How the Course was Taught: 302 Modern Europe consisted of nine thematic units. Each unit began with an instructor-developed study guide with compact overviews of given topics or periods. The overviews were edited versions of materials that were easily located online. Following the course introduction, learning objectives for each unit were listed followed by common assigned readings and carefully previewed websites from which students could select additional materials. Except for short common readings from a required text book, all the course readings and visual source elements were located online.

Except for the first and last weeks of the course, students were required to either participate in a group discussion or write a short essay based on their reading and exploration of online materials. In addition, there were three quizzes and a final exam.

Overall Evaluation: The course began with 36 registered students and ended with 33. A majority, 24 of the participants, were older non-traditional students taking courses on a part-time basis. Ten students were in locations outside the Rochester area, including Korea, Japan and Canada. Overall, students were majoring in a variety of disciplines, including computer science, information technology, business, engineering, and criminal justice. Eight students were new to distance learning. Half of the students had taken at least two online courses. Ten students had already taken ten or more online courses.

The global ratings of the course on the official online course evaluation were very positive, with 86% of the students either giving the course a "best possible" rating of 5 out of 5, or a "very favorable" rating of 4. Positive general comments about the course out numbered negative ones by a very considerable margin. Seventy percent of the students began with only a moderate to slight desire to take the course, but 74% said that their interest in history had increased as a result of the course experience. Plus, given the opportunity, 90% would take another history course. Eight-seven percent reported having gained a sense of personal satisfaction in taking the course.