ELL+and+WebQuests

WebQuests
By Amanda Summey

WebQuests are typically created by teachers to complement a lesson or unit that the class is studying. Specifically, a WebQuest is “an inquiry-oriented online tool for learning” (Educational Broadcasting Corporation, 2004). Tom March, an educator who worked alongside Bernie Dodge in the mid-90s to develop WebQuests, defines a WebQuest as “a scaffolded learning structure that uses links to essential resources on the World Wide Web and an authentic task to motivate students’ investigation of an open-ended question, development of individual expertise, and participation in a group process that transforms newly acquired information into a more sophisticated understanding” (March, 2003). They are flexible in terms of time for usage, so they can be as short as 10 minutes, or even as long as a month long unit. Typically, students work on these in groups, but they can also be utilized as an individual assignment. There are specific components that all WebQuests should have, including: an introduction, a task, a set of sources to find the information, a description of the process to take, a set rubric or form of guidance, and a conclusion (Dodge, 1995).
 * What is a WebQuest? **

WebQuests contain information and links that have already been selected by the teacher to conform to the unit of study. Students won’t be wasting precious time searching for resources and sites on their own to study about a given topic.
 * Benefits **

WebQuests allow for the enhancement of higher level thinking skills. They are not straight forward question and answer worksheets in which on a single text book is utilized. Students are given (not always, though) given a goal or set of questions to answer. They then have to utilize the links with in the quest to search through the information. Students are often asked to compare and contrast, classify information, or make inferences from information they have been given.

They are flexible in terms of usage for groups, individual work, and/ or long distance learning.

They are completely learner centered, and the teacher acts as a facilitator, rather than a //sage on the stage.// WebQuests encourage cooperative learning amongst students, which will prove to be useful as said students grow older and enter the working force.

As wonderful as WebQuests are, they are typically created by and for English speaking students. The majority of students who are entitled to ELL (English Language Learner) services do not have the background knowledge of the English language that is necessary to adequately complete a WebQuest. Thus, language is the main barrier for students who are new to the country and are served by ELL. The following are the primary challenges within the language barrier that ELL students face, as defined by an elementary school ELL Coordinator:
 * ELL Barriers **
 * unfamiliar vocabulary
 * Use of homonyms and synonyms
 * Grammar usage especially the “exceptions to the rules”
 * Text to Self projections, or expressing an opinion about the text may not be practiced in the reader’s culture
 * Fear of participation and interaction with mainstream students‚
 * <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">Unfamiliarity with drawing conclusions, analyzing characters and predicting outcomes (Reis, 2011).

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">Completing the Webquest in a cooperative group, rather than as an individual is one way of overcoming the language barrier. This allows the student to gain access through the use of his peers as resources.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">What it Takes for ELL Students to Have Access **

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">Translation tools found on the internet are also a great resource for ELL students to utilize alongside the WebQuest. Google actually has a translation tool that is built into its tool bar.

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">If the teacher is the creator of the WebQuest, the use of pictures alongside the given task is another way to help the ELL student connect his language with the English equivalent. This is a strategy that is often use in the classroom by teachers to introduce new vocabulary.


 * <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">Bibliography **

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">Dodge, B. (1995). //Some thoughts about webquests//. Informally published manuscript, EDTEC, San Diego State University, Sa Diego, California. Retrieved from []

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">Educational Broadcasting Corporation. (2004). //Workshop:webquests//. Retrieved from []

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">March, T. (2003). The learning power of webquests. //Educational Leadership//, //61//(4), 42-47. Retrieved from []

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">Reis, S. (2011, December 1). Interview by A. Summey [Personal Interview].