site with my reports. A lot of it is not finished yet. I hope I can help others understand the web better. I still don't know a lot about the web, but I know a lot more now, than when I first started doing my reports. I learned many new computer skills. I learned how to use the pico online editor, html language, e-mail, FTP, etc. I can use these basic computer skills in the future for work. Nowadays, it is important to keep up with technology. It is important because computer technology is changing so rapidly. I am continuously learning new things as I write my reports and navigate through the web. Every time I do my reports, I am always rearranging things. The more I work on the computer, I find many new types of information. In the near future, I will be able to show my family my very own home page on the web!"

YA from Generation 4 reviews a Generation 2 Page and notices some problems: "I was lost whenever I went to LM's (generation 2) reports. There was no "back to my homepage" button. Although her homepage was connected to her reports, her reports weren't connected to her homepage... did that make sense? The lack of a "back to my homepage" button kind of surprised me. Her reports not only lacked subheadings, but lacked tags, too, so I had to scroll through the whole report to see what it contained. The overall appearance of homepages changed dramatically from Generation One. Lori utilized the background HTML tag and also added a couple of icons on all of her web pages. Her text stood out from the background chosen, so it looked quite professional. Well, professional for her generation. Lori also knew about the Horizontal rule that made a break between sections and she used these in the appropriate places. Generation Two seemed to be the generation of backgrounds and icons. Now lets travel on to Generation Three."

OL of Generation 4 complains about generational reports that are too long: "Over the generations, there are many improvements to note regarding the length of reports. Taking a look back at the first generation, the reports appeared long winded and confusing. Many from the previous generation didn't think about being short and sweet. They just tried to cram as much words into one file as possible. An example of this is DB's (Generation 2) pages. Her reports are extremely long which makes viewing her pages tiresome and boring. Most of the time I couldn't get past the first paragraph. To avoid this problem, previous generations could have broken up their reports into several files in order to allow the viewer to click with their mouse to the next page instead of scrolling. Another solution would be to put in tagged indexes so that viewers can jump from section to section within reports. An excellent example of this is TA'a reports (Generation 4b). He utilizes the indexes as well as a table of context and provides them for each report."

ES from Generation 4b gives his view of what is the generational curriculum and what future management issues will come up:

"First of all, what is the Generational Curriculum (G.C.)? In the reading, my professor explains it as being "a cumulative collection of student work on many topics of interest to education, science and lifestyle issues." My professor's reasoning behind starting the G.C. was to search for "an instructional approach that would provide a platform for authentic student writing" (see original). Through hard work and determination, and the unwillingness to accept second best, Dr. Leon James started the G.C. project, which is still going on strong today. Very extensive in nature, the G.C. may comprise of as many as 24 or more general subject areas. These may be as non-Freudian as the topic of flossing one's teeth, or as Freudian as Dream Interpretations. The G.C. also maintains 19 Principles for both written and oral assignments that my professor meticulously assigns. Yes, it is a full-load, but I think it's all worth it. Now, that I am almost done with the course, I look back and feel good about what I have accomplished. I know I could never have achieved this level of performance if I was not as challenged as I was in this class.

Managing the G.C. project to ensure long-term survival and success would be a difficult task to handle. One that my professor is taking the responsibility for right now. Comprising of a multitude of available links and resources, with many more to come, the Generational Curriculum is going to need some kind of reform and management system to not only ensure the general organizational structure and "navigatability" but to nurture its development and enhance its chances survival. First off, the G.C. needs to get its own server. Right now, our college resources are low and there is not much room for improvement. If anything, I feel that this whole project is not being whole-heartedly encouraged by the system. As the G.C continues to grow and flourish, our resources will become less available and we would have to make major cutbacks in the site. Obtaining, operating, and maintaining our own G.C. server would mean that the only limitation for the project would be our pocketbooks (purchasing more drives, trunks, lines, etc.), and we would have more control with accessibility, down time, etc.

Another solution to survival and success would be to redesign the entire web site so that it is a little more "surfable." With hundreds of links going every which way, a newcomer to the web site may be a little overwhelmed, not knowing where to start. Perhaps getting more help to work on different sectors of the web site would help. As of press time, my Professor, was taking care of most of the web work. A densely populated and ever emerging web site like this needs more than one person running the show."

