When creating computer-based instructional projects for students to use independently, teachers should be cognizant of several factors. As in planning any effective lesson, the learning objectives should be clearly defined and made known to the students. The teacher should also have a clear idea of what material she wants the students to understand upon completion of the project. The project should be well-prepared and in many cases that means well-researched by the teacher before students begin working on it. Teachers need not give students too much information; some things students need to find out how to do on their own. However, not enough information will frustrate students and the project will not be completed accurately. Adequate structure, guidelines and guidance should be provided. Sometimes it takes a little trial and error to find that balance, but it's an important consideration.
A clear explanation of how the students will be assessed should be provided by the teacher. It's appropriate in many cases to offer a few different assessment choices to meet the learning needs of the students in the class. If students are not yet familiar with the technology required to complete the project, the teacher should spend some time teaching students how to use the technology.
Make sure enough time is given for students to successfully complete the project, taking into consideration the abilities of all students in the class. Offer additional or more challenging tasks for the advanced learners and reduced tasks for those who are challenged.
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Lynne: Total agreement on how teachers need to take time and give great attention on these projects. I was looking over some WebQuests and I can tell that one teacher's creation may not have been well-researched. It was about the Greek gods and one description of a god went on about incest and how this particular god liked to indulge himself with procreation. The content used in our projects needs to be well-researched by ourselves!!
ReplyDeleteI like that you brought up the point that adequate research and planning be put into any computer-based instruction. This something that have not put a whole lot of thought into but realized that it is very important. Just like any assignment that you are teaching, you must have everything planned out and know what you are talking about. The way I see it, the more time you put into planning and research, the better your result.
ReplyDeleteLynn, I like your idea about providing several assessment options. I had not thought about that for computer-based instruction, even though I think about it for my face-to-face instruction everyday! I think most of the examples of WebQuests I've seen offer one way for students to demonstrate their understanding of the content. I think having multiple assessment options is a fantastic consideration when designing computer-based instruction. Good thinking!
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