Integrating World Wide Web into the Classroom

Activities for Integrating On- Line Content Material WebQuests WebQuests Filamentality Filamentality (Hotlist | Scrapbook | Treasure Hunt | Subject Sampler | WebQuest) (Hotlist | Scrapbook | Treasure Hunt | Subject Sampler | WebQuest)

What is a WebQuest? An inquiry-oriented activity in which most or all of the information used by learners is drawn from the Web. WebQuests are designed to use learners' time well, to focus on using information rather than looking for it, and to support learners' thinking at the levels of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. Bernie Dodge, San Diego State University

Why use WebQuests? motivating and fun intrinsic interest coming from using real resources on the internet materials are generally authentic and up- to-date task-based fosters learner independence skills are relevant to real-life

Problems with WebQuests time-consuming to make few pre-existing WebQuests for adult learners / language learning sources go out of date problems with technology/access to computers

What are the parts of a WebQuest? introduction task process evaluation conclusion teacher's page

Introduction introduces the activity or lesson to the students sets the stage purpose is to prepare and hook the reader communicates the Big Question

Task describes crisply and clearly what the end result of the WQ will be could be a problem to be solved, a product to be designed, a summary to be created... task should require students to process and transform the information they've gathered don't explain the steps of the WQ here

Process outlines what the learners will go through to accomplish the task includes resources that learners will use can have separate sections for different roles/groups can provide guidance on how to gather, analyse, and organise the information (scaffolding)

Evaluation describes how learners' perfomance will be evaluated specifies if evaluation will be for individual, group, or both

Conclusion brings closure and encourages reflection summarises what has been accomplished/learned can include rhetorical questions or extra links to encourage students to extend their thinking beyond this lesson

How do I go about creating a WebQuest? choose a topic find resources uncover a question brainstorm transformations identify real world feedback sort links into roles define the learning task write the web page engage learners implement and evaluate

Five rules for writing a great WebQuest Find great sites Orchestrate your learners and resources Challenge your learners to think Use the medium Scaffold high expectations

WebQuest Tasks:Retelling Tasks It is a WebQuest if: the format and wording of their report is significantly different than what they read (i.e., the report wasn't produced by cutting and pasting); the format and wording of their report is significantly different than what they read (i.e., the report wasn't produced by cutting and pasting); students are given direcrions about what to report and how to organize their findings; students are given direcrions about what to report and how to organize their findings; skills of summarizing, distilling, and elaborating are required and supported. skills of summarizing, distilling, and elaborating are required and supported.

Compilation Tasks Assemble and organize a body of knowledge in a form that would be useful to someone else. (cookbooks, a dictionary of terms used in a specific realm; a Who's Who; a "Best of..." collection). Assemble and organize a body of knowledge in a form that would be useful to someone else. (cookbooks, a dictionary of terms used in a specific realm; a Who's Who; a "Best of..." collection).

Mystery Tasks Requires one to: absorb information from multiple sources; absorb information from multiple sources; put information together by making inferences or generalizations across several information sources; put information together by making inferences or generalizations across several information sources; eliminate false trails that might seem to be likely answers at first but which fall apart under closer examination. eliminate false trails that might seem to be likely answers at first but which fall apart under closer examination.

Journalistic Tasks (Analyzing for Bias) The task involves: gathering facts and organizing them into an account within the usual genres of news and feature writing. gathering facts and organizing them into an account within the usual genres of news and feature writing. Do not forget to establish the importance of fairness and accuracy in reporting. Do not forget to establish the importance of fairness and accuracy in reporting.

Design Tasks Commemorative Commemorative Concrete Design Concrete Design Exhibit Exhibit Persuasive Message Persuasive Message Time Capsule Time Capsule Travel Plan Travel Plan