YA of Generation 4b talks about her own generation in comparison to prior ones: "Since this generation is still working on improving each report, I will discuss some aspects in general. Most of the students have shortened each page, getting rid of unnecessary scrolling down too many times to get to the end of the page. Subheadings are clear and stand out on each report as shown here, TA not only has subheadings, but also provides sub-subheadings within each section. A great way of quickly finding a section of a report that you are solely interested in. TA also provides links as well as comments about each link he explored. The number of links increased during this generation. As Dr. James continuously emphasized, look for links! Put as many links on your page as you can. So, that's what we did. We not only provided links that we found interesting, but we also commented on them as to how we were feeling as we explored each link. This seemed to be the constant thing throughout each generation: reporting our cognitive and affective aspects of each task at hand (right Dr. James?). By visiting some homepages that were generated by Generation 4b, it was quite evident that this was an all new generation."

RC of Generation 4b goes over each prior generation and assesses their differences, especially the growth of technology and the maturing of topics:

"In Generation 1, the entry home page is very plain. Basically, it's a screen with no background and a list of names of the students in the class. The student home pages are equally plain. There were some pictures and icons, but I didn't see any backgrounds incorporated. This affects the appearance of the site to the visitor and is representative of the technique that was used to create the site. The reports consist of one long entry that is broken up into segments according to the topic, and links take you to anchors within the report. Links are supposed to be representative of connectivity and navigation, but I found it surprising that the links merely take you to a specific part of the same report. Although the report is long, suggesting depth, the report is not very technical. The topics that the students wrote on made the report seem more like journal writing, as they commented on their experiences while being online.

In Generation 2, the entry home page is a little more flashy. There are some dividers and small icons that are used, and the names of students are now separated by balls or bullets instead of just being listed in a column. The integration of these things adds to the technique and appearance of the site. There are also some backgrounds and blinking text that are used. The reports are now separated instead of being one big document that you can click through. The separated reports include their own headings also. It is evident that the quality, depth, richness, and scholarship of the reports is improving. However, the reports still resemble journal writing. Basically, the students reported on their experiences on the internet, using Netscape, Unix, pine, and ftp.

In Generation 3 and Generation 3a, things began to really take off. The entry home page includes colors, backgrounds, tables, and dividers. This alone shows the development of a keener sense of technique and integration to insure the appearance of the site. The student home pages also follow in this manner, incorporating tables, backgrounds, icons, and dividers. The reports also go further in the areas of technique, connectivity, integration, and navigation by the addition of things like navigational buttons that take the visitor "back to the top". There are also links to other student home pages and the instructor's home page. Students have also incorporated a table of contents into their reports, and the individual reports also contain anchors.

In Generation 4a and Generation 4b, I think that there is a marked difference that separates these two generations from the previous generations. One unmistakable difference is the use of animated gifs. The generational curriculum has gone from generation 1 which has almost no icons to generation 4 which incorporates animated gifs. Students also make use of complex tables, table of contents, anchors, and topical indexes in their reports. Individual reports also have their own backgrounds and icons. Navigational buttons such as "e-mail me", "go back to my home page", and "go on to the next report" are also common on the students' reports. It is evident that as far as technique, connectivity, integration, and navigation are concerned, generation 4 has come a long way. Perhaps the biggest difference that I have noticed is in the quality and content of the reports. The reports have developed from journal writing concerned with how the student met the challenge of the internet to technical reports about the operation and navigation of the web.

I see it this way, the reports of the past generations focus on the experience that the student has while online, but the reports of generation 4 go a step further and discuss the mechanics and dynamics of the web while still integrating the thoughts and feelings of the student. Because of this, the quality, depth, richness, and scholarship of the reports has also been taken a step further. I see the generational curriculum as much more than just a "collection of student work." I see it as an ever growing database for cyberpsychology. The generational curriculum is also a one of a kind cybercommunity. I think that it's different from other cybercommunities out there because the students of each generation actually brought this cybercommunity together. Each generation, semester after semester, puts forth their best to contribute to the generational curriculum. I think the fact that the students have such an important role in developing this cybercommunity, adds to the uniqueness of the generational curriculum."

