An article offering advice and suggestions on how to teach English using the internet.
Introduction
While browsing the forum in search of an idea I felt I could comment on, I stumbled upon this question, which had gone unanswered for quite some time:
Please, what are the teaching/learning strategies that an ESL teacher can apply while he/she is using the Internet with students?
As a result, and due to my feelings and experience on the subject, the following article attempts to address the question posted, by focussing on one specific area of Internet based learning.
What to do?
With the increase of computer and Internet availability in language schools on the rise, many teachers, with little or no training or experience in this medium as a language learning tool, have surely asked themselves this question once or twice when faced with the prospect of getting out of the comfortable (for teacher) textbook, and onto the Internet with their classes.
I would like to direct the reader to one particularly engaging and wide-ranging option available using the Internet which is both learner centred and teacher active. An option which potentially involves learners in practice of all skills and systems in English, while at the same time promoting learner independence and collaboration. In language teaching circles, this is known as a WebQuest.
What is a WebQuest?
A WebQuest is in essence a mini-project using authentic language and carefully staged steps, which, as learners work through them, reach pre-set goals and work towards the production of original output, which is finally cemented of a presentation of some kind. This, the participants will have arrived at by means of navigating the Web, while involved in a variety of skill enhancing activities.
To paraphrase Philip Benz (2001), a WebQuest is a constructivist approach to learning, where with the proper guidance and “scaffolding” students can accomplish far more actual learning than in traditional transmission-of-knowledge situations.
With this lofty goal in mind, let’s take a brief look at just what exactly is involved:
In
Webquests in the Language Classroom, Dudeney (2002) outlines four main components of a well-built WebQuest:
- The first is an introductory phase, which like the lead-in to any good lesson, will engage learners in the overall theme of the project, deal with any key vocabulary or concepts necessary to deal successfully with the upcoming tasks, and set the overall context.
- Next will come a series of tasks which will be explained clearly so that learners will know exactly what is expected of them as they proceed through the project.
- Following the clear task guidelines, “the process stage of a WebQuest guides the learners through a set of activities and research tasks, using a set of pre-defined resources, usually presented in the form of a web link...the process stage will usually have one or more products which the learners are expected to present at the end.”
From the eventual ‘products’, an evaluation stage, which involves both self-evaluation as well as teacher evaluation, will round out the project and allow for feedback on both language performance and language learning based outcomes.
Why use the Internet for a project?
The ultimate goal of such a project is, to my mind, language acquisition. Additionally, learners can exercise a substantially high degree of independence, (as well as interdependence as they collaborate with their classmates), which in turn promotes development of learner autonomy and creativity (Benz 2001). As well, and this is an integral component of such a project, participants will have the opportunity to employ and develop critical ‘higher-level’ thinking skills, as they not only meet and grapple with large amounts of authentic, real-world language, but are also motivated to reach an understanding of it in order to transform this given information into something new, something of their own, and something that can be reacted to by others. (Marzano 1992)
The upshot of this is that not only are learners motivated to use and develop skills such as analyzing, synthesizing and evaluating, collating and organizing information, and interpreting language for meaning, to name a few, but are also involved in practising collaborative oral skills as they negotiate their way through the various tasks with their classmates (Brabbs 2002).
In my experience, this approach is ideal preparation for learners who may be hoping to study in an English language University, and helps those who hope to use English in their work to develop vital higher-level skills in the language which will likely be required in the workplace. This kind of online project, however, is by no means limited to this profile of an English language learner. As with all ELT teaching materials, it is much more about grading the task and setting clear language learning objectives than excluding learners from dealing with potentially complex authentic language because of a preconceived level of learner proficiency on the part of the teacher. WebQuests are for everyone.
What does the teacher do?
