Internet-based Project Work & WebQuest

            
                Internet-based Project Work

Internet-based Project work: 

We should definitely include internet-based projects in our classroom: They are a structured way to incorporate the use of the Internet into the classroom. The use of projects encourages interaction and cooperative learning. Furthermore, using this online encyclopedia can be motivating for students and is likely to encourage decision making, critical thinking and interpersonal skills, among others. Enhancing the students into interactive projects that may foster their enthusiasm is a great way of teaching a foreign language because they learn without realizing they are doing so. 

To prepare an internet-based project, It is paramount to choose the project topic, clarify the task, find the resources and decide on the final outcome. 

 Why is it advisable to use these kind of projects?

These kind of project provide the students with the opportunity to cooperate with their classmates and operate in an interactive environment working collaboratively. These projects also encourage different types of skills, such as critical thinking, decision making, etc. Thus, student become more independent and able to solve problems on their own.

The use of technology should not be underestimated since it it the main reason why students become involved so easily. It fosters the development of skills that may usefully used in other areas of learning.

Webquests: 

Webquests are mini-projects in which material and input is retrieved from the internet. According to Bernie Dodge, a webquest is “an inquiry-oriented activity in which some or all of the information that learners interact with comes from resources on the internet.” There are two types of webquests: short-term webquests and long-term webquests. 

There are four sections of the webquest: 

Introduction: this stage is normally used to introduce the theme of the webquest. It involves giving background information and often introduces vocabulary and concepts. 

Task: It explains clearly what the students will have to do as they work their way through the webquest. The task should be motivating and interesting for the students. It should contain real-life situations. 

Process: This stage guides the learner through a set of activities and research tasks using sources. These resources are predominantly internet-based and are typically links to websites within the task document.

Evaluation: This can be self-evaluation and it also involves teacher evaluation 

Steps to prepare Internet-based project work

1)    Choose the topic of the Project.2) Make the project task clear to students. Explain to them what it is that they will have to achieve and what tools they will be using in order to do so.3)     Find the resources: which websites or other sources will they have to explore?4)     Decide on the outcome: what’s the final purpose of the project?

WebQuests

What are they?

Dodge, B. defines a WebQuest as an enquiry-oriented activity un which some or all of their information that learners interact with comes from resources on the internet. In other words, they constitute projects in which a large percentage of the input and material used is supplied from the Internet. They can be teacher or learner-made and they are usually classified into two main categories according to their length.

• Shor- term WebQuests: learners grapple with a significant amount of new information and make sense of it. A short-term WebQuest may spread over some classes during which learners visit a selection of sites to find information and use it in class to achieve a set of learning goals.

• Long- term WebQuests:learners analyze a body of knowledge deeply, transforming it in some way. In this sense, students explore a certain topic in depth and they transform the information they have acquired by turning it into a new product: a report, presentation, interview or survey. Thus, by the end of the project, learners Will have demonstrated an understanding of the material by creating something that others can respond to, online or offline.

WebQuests Structure

Most WebQuests have a rigid structure which is divided into four main sections: 

1)     INTRODUCTION: this section involves giving background information on the topic students will be dealing with throughout the project. Thus, this section is normally used to introduce the overall theme of the WebQuest and to activate students prior knowledge on it. 

2)     TASK: this section is used to explain what learners will have to achieve by the end of the WebQuest. In order for the project to be effective, it is important that this section is described in a motivating and interesting way so that students get engaged from the very beginning.

3)      PROCESS: this section guides the learners through a set of activities and research task, using a set of predefined resources most of which are Internet-based.

4)      EVALUATION: this section comprises the evaluation of the project outcomes. This evaluation may be carried by the students themselves, i.e.  students can evaluate themselves by comparing and contrasting their productions with the productions of their fellow classmates. They may even engage in peer-correction, by providing feedback to one another. The assessment may be also conducted by teachers who evaluate students’ WebQuests by measuring students’ achievements in relation to a rubric they had put together in advance.

 Bullying

My webquest
http://zunal.com/webquest.php?w=387522

Age group: 15-year-old students.

Language level: Upper- Intermediate (Bilingual School)

Number of students: 15

Physical Location: Computer lab.

Duration: 2 hours each lesson

Topic: Bullying 

Communicative Goal: Giving Advice

Vocabulary Focus: (If you found yourself in a situation where... You would... /Bullying Symptoms, Different types of Bullying, etc)

                                                                       Introduction

Welcome

Tasks

Teacher Page

Process