Adapting Existing Webquests For Ells

By Author: ander
Total Articles: 55
Comment this article

WebQuests that meet the quality standards for design according to the Dodge (2001) and March (2008) rubrics are not likely to have been designed with ELLs in mind. With this in mind we provide a few sheltered instructional strategies to support and enhance the engagement of ELLs in WebQuest tasks. For example, integrating flowcharts, graphic organizers, and other visual displays can help convey the steps students need to take to complete the cumulative product. These accompanying visuals should be accessible to students alongside the instructions. Another suggested adaptation for ELLs is to have a student read the text out loud and tape record it for others to listen to as they read (Echevarria & Graves, 2007). Also, if the text is too dense for some of the ELLs in the classroom, the teacher may summarize the text and lower the linguistic load by using synonyms with which their students may Cartier Pasha Replica be more familiar (Echevarria & Graves, 2007). In addition, a supplemental checklist for students to complete during each step of the process can ilso be helpful for ELLs ...
... to monitor their trajectories and progress. Finally, previewing and highlighting key vocabulary across a particular WebQuest, or assigning students the task of highlighting vocabulary that is unfamiliar to them, are likely to enhance their comprehensible input (Krashen, 1980). Further strategies include providing cognate pairs (in Spanish) when appropriate, compiling a list of synonyms, and alerting students to particular homonyms. With the permission of WebQuests' original authors, educators may add or revise existing WebQuests to incorporate these strategies.

Other supplemental resources can also be provided in WebQuests to accommodate the needs of ELLs; these may include online bilingual dictionaries, illustrated encyclopedias, and resources in the students' first language. Educators can bookmark the sites or paste the links to a word document that the students can access. Educators can also provide or assign brief summaries of the kind of information students are likely to find on each site.

Careful consideration of the resources, visual elements, instructions, and content standards with ELLs in mind throughout the design process will result in a WebQuest that not only meets the standards of quality in Dodge's (2001) or March's (2008) rubric but also the linguistic, multimedia, and organizational Omega Replica Watches standards outlined in our adapted rubric. Therefore, prior to designing their own WebQuest, educators should take the time to critically review WebQuests that have already been posted by others, using these rubrics to attend to the particular aspects of quality outlined in them. However, once educators are ready to create their own WebQuest, they should consider the types of resources, the use of visual elements, and the wording of the instructions throughout the design process. The following are some specific tips.