Web Instructional Strategies

Jennifer Klinger
EDMT 380 Section 003
Fall 2003

Group Members:
Jenny Klinger
Stephanie Smith
Shari Steffens
Jenny Writz

1 A &B.
Hot List: A personal subject directory of internet web links created by a teacher for student’s use. The hot list contains predetermined links found by the teacher that contain the information that the teacher expects the students to obtain. This saves the students time and also provides the students with a reference site that they are able to refer back to.
Advantages and disadvantages: This strategy saves the students’ time, if class time and/or computer time is limited. It lets the students’ know exactly what you want them to know and what sites you want them to look at. A disadvantage is that the students do not get the experience of using search engines and deciding for themselves what sites they feel are relevant.

Multimedia Scrapbook: Students search through internet sites for photos, maps, stories, facts, quotations, sound clips, videos, and virtual reality tours to compose a final scrapbook. Formats for the scrapbook could include: newsletters, desktop slide presentations, collages, bulletin boards, or a webpage. When the students have finished their multimedia scrapbook they should be able to give a clear and thoughtful reason for the information they included and why it is important to the project.
Advantages and disadvantages: A multimedia scrapbook offers a student-centered approach, letting the learner research a broad topic in depth. It offers students’ a chance to explore different kinds of formats found online. Each project will turn out unique and lets the student use their own creativity. Some disadvantages would include the in class time the project would take, and the computer lab time it would use up.

Treasure Hunts: Expose students to a variety of web pages. From each link the teacher should ask a key question to shape students understanding and knowledge of the subject. This gives students a way to gather and process what they have learned, giving them a broader understanding of the big picture. It was suggested to use treasure hunts either at the beginning or end of a lesson, to introduce or wrap up a unit.
Advantages and disadvantages: Treasure hunts help familiarize the student with the web and computer by visiting a variety of websites. It allows the teacher to asses the student from the answers they give to verify students understand the material covered. Presenting a key question for each site may lead students searching the site only to find the answer and not fully explore each site.

Web Quest: Presents student groups with a challenging task, or problem to solve. Together students research for some common background knowledge. They then divide into groups where each student has a role or perspective to research, and become an “expert” at. The web is used to give students a variety of viewpoints and perspectives to read about. When the students come back to the group, they work together to combine their knowledge into a presentation.
Advantages and disadvantages: Group work would integrate different talents and skills which would help other students. Working together promotes sharing ideas and meeting new people in the classroom. Since each person is assigned one task to become an “expert” at the whole group may not get the “big idea” at the end.

Subject Sampler: Like a treasure hunt, teachers prepare a list of websites that offer interesting information that will engage the learner. Students are then asked to respond to the links from their personal perspective and experiences they have had. Students are to respond to the websites with their views, rather then responding to a question with a right or wrong answer.
Advantages and disadvantages: Students are searching the sites for their information which would lead to more in-depth research. Since the students are then responding from their own personal perspective they are more likely to retain the information. Because it is a prepared list by the teacher, the students will not get the experience of searching the web on their own.

1C. Examples of Web Instructional Strategies:
All of the following examples could be used as part of the social studies field for
students. Each of these web devices would allow the students an opportunity to
complete a more in-depth research on a specific topic. Listed below are the web
instructional strategy, the specific topic it covers, and a link to the corresponding
website.
Hot lists
American History
http://www.dy-regional.k12.ma.us/wixon/hotlist_history.htm

Multimedia Scrapbook
Exploring China
http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/China/scrapbook.html

Treasure Hunts
Black History
http://www.kn.sbc.com/wired/BHM/bh_hunt_quiz.html

Subject Samplers
African American
http://www.kn.sbc.com/wired/BHM/bh_sampler.html

Web Quests
Tuskegee Study
http://www.kn.sbc.com/wired/BHM/tuskegee_quest.html

Web Quests In Detail

2A. Web Quests are best suited for instruction involving critical thinking, cooperative learning, authentic assessment, and technology integration, and student motivation

2B. A teacher can create a WebQuest by first making an outline to guide them through the process. Then they must decide on a topic related to an area of curriculum that may not be availably covered in adequate texts. Then teachers must decide on the task and figure out the process, how students will go about what they are expected to do. Then, identify the online resources available on your topic by brainstorming a list of related words and using the list to search for relevant sites. As you search, create a hot list of current, accurate, and age-appropriate sites that will engage your students' interest. Individual evaluation rubrics should be developed that follow curriculum objectives and are easy for students to understand.

