WEEK 5: PBL, WebQuests, and Rubrics

The introduction of Project-based Learning, WebQuests, and rubrics brought me a new perspective of technology application in English language teaching. It’s good for me to use webquests as a Web page in a particular format to create and preselect online lessons that are built around online resources and rubric which can be created by using Microsoft Word as an assessment tool. Using WebQuests in the classrooms can help build a solid foundation that prepares students for the future. Good point of WebQuests is that the topics are less well-defined and tasks invite students’ problem-solving and creativity.

WebQuests are a form of PBL that make learners work in groups and have a specified product with the tasks statements and resources designations. I’ll try using PBL in teaching, my students hopefully get more motivated and eager to learn. In order to make my expectations clear to the students and show them how to meet my expectations, I can produce an evaluation in the form of a rubric for them to use as they are doing their project and for self-evaluation when it is finished. I can evaluate with the rubric as well. That requires teacher and students interaction.

Regarding assessing the performances of my students, I’ll use checklists for reading and listening skill that involve multiple choice, true/false or fill-in-the-blank tests and rubric for speaking and writing skill with presentations, discussions, portfolios, essays, projects. What I have to do first is to show my students how to judge and evaluate the information they find.

I created an oral presentation rubric about English speaking skill assessment guidelines in the wiki class and I’m trying to create a webquest page for my class as well. I’m sure it will take me time and effort to make good use of the web for a useful webquest. I’ll start creating my webquest on Zunal or QuestGarden which provides step-by-step direction and examples and choose an appropriate WebQuest Template.

I’m experimenting it out.