A WebQuest - Movie Presentation

What is WebQuest?

'A WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented lesson format in which most or all the information that learners work with comes from the web. The model was developed by Bernie Dodge at San Diego State University in February, 1995 with early input from SDSU/Pacific Bell Fellow Tom March, the Educational Technology staff at San Diego Unified School District, and waves of participants each summer at the Teach the Teachers Consortium.

Since those beginning days, tens of thousands of teachers have embraced WebQuests as a way to make good use of the internet while engaging their students in the kinds of thinking that the 21st century requires. The model has spread around the world, with special enthusiasm in Brazil, Spain, China, Australia and Holland.'

Adopted from: WebQuest.Org 2007 'Homepage' http://webquest.org/index.php [Accessed on 01/02/2011]

Movie Presentation

According to the previous introduction, in my opinion, WebQuest can be regarded as a useful tool for both teachers and leaners to fully make use of the Internet resourses to help them learn foreign languages (esp. English in this situation). 'Movie Presentation' is a WebQuest example which I think is desiged attractively and practically in classes; and I would like to share it with you.

Why is it good for language learning?

• Firstly, this WebQuest provides teachers and learners with a very clear and interesting topic and task, which can easily draw their attention.
• Secondly, the task is introduced in a clear way, which enable teachers and learners to follow easily. In addition, the size of the texts presented is suitable for people to read on the screen.
• Thirdly, the process is introduced step by step. Each stage is associated with a subtitle, which gives people a brief preview. Another good feature of this stage is that adequate recources links are provided for self-research.
• For the evaluation part, this WebQuest offers a very clear guideline, which can make peer-evaluation or teacher-evaluation realized.
• At last but not least, in the conclusion part, the task's aim and outcome are provided. And the credits and references are also mentioned. Furthermore, both students page and teacher page are included in this WebQuest with different guidelines which enable them to refer to seperately.
• Overall, as mentioned in the WebQuest's conclusion part, by using it, students will get maximum exposure to authentic English texts; learn how to focus on relevant information only; how to write their own text in collaboration with other people and how to present a text orally in front of a group of people. Moreover, it may raise their motivation thanks to the interesting topic. And the voting part will arouse the Ss' competitive motivation.

How can this WebQuest be used in the language class?

1. From my point of view, I would like to suggest the teacher spend at least three lessons to do this WebQuest with students.
2. In the first lesson, teacher can firsly divide Ss into groups, with 4 or 5 in each. And then, he/she leads Ss to go over the task instruction together. After that, Ss start discussing about the movie they will look at and distribute the individual responsiblity. Art the end of the class, the teacher can make a record of the information of each group, such as grpoup name, members, Movies and so on.
3. Before the behinning of the next lesson, Ss will well prepare for their Group presentations.
4. In the second lesson, Ss will present their favourite movies in groups. During the process of presentation, each group will try their best to pursuade other Ss to make their own movie as the most popular. After the presentations, Ss will vote for their favourite movie which will be watched next lesson.
5. In the last lesson, teacher and Ss will enjoy the movie they vote as the most popular.
6. Generally speaking, Ss will learning much from this WebQuest.

Limitations

• Frankly speaking, I only find two problems of this WebQuest. Firstly, such task can not be employed in the classes without Internet access, computers, printers, OHPs or TV with a video recorder.
• Secondly, the task of this WebQuest is time-comsuming which not suitable for time-stricted classes.