A Web Quest should include:
1. An introduction that sets the stage and provides some background information. This will prepare and hook the reader.
2. A task that is doable and interesting. The task focuses on what they are going to do and learn. You can also provide some guidelines in the task portion.
3. A set of information sources needed to complete the task. Many (though not necessarily all) of the resources are embedded in the Web Quest document itself as anchors pointing to information on the World Wide Web. Information sources might include web documents, experts available via e-mail or real time conferencing, searchable databases on the net, and books and other documents physically available in the learner's setting. Because pointers to resources are included, the learner is not left to wander through web space completely adrift.
4. A description of the process the learners should go through in accomplishing the task. The process should be broken out into clearly described steps. This section outlines how the learners will accomplish the task, including clear steps, resources, and tools for organizing information.
5. Some guidance/evaluation on how to organize the information acquired. This can take the form of guiding questions, or directions to complete organizational frameworks such as timelines, concept maps, or cause-and-effect diagrams. The evaluation describes to learners how their performances will me measured.
6. A conclusion that brings closure to the quest, reminds the learners about what they've learned, and perhaps encourages them to extend the experience into other domains.

2C. To modify the web quest if there is only one computer or a slow unstable Internet connection, there are a few things that the teacher can do:

1. Use the computer in a whole class discussion with the teacher controlling the
computer and the pace that the class uses it at.
2. Use the computers as a work station and have other students complete other
tasks while the others are on line.
3. If there is no Internet connection the students can access web archives created
on another computer and save it on their hard drives.

3. Learner Engagement:
Instructional strategies including hot lists, treasure hunts, subject samplers, and multimedia scrapbooks address issues of learner engagement and motivation because the student is using the internet verses a text book. These strategies give students more of a visual means for learning. Students use constructivism as a part of learning through building from their background knowledge because students are able to engage in activities that are interesting to them. Web quest facilitates problem based learning, cooperative learning, and scaffolding. Students are expected to work interpersonally with their group members as they solve problems they will find in the real world.

4. Strategy Most Suited to Our Lesson:
Jenny Klinger: Multimedia scrapbooks would be best used in the Wisconsin Barns lesson plan because the students will need to do research and find pictures in order to learn the most about barns in Wisconsin. The students will be able to pick an aspect of the farm that best interests them which will motivate them investigate their subject in its entirety. The students will also be able to better share their knowledge with others if they have chosen a topic of high interest to them. Using multimedia scrapbooks will encourage students to be creative which will help make the lesson more enjoyable.

Shari Steffens: A Multimedia Scrapbook would be the most beneficial web instructional strategy for our lesson on Wisconsin Barns. Students could build on their background experiences and resources to find materials to include in their barn scrapbook. Students could utilize a broad variety of technology to enhance their learning about barns and farm life. We are having students create a barn book within our lesson and this strategy would help facilitate the use of the web and the resources within the web. The Multimedia Scrapbook encourages students to explore the topic more in depth and individually which would really encourage more creative projects within our barn lesson.

Stephanie Smith: Multimedia scrapbooks would add a new dimension to our barns lesson. Using the internet would give students experience researching and finding a variety of information. Each student would come away with a more descriptive and better understanding of Wisconsin Barns and why they are an important part of our history. Every project would have its own unique characteristics based upon the student which adds a nice personal touch to the project.

Jenny Writz: All of the web instructional strategies would be great strategies to incoporate into our unit on Wisconsin Barns. If I had to choose just one to incoporate it would be the multimedia scrapbooks. Students would have the opportunity to explore the internet. As they search for a variety of information, they would be building their knowledge on Wisconsin barns and farm life, as well as further developing their research skills. Through the scrapbooks students will have the opportunity to express their own creativity and ideas. They would be able to pick and choose the topics that they would like to include and research topics that interest them. Multimedia scarpbooks will encourage creativity of students while enhancing their technology skills.

Any questions or comments please email klingerj@uwec.edu klingerj@uwec.edu
Page last updated on October 15, 2003