GS of Generation 4b gives his understanding of the generational curriculum (GC): "The GC is different from most other sites because of its content, participants and design. Every semester, Dr. James' psychology students learn the web and utilizes the medium for research, communication and presentation of their reports. Topics involve psychology on the intimate level (in terms of self-analysis, growth), as well as psychology on the large-scale level like the massive world wide web. The GC is certainly an interesting and novel design which is probably why these classes are the first to close during registra tion. The huge archives are a collection of topics from students that include such topics as, "Analysis of Songs and Dreams," and "Resistance to Better Health Behaviors," among many, many others. So, the anyone can access the archives for this information. The GC went online in 1993 and, as with the advances in technology, has become more sophisticated in content and design. The linkage involved is massive. Beginning with each student, who links from their main page to their subsidiary pages, also citing the works of other students before, by way of links. As each semester passes, former students' pages are archived and each new semester 's students link to the past students. Before you know it, we have a constntly growing "hypertext super-document" on the web that has evolved into a substantial educational community sharing a wealth of information with the world, utilizing the web."

OL of Generation 4b sees herself in a generational context: "Personally, I feel that the greatest benefit of being a part of this Cyber-Community is that I am never alone. Trekking through this wild frontier called the Internet can be very scary sometime, but knowing that my classmates and past generations have all started where I did gives me comfort. For the future, I hope to leave my mark in cyberspace in hopes that someone will find me and read what I have to say. Until then, I will continue to expand and contribute to my page as past generations have done a nd future generations have yet to do."

DH of Generation 4b pleads for the continued support of the generational curriculum: "In order for the Generational Curriculum to survive, several elements have to be present. First of all, there has to a manager that guides future generations, and maintains past generations. In this case, we have Dr. James. Without a manager, the community would collapse due to a weak foundation and lack of motivation. Secondly, it is essential for students to continue enrolling in these cyber-psychology classes. Without the students, the community would not expand, and it would deteriorate. Students will eventually graduate, until there is no one left in the community. During every term, technology becomes more advanced. I believe that it is critical for each generation to make use of the available technology in order to surpass the previous generations. For example, animated icons became popular during this term. Therefore, animated icons are exclusive to this term's web sites. Little things like this create an evolving community, rather than stationary one. I also think that it is important to update the links and the locations of the community's pages. In the beginning of the term, I noticed that I was not able to access some of the sites from the previous generations. In addition, some of the links in the first generation still do not work. This may be due to the change in the addresses. If all of these aspects and guidelines are present, I feel that the Generational Curriculum will have great success in surviving."

OL of Generation 4b gives advice to future generations on what to put on a personal Home Page and recommends "fun" things: "Before you decide to publish on the Web, you must put in some thoughtful planning as to what you want to show your audience. For my home page I would put in a brief description of myself such as my goals and accomplishments (very short section.) I would also provide fun links to sites, and other people's home pages I'd like you to see... Caf* de Paris - live chatting in a virtual Paris cafe! Make friends, discover travel tips, discuss hotels, restaurants, museums, life in general. The Noodles club- direct from Portland State University. A live performance from the Noodles club. This is an exclusive club open to those special people who can't live without the wonderful Vietnamese noodles, Pho,...Oh so yummy!"

OL of Generation 4b gives a history and critique of the generational curriculum:

"The Generational curriculum is a collection of written works by students on a variety of topics covering education, science, and lifestyle issues. These works are kept and shown to new students the following year so that they can learn and contribute to them. The development of the Generational curriculum began with the idea of teaching students to write authentically. To write authentically, according to Dr. James, meant writing with an oral and written communicative competence. Dr. James found that if the students' work was posted, they would feel a greater sense of self-worth, and lose their anonymity. This leads to more confident writing. In 1993, the Generational curriculum extended its boundaries into the World Wide Web. It has its current students post their works over the Internet for anyone to view. The generation is in its fourth year, going on five.

Going through the curriculum and visiting each generation is like viewing technology on a timeline. The first generation marks the beginning and the current one marks the end. The Generational Curriculum is still a novel idea many are afraid to confront. Being a part of the Generational curriculum is a new experience for me. It is nothing like I expected. I had a lot of trouble getting over the first stages of learning my way around the Web. I never "surfed the Web" before and didn't have a clue where to begin. It took me awhile to get accustomed to everything and I have my classmates to thank for that. It takes a lot of getting used to and an absurd amount of patience. Something I don't have much of. Once I figured out the basics, I was able to expand from there.

