The Virtual Historian is now available in a completely new client-server program to better serve your needs.

With the support of the Canadian Funds for Innovation (CFI) and a partnership with Idéeclic.com, we have developped a new "client-server" program to teach history online.

This new platform provides learners with a more personalized and powerful approach to the study of the past. Using the well-recognized backward design* model of planning, the VH 2.0 provides a conceptual framework designed to make historical thinking and learning more effective and indepth.

All lesson activities are designed to support the concepts of historical thinking inquiry and benchmarks  as designed by the Historical Thinking Project (Centre for the study of historical consciousnes, UBC).

The VH 2.0 offers teachers additional web design features that make it possible to:

• create virtual classrooms and class lists


• assign student folders and learning activities


• adapt or change all VH activities, and


• develop personal custom-made lessons.

New interactive modules, such as the “Lesson builder” provide teachers with the flexibility to create individualized lesson plan and evaluation rubrics. Even more powerful is the “Shared lessons” tool of the VH 2.0 allowing teachers to design and share history lessons with colleagues.

With this new version, students now have a secure account, controlled by the teacher, and a direct access to their own activities and personal notes from any remote computer connected to the Internet. They can communicate with their teacher and submit their assignments directly online.

In collaboration with partner organizations and museums, we will offer them the possibility to upload primary source content and create lesson activities for studnets and teachers to use in class, making for a broader and richer collection of online learning resources.

As a subscriber, you still have access to the Virtual Historian v. 1.0. To do so, simply login and click on ACCESS VH 1.0. Please note that no additional content will be added to the version 1.0.

*Wiggins, G., and McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by Design, 2nd Edition. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.