In this task students are asked to design a webpage as part of their foreign language course.
Institution reporting the task:
Language of task instructions:
English
Target Group:
Foreign languages
Level:
| B1 |
|---|
| B2 |
| C1 |
| C2 |
References and acknowledgements:
None
Type:
Collaborative tasks
Estimated Duration:
4 sessions
Topic:
any topic
Tags:
| webpage design |
|---|
| language learning |
Acknowledgements:
None
Language Configurations:
Lingua Franca
Language(s) that the task can be used in:
Any
Dominant language production:
Writing/reading asynchronous
Target Competences:
| Language competence |
|---|
| Intercultural skills |
| Online communication skills |
Specific pedagogical objectives:
Language competence as well as web design plus: e-mailing, browsing, Web orientation and navigation, using web page editors
Suggested Communication Tools:
Asynchronous text
Suggested Resources:
None
Instructions:
Project management – general guidelines:
- Decide whether students are to work individually or in groups, and if the latter, what size the groups should be.
- Decide a topic related either to class work or the students own interests. For successful tasks, it is important to have a clear objective, and a range of possible outcomes. At this stage, decisions on the format of the pages are also important, and will depend on factors such as students' English level (lower levels using more graphics, and less text), and computer experience.
- Decide on the target audience: e.g. for other students or groups in their school or University, people outside the country they are in, or for people with general or special interests?
- Look for related pages. This will give the teacher an idea how much support and guidance the students are likely to need researching their topic.
- Get the students to focus on Web page design. This can be done through tasks that involve browsing and evaluating a variety of pages which could include pages published by other students. Examples of other awareness building activities can be seen in appendix I. Basic requirements of a good web page are that it is useful, interesting or fun, easy to use (uncluttered and easy to navigate), and fast to download.
It is also important not to neglect the more fundamental pedagogic ideas. In this context the teacher should ensure that any project, rather than an appendage, is an integral part of the syllabus.
Tools*: Mozilla Composer, SeaMonkey, Microsoft Expression Web, Microsoft SharePoint Designer
*newer versions of the tools specified in the cited article (Netscape Composer, FrontPage)
Project chronology:
Part 1: Pre-task IT training. It is essential that students are given adequate training and experience in using the Internet: file management skills, text editing and formatting, E-mail, browsing the Internet, book-marking, and copying and using pictures and photographs from the Internet as well as different functions of the webpage-design tools.
Part 2: Pre-task awareness raising. What makes a good webpage (Appendix 1).
Part 3: Task proper. Webpage design (Appendix 2)
Part 4: Post task reflection and evaluation (Appendix 3)
Learner Texts:
None
Document related to the task:
Criteria for Completion:
Project completion. The teacher may think of his / her bown evaluation criteria. As for self-reflection, the teacher may use the questionnaire in Appendix III.
Comments and suggestions:
When designing Part 1 of the project – the pre-task IT training – please note that the cited article was published in 2001. The estimated duration should be in weeks rather than sessions.
Author/copyright:
The task was found in: Davy, Iain (2001). The use of collaborative Web page-design projects for teaching EFL with a focus on Japanese university students http://callej.org/journal/3-1/davey.html