Other students who ventured through the generation had similar struggles to overcome. ME (Generation 2) describes her initial struggles with the Web and how she was able to overcome it. She describes her happiness to overcome the handicap. MO (Generation 3) also writes about her struggles but offers advice to future generations on how to overcome their fear of the Unknown. Most of the students throughout each generation felt it was a great learning experience to be able to be a part of the Generational Curriculum and see the changes it goes through. I am especially proud of sticking it through and learning what I know from this class. As future generations are added and the Generational curriculum grows, the success will be determined by the knowledge gained from the past. Each year, improvements can be seen as the advances in technology multiply. Perhaps one day in the future, all classes will be conducted this way and follow in the footsteps of Dr. Leon James."

CM from Generation 4b passes on his understanding of the educational significance of the generational curriculum:

"The first article by Dr.James is a brief explanation of what topics the Generational Curriculum covers. Two of the main topics are, "Traffic Psychology" and "Cyberpsychology". Under the topic "Traffic Psychology," is listed a description of how this site is serving the purpose of helping students to modify their driving behavior. In the topic of "Cyberpsychology," there is the description of how students are learning to manage databases and in addition, it also mentions the significance of the Daily Round Archives which is a collection of student writings that have been passed down through the generations since 1975. These writings encompass a variety of topics such as, "Transcripts of conversations at the family dinner table" and "Money thoughts on the daily round."

The second article looks at how hyperlinks are responsible for forming connections between students of different generations. According to Dr. James, when each generation makes a link back to the past generations, the outcome is a cybercommunity. This is all made possible through the many forms of links available on the Internet. Hypertext is looked upon as the computer application which is responsible for the functioning of links. The essence of this article lies in Dr. James' description of how the endless varieties of links are responsible for creating a, "virtual" world which is responsible for the communication between generations of the past, present, and future."

CK from Generation 4b speaks of her feeling as a member of the cyber-community: "Being a part of latest generation ... I saw one major difference between this site and any other site. The one difference was that is a cybercommunity. This means that everyone helps everyone. It's like a mini-networking system in itself. Everyone links to someone who links to someone else. So in that sense, everyone's pretty much a part of the community. The assignments also allow students the opportunity to ask each other about complications or to clear up and misunderstood matter. It is also an excellent opportunity for classmates to get to know each other better. Also, if other students find possible ways for your report to be improved they can suggest it and vice versa. I have found myself to be a part of this cybercommunity. I feel confident that I can do what I need to do. Even if I fail, I have my fellow classmates at hand to guide me in the right direction. I have come a long way in this department. I remember at first feeling apprehensive and overwhelmed about this class. It helped seeing the previous generations go through the same trials as we have. Only I realize that they had it tougher. They did not have as much instruction materials as we had. But yet they overcame, and so will I."

CO of Generation 4b picks up useful scientific concepts browsing through a Generation 1 report: "Generation One pages consisted of one continuous lab report (e.g., see JL). Her lab report was approximately 20 screens long. There were interesting sub-headings that would catch my eye every now and then. There were constant breaks with links in her report to get back to her home page or to go to the instructor's home page. The links on her page were not very descriptive, although they were relevent to the topic that she was discussing at the time. Since the topics in Generation One seemed to be self-witnessing themselves, there was much detail and emotion in her paper. This made for an interesting paper. As for integration into psychology and science, I did get to read about a Dr. Kuhlthau's research in this paper. JL talked about her a lot and I did get to hearing about "construct theories" and "cognitive and affective processes".

RS from Generation 4b answers the question, What is the Generational Curriculum? "Searching for Oral and Written Communicative Competence was an article authored by Dr. Leon James. Upon reading this article, I was able to appreciate and understand the rationale behind the creation of the Generational Curriculum area. Dr. James believed that college students needed "oral and written communicative competence." In order to foster this type of "communicative competence", Dr. James determined that "authenticity" had to be present first. In 1960 Dr. James got to put his theory in action, he developed a teaching program for the Dade County, Florida school district. This program would allow teachers to provide an "authentic learning environment" for classes that contained Spanish and English speaking students. With an "authentic learning environment" established, the process of acquiring communicative competence could take place. Dr. James gave credit to psychologist Kurt Lewin, whose theory on "group dynamic forces" allowed Dr. James to discover that social forces can be applied to a classroom setting (creating an authentic learning atmosphere), thus promoting the acquisition of "communicative competence". With that theory in mind, in 1975 with the help of Dr. Diane Nahl, Dr. James set up the Generational Curriculum at the University of Hawaii . The Generational Curriculum is a site that consists of an array of writings authored by students in Dr. James's psychology classes dating back from 1975. The teaching approach used in the Generational Curriculum was to foster the acquisition of "oral and written communicative competence."

