In this section:
Active learning
Working alone
One-to-one activities
One-to-many activities
Many-to-many activities
WebQuests
Active Learning
Most of us would agree that whether we are talking about traditional or web-based instruction, there is no one "typical" structure. For instance, variations exist in the degree to which the teacher presents information versus facilitates the learning; whether the source of motivation is extrinsic or intrinsic; the type of learning theory applied by the instructor; the types of goals and tasks for the learners; the degree to which collaborative learning strategies are established; and the metacognitive support offered by the instructor (Reeves & Reeves, 1997).According to Grabinger and Dunlap (1996), active learning in the classroom (and on the web) often has the following components:
Although each of these factors vary in a class, many educational physiologists are beginning to agree on one factor; the need for students to become actively engaged in their learning. The constructivist psychology of learning describes that the learner must become actively engaged in the learning material, processing it within previous personal experiences to construct meaning and encode it into long-term memory (Jonassen, 1994). In web-based instruction, this means that the instructor needs to design environments with which learners engage in meaningful interactions related to their needs, course material, and common background. What will these environments look like?
- students take responsibility for their learning;
- students engage in reflection of learning processes to enhance metacognitive skills;
- goal-driven, problem-solving tasks and projects are used to generate products of value;
- teachers serve as facilitators, coaches, and guides--not sources of knowledge;
- authentic contexts for learning are anchored in real-world problems;
- authentic assessment strategies are used to evaluate real-world skills; and
- cooperative learning groups are created to mimic real-world actions.
Creating these environments on the web can be done through in a variety of modalities (Paulsen, 1996). They can exist by an individual working alone, through one-to-one interactions, through one-to-many collaborations, and through many-to-many collaborations. Let's take a look at these four categories, then present what we feel is the best and easiest use of the web to engage students in active learning.
The basic operation of a person working alone with the web is through access to online resources related to course curriculum. Three examples of working alone to access material through electronic means include:
- Online databases, in which the learner is able to enter search terms with specific subject domains to access relevant information, are available within almost every content area. Examples include the Educational Resource Clearing House (ERIC) and the Psychological Abstracts.
- Online journals, which present similar material as their hard copy counterparts or may exist solely through electronic means, are beginning to proliferate. Time magazine and the New York Times include abbreviated versions of their printed periodicals, whereas CNET Central exists only in an electronic form. A list of over 100 medical journals is kept at this institution.
- Online software libraries provide the ability to download a variety of programs. When used as part of a computer-assisted instruction, these programs can provide enhanced instruction.
The one-to-one method is usually conducted via email between the student and teacher or mentor. The three most common uses of email in these situations include:
- Email for consulting with a professor, to take the place of an office call or visit.
- Email with a mentor who supports, challenges, or provides guidance to the learner.
- Email during a special study or correspondence study, in which the faculty and student develop a contract for work to be delivered, and the eventual completion and submission of work to be done entirely online.
The one-to-many approach is characterized by on-line presentations by subject matter experts such as the instructor or guest lecturer. Depending on the modality of the instruction, the learners may have little opportunity to interact with the expert. Examples of these activities include lecture, through audio or video means, in which the instructor presents participants with an organized, in-depth presentation.
- Two-way audio and video interaction is becoming more commonplace in education with techniques such as CU-SeeMe and WebPhone, but unless students have fast access over the Internet, these modalities at the current time are generally a one-way spewing of information.
The many-to-many format allows all participants in the group to interact in the development of their knowledge. Examples of this modality include the following:
- Online newsgroups are built around a single topic. Threaded discussions allow an individual to share thoughts on ideas with others who share a common interest. Our use of the T3 newsgroup is one example. Currently, there are over 5,000 newsgroups available to Internet users.
- Listserves are similar to email, but are established to distribute a message to all members of the listserve automatically. A course listserve can be used to keep all members aware of current happenings, as well as students querying and posting ideas to classmates.
- WebQuests are used to provide students an engaging problem they can analyze and draw conclusions from on the web. The instructor finds online resources on the web and directs students to those sites to facilitate learning.
- Case studies present learners with a narrative of a situation. Afterwards, using two-way integrated teleconferencing, the instructor facilitates a discussion analyzing and proposing a response to the case.
One of the best methods we have found to engage students in active learning processes on the world wide web is through a process known as WebQuests (Dodge, 1995). A WebQuest is an activity based on the following events:
- Students are provided with an engaging scenario that stimulates their interest in a topic relevant to their academic needs;
- They are provided a task to complete which requires them to engage in a real-world problem. Their task may ask them to analyze a situation, compare or contrast two related situations, evaluate a condition, construct support for a position, induce generalities or principles, deduce consequences or conditions, or analyze perspectives.
- A set of information sources that point students to valid, relevant sources on the web is provided.
- The task is tackled by a team of students who divide the problem into manageable chunks, then reassemble their work in collaborative fashion; and
- The requirement that students create an artifact of their knowledge.
In the Apply component of this module, we will have you engage in a WebQuest to provide an example of how these activities can be used with your students. During the Extend component, we will walk you through how to create your own WebQuests for your students.
Page authors: Lance Larson, Donn Ritchie, Gail Lucas
URL: coe.sdsu.edu/t3/module3/connect.htm
Last updated: 2/4/98