The teacher maintains an essential role in this process as not only the one who would normally select or set up the WebQuest, but who also plays an important role as facilitator - providing support, feeding in language as necessary, monitoring and eventually, taking on a role in an evaluating capacity. In my experience, it is important to strike a delicate balance between helping students make their way through the project, and trespassing on their autonomy. Remember that it is such autonomy which is likely to boost learner self-confidence and motivation. There is also the implication that, as much of the project work takes place on the Internet, the teacher must ensure that all participants are sufficiently versed in basic navigation skills. This might even provide an opportunity for student teaching, as there will surely be some in your groups who can impart this kind of information and design some light practice activities.
Will my students be motivated?
Motivation is a key issue here, and in my own classes I have witnessed otherwise shy students come to life within a project of this kind as they not only have an opportunity to use their computer savvy (or learn a great deal as they go), but with the combination of clear goals and tasks enabling them to function more as a user of English, and not simply a bottomless pit needing to be filled up with isolated language items, motivation often soars. In addition, due to the level of learner autonomy, the impact of working with real-world English, and the flexibility inherent in the level of output as the project develops, and in the various production phases, even the more confident learner will be challenged.
What is the outcome?
As described above, learners will be asked to create one or more projects which are directly linked to the success of their task completion in the process stage. This is the tangible outcome of all their hard work and is the part which is subject to evaluation. This is an essential ingredient to a WebQuest, or any other project for that matter, and the criteria of this should be made clear and available to the students from the start. Clear teacher-learner evaluation criteria is a must, as it gives clear guidelines as to what is expected from the learner throughout the project as well as what learning outcomes are desirable (Dudeney 2002). These guidelines can, and should be modified to distinguish between, and allow for both oral presentation and written work.
Typically, a well designed WebQuest will include an opportunity for learners to undertake self-evaluation as well, which may be guided by thought-provoking questions geared towards both what the student feels they have learned in the realm of language, as well as asking them to look at the type of experience they have just undertaken and how that relates to their progress as a whole. They might also be asked what they see as the advantages or otherwise using the Internet compared to a more traditional, classroom and printed materials approach. (see appendix one)
Where do WebQuests come from?
Ok, now that the teaching and learning strategies are reasonably clear - how do you go about building your own WebQuest? Well, luckily, there are plenty of them which have already been carefully thought out and are available for all to use, so it isn’t necessary to re-invent the wheel each time you embark on a project of this nature. Of course ideally, you want something that fits in with both your learners’ needs and interests, and keeping in mind any time (or other) restraints you may have as well. Below are links to a number of excellent EFL-teacher-made examples for different levels and each with a different focus. If you find that you would much rather build one yourself, you will also find information leading you to that possibility on the same page:
http://www.theconsultants-e.com/webquests/
For a different focus, and a more thorough look at an across the curriculum approach, the following link to San Diego University where it all began, is probably one of the best places to start:
http://webquest.sdsu.edu/
Don’t forget! Or, some practical considerations
Some reminders when deciding to give it a try with your own class: of course, go through the whole thing yourself to be sure that everything is what it appears to be. Often times, on WebQuests that were made some time ago, links can go dead, so be sure to check them all and be ready with an alternative one if necessary. Check your computer equipment at your school to be sure your hook-up is fast enough to download the necessary web sites. Nothing can be more frustrating than waiting for a very long time in front of a computer screen. In reality, many computer facilities at schools will be a bit slower than your high-powered laptop at home, so it may be worth alerting students to that fact and staging your project accordingly. (Or have them bring in their own laptops instead!).
The wrap up
WebQuests are motivating, fun, reflect real-world roles and tasks, invite collaboration, promote and exercise ‘higher-level’ thinking process and practice skills inherent to any language learning project, such as reading for main ideas and detail, negotiating meaning through spoken and written communication, incorporate listening skills, peer teaching and interaction, as has been observed:
“Learners are not able to simply regurgitate information they find, but are guided towards a transformation of that information in order to achieve a given task.” (Marzano 1992)
Students are involved in creating and producing something of their own, with peer and teacher support and not only receive valuable feedback from their teacher, but are involved in reflecting on their work and engage in self-evaluation as well.
Well, what more could you want?