ES of Generation 4b identifies problems with the WIB databases (World Ideas Bank) started by Generation 3: "One problem I see about the continuing of this online database activity though, is that the contributions are encouraged to be e-mailed to the specific student. Many roadblocks could get in the way even before a contribution could find itself on the web page. 1.The student graduates. 2. The student no longer or rarely checks his/her e-mail. 3. The student doesn't have time to export and transform the e-mail into readable HTML for the web page. A solution I see in continuing students picking up where G3 left off would be to send it to a single e-mail address (e.g. the professor's) that would be checked for the length of the life of the WIB, or to make an interactive form for contributors to fill out. This would make for easier accessibility, changeover and contribution."

RS of Generation 4b gives his complex and creative plan for the future development of the Generational Curriculum:

"In order to accommodate the growth of the Generational Curriculum a staff of competent personnel must be assigned. I propose a management team be assigned as caretakers of this site. The management team (this can be a 499 class) would consist of students that have taken part in Dr. James's Traffic and/or Cyber-Psychology classes before. The duties of the team would be: 1) To work with Dr. James and produce a "mission statement". 2) To work with Dr. James and develop a well structured plan that would ensure the fulfillment of the "missions statement". Note: Every semester there will be a new management team. The new team along with Dr. James will determine if a new missions statement is needed.

The management team would be structured as follows : 1) Dr. James would appoint a Manager. The manager would have to possess excellent leadership and communication skills. The manager would also have to possess competent skills in all areas of the Internet (HTML, Java, concepts, Unix, page design, etc.). 2) Dr. James and the Manager would hand pick a crop of assistant managers based on their demonstrated abilities in previous Traffic and/or Cyber-Psychology course(s). Once the management team is formed they would be assigned to committees. The committees would be responsible for carrying out specific task(s) that would ultimately result in fulfilling the "mission statement". Committees would arrange weekly meetings on their own. A weekly general meeting would be conducted by the manager. At this meeting progress reports as well as discussions would be held. Another weekly meeting would be conducted by Dr. James, at this meeting progress reports would be given by each committee. In addition, the manager would have to meet with Dr. James once a week to discuss the overall direction that the team is headed in.

In the future the organizational integrity of this site may suffer due to the enormous amount of pages and reports that will be added. If this site becomes difficult to traverse, it may lead to the degradation of its "authenticity". In my opinion, the Generational Curriculum is one of the most valuable sites on the internet. I feel confident that the management program I have proposed would be the best possible solution to insure the Generational Curriculum's survival and success. Note: if you wish to see the potential problems that the Generational Curriculum may face in the future you can read my report 4."

GS of Generation 4 appreciates the The World Ideas Bank (WIB) started by Generation 3:

"WIB is a collection of essays, thoughts, confessions, inspirations and informations--likened to a social gathering experience via the web. This is a free forum, so to speak, in which participants may express their reactions or thoughts on the subject that you selected. It's a facinating voyage through peoples' minds, from a psychology standpoint, as people share their internal philosophies, ideas and thoughts. This process allows for the giver to release the internal and constrained thoughts and, at the same time allowing opportunity for others to grow by. This process could be associated with Freud's Psychoanalysis, Carl Rogers' client-centered therapy or some other therapy where participants talk about whatever they want, while others listen via reading their words. This is a great idea for those who desire a healing of the soul. I think if more people communicated their constricted thought and expressed themselves more, the world would be a better place to live.

It is also possible to respond in a continuous forum. I like the freedom of expression involved, where (via the net) you can share your ideas and thoughts that you wouldn't ordinarily share in-person or face-to-face. There's a lesser degree of fear of rejection because you're not actually standing in front of the person, which entails social restrictions and constraints. These WIB students don't have the usual worries of boring or offending their acquaintances with their personal thoughts because the forum is designed for this purpose and is accessible to whomever chooses to utilize it."

Back to Article

Back to Classified Inventory

Leon James Home Page