Seasoned philosophy professor Frank Ambrosio has sought to bring his students beyond literal levels of reading to deeper levels of allegory. Through a CNDLS' fellowship, he has been able to implement and refine a longtime project—an online, interactive version of Dante's Divine Comedy.

The CNDLS team helped transform Prof. Ambrosio's conception of a multimedia version of Dante's Divine Comedy into an innovative web-based application that allows students to comment on any given textual passage as well as make connections to other sections of the text or other student comments. A dynamic web of textual analysis emerges, essentially student-authored commentary on the text. In addition, an online journaling tool enables students to practice reflective reading practices, and allows the professor to witness their understanding of the text and offer commentary on their writing. CNDLS also produced a short Flash movie to help contextualize the poem for students. The use of multiple media formats helps engage a variety of learners. The interactive elements of the site necessitate student engagement, which guides them in accessing the text literally, metaphorically, and contemplatively.

With the introduction of the multimedia version, Prof. Ambrosio has observed progress in comprehension of Dante's text in the level of class discussion and in critical writing. The site provides new and effective ways for Prof. Ambrosio to interact with his students and maker their learning visible—to witness how they process and analyze difficult texts.