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The Titanic:
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The Titanic:
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It is intended that students use the databases to come face to face with issues that are obvious – the relative numbers of different classes that were saved; the numbers in each lifeboat; the opulence of the rich; as well as many of the more subtle aspects of the situation - the gaps and inaccuracies in the original data; the attitudes toward immigrants; the categories of crew that survived; the effect of different officers interpreting the same order in different ways.
When using software such as this it is often difficult to avoid one of two extremes - either the data is seen as a huge collection of information through which the user, with no clear goal in mind, browses with little purpose; or else the user works through a series of tightly defined worksheets in order to get the ‘right answer’ but in doing so develops no ‘feel’ for the human dimension that lies behind the data.
This set of resources attempts to surmount these difficulties by using a two-step approach: the provision of a series of Background information scenarios and the inclusion of a tutorial section in the software itself. The purpose of both is to get the user to begin pursuing a particular line of investigation rather than aimlessly wandering through data - as fascinating as this can sometimes be!
And in conclusion...
It is doubtful whether there can ever be a definitive and conclusive end to the mysteries surrounding the Titanic (and would we really want it any other way?).
The data is as accurate as the conflicting evidence of original source documents, recorders of the day and modern commentators will allow it. When there were instances where there was no clear cut answer and a decision had to be made – we made it (well, someone had to!).
Again, it is our desire that users will be able to glimpse behind the cold and somewhat stark words on the screen and come to grips with the human dimension of the tragedy represented by this set of data.
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