Resource Links Of Webquests

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WebQuests should have a variety of informative and relevant websites for students to access. These websites should provide information not readily found in textbooks or other print materials. They should also present information in innovative ways and from different perspectives. Using one site, no matter how exceptional,is not sufficient. Many popular magazines have their own websites that can serve as additional resources; students can access interviews, video clips, and articles published in print media. Many museums, zoos, and botanical gardens also have websites Tag Heuer Replica Watches with excellent information and links. Although it may take time to sort through the plethora of sites on the World Wide Web, planning for such linkages is a crucial aspect when designing a WebQuest.

It is also important that the provided links take students directly to the page they are expected to access. Sorting through homepages filled with advertisements is a waste of valuable classroom time and is also extremely frustrating for students—especially ...
... for ELLs. Moreover, students who are acquiring and developing English competencies may have difficulty selecting the appropriate keywords for accessing search engines effectively. One of the main purposes for using WebQuests is, after all, to narrow the search to maximize the relevance, comprehensible input, and efficacy of students' Internet researches.

The illustrations, graphics, and overall visual appeal of actual WebQuests are extremely important. Although too many visuals can be overwhelming and detract from the "meat" of the WebQuest, those visuals that are carefully thought through not only make a WebQuest more interesting but also improve the understanding of information presented for ELLs. Visuals should be selected and placed appropriately so that they effectively contextualize or illustrate instructions, key concepts, and important information.

Clear Instructions. Concise and clear language is essential for directions; therefore, active tenses and direct statements are highly desired. Flowery language, complex structures, and phrasal verbs should be avoided. The following suggestions are likely to make directions more comprehensible for ELLs:
1. Post each step of the process on a separate page. It will help the student to chunk the process into smaller, more manageable pieces.
2. Provide scaffolding for the resource links. All of the WebQuests reviewed in this study included links to resources in the process section of the WebQuests. A brief description of the contents, or graphic organization, also would help ELLs find information they need more efficiently.
3. Highlight or distinguish key content Breitling Replica Watches vocabulary in the directions by using different fonts and formatting features (e.g., boldface, underline, italics), or by using the highlight feature on the WebQuest.
4. Provide opportunities to create read-alouds using text-to-speech software and digital audio recording capability. This is especially helpful for ELLs whose auditory proficiency may be their stronger linguistic mode.