|
August 15, 2001
Models for Student Web-Based Research
By Jeffrey Branzburg
This page is designed specifically with the new-to-technology educator in mind. Please feel free to reproduce this page for use in your teacher training sessions or other staff development efforts.
We all would like our students to conduct efficient research on the Web, but having them go to Google or Yahoo! or any of the other major search engines frequently involves a time-consuming narrowing-down process and can yield mixed results. Using an established construct, however, can structure your students' research experience to maximize success. Here are a few of the models available.
Hotlists
A simple way to organize Internet research for your students is by using a hotlist-essentially a list of sites all related to a single topic of study. Rather than sending students to a search engine to do research on Thomas Jefferson, for example, you preselect a dozen or so Web sites related to Jefferson from which they can gather and synthesize the information they need.
Scavenger Hunts
A Web scavenger hunt consists of questions related to a topic, and sites where students can go to find the answers. Scavenger hunts are more structured than hotlists, and can sometimes be more appropriate for younger students who need additional guidance.
WebQuests
A WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented activity in which students use the Web and other resources to gather information with a specific task in mind. WebQuests frequently resemble simulations and many times include a role-playing aspect. For example, a task might be to present possible solutions to drought conditions in a rain-starved area of the world. Students work in teams, playing the roles of scientist, newspaper reporter, and anthropologist. WebQuests include an introduction to set the stage and provide background, an appealing and attainable task, sources of information (Web sites, books, articles, people), a guide to the process learners will follow, directions on how to arrange the information gathered, and a conclusion that reinforces what was learned.
Research Modules
Online research modules ask students to make choices based on the results of research. As with WebQuests, they begin by setting the stage with a scenario. For example:
Congratulations, you have just won a homestead lottery. The United States government will give you a five-acre plot of land in one of three mountain areas: Mount Rainier, Mount Baker, or Kilauea. You want to build a house on the land, and you will need to decide which location is the safest, considering both the likelihood of a volcanic eruption and the types of volcanic eruptions.
Students are instructed to investigate each location. In the process, they brainstorm questions, develop keywords to help rank the sites, and figure out how and where to begin. To find information, they use Web-based resources provided by the teacher, then come to conclusions and report back to the class.
The phases of the research cycle (question, plan, gather, sort, sift and analyze, synthesize, evaluate, and report) are followed, and the focus is on higher-level thinking and high-quality electronic resources.
Web Trips
A Web trip is a customized, guided research activity that teachers create for their students to complete online. Web trips can be built using Web Trip Maker, a subscription-based service on the Lightspan Web site where you can create your own online research quiz or browse the spotlighted Web trips created by other teachers. Students are given a specific research question and a link to a site that will help them solve it. After submitting a correct answer, they proceed to the next question. Web trips can challenge students' research, critical-thinking, and writing skills.
Read other articles from the August Issue
Send a letter to the Editor in response to this article.
|
