Introduction
In order to have a killer web-based learning page, there's one thing you need: good links. This page will give you some general tips on the kinds of links that work best depending on the goals you have for learners and the type of page you're making. Because everything starts with the Adding Links phase of the Filamentality process, you might want to consider the following overall suggestions about picking links:
Make Use of the Powers of the Web
Assemble Resources
Even if you don't create a learning activity like a Hunt, a Sampler, or a WebQuest, it's still helpful to learners if you or they create a Hotlist or a Scrapbook. This way you're adding web-based resources to the resources that learners already have access to like the books, CD-ROMs, print media, and videos.
Hotlist: Creating a Hotlist saves your learners hours of aimless surfing and searching because you've done it for them! When creating a Hotlist, specifically look for:
- Megasites: are probably hotlists themselves and provide students a jumping off point to explore particular areas of interest. Just remember, the more links there are, the more likely something less than sanitary is a click away!
- Primary Sources / Collections: Comprehensive, primary sources provide good background information. Look for these offered by governments, museums, universities, and other reliable sources.
- News Sources: Information on a wide range of topics is often available in short articles. The best sites archive old articles and offer a search engine for locating items on specific topics.
Scrapbook: Like a Hotlist, Scrapbooks provide a wide range of resources to learners. What makes Scrapbooks different is that you're trying to provide students with a wide range of media. When creating a Scrapbook, specifically look for:
Promote Learning
When you have specific learning goals, you're ready to move beyond Hotlists and Scrapbooks into the land of Treasure Hunts, Subject Samplers, and WebQuests.
Treasure Hunt: Treasure Hunts are all about acquiring knowledge, learning background information, and developing an understanding on a topic. With this in mind, most of the pages you link to for Treasure Hunts are factual and come from reliable sources. When creating a Treasure Hunt, specifically look for 10 - 15 links (because each link will hold the answer to one question you create). Choose the page, not the web site
Subject Sampler: Subject Samplers get students to really connect to a topic. To do this, find web sites that touch students emotionally or pique their curiosity. Besides the main things to look for in Picking Links, when creating a Subject Sampler, look for 5 - 10 links (because students will get to choose & each takes a while to complete). Choose the page, not the website and link to the specific resource you want your learners to use.
WebQuest: When it's time to go beyond learning facts and to get into grayer, more challenging aspects of the topic, students are ready to try a WebQuest. Current events, controversial social and environmental topics work well. A WebQuest is more than just having students look or search for sites and answers. It is often a long term project involving complex analysis and culminates in students presenting their various roles and opinions. When creating a WebQuest, specifically look for 10+ links (because some will be background for all and others divided by student roles).
To find out more, try Bernie Dodge's A WebQuest on WebQuests.
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