Creating Task-Based Activities on the WWW -- Fabio Girelli-Carasi at Brooklyn College

GENERAL SUGGESTIONS

When assigning a guided search, direct the students to sites with easy navigation, possibly containing materials from a variety of media: text, sound, still images and video clips (these are pretty rare).

The teacher should clearly define the expectations: this could be done by preparing a questionnaire or a check list. For intermediate and advance students, the task could be taking notes in response to open-ended questions.

When the students get online, the ideal sequence of work should be: 1) link to a Website and explore it at own pace; 2) absorb the information; 3) synthesize and use the information to create original oral or written language.

Always encourage students to read the site critically, particularly paying attention to who the target audience is: cybergeeks, general public, potential customers, fans? Is the site effective in reaching its self-assigned goal? Does it promise more information than it delivers? How is the quality of the information? Is it easy to navigate? Is it some sort of "vanity press?"

Follow up classroom activities should include, but not be restricted to: 1) interviews (from other students); 2) debates among the students; 3) role plays; 4) audio/video recordings; 5) creative writing assignments.

Of course the ideal activity that would encompass all this would be the creation of their own Webpage.

Strategy 1 BLIND SEARCH

Instruct your students on the use of the major search engines in the target language; the major task will the research itself. Give them KEY WORDS that can be used to search for topics.

Disadvantages: impossibility to set a specific goal; impossibility to control the procedure of the search and to verify the relevance of the sites encountered and their contents.

Advantages: the students are free to explore in any manner they want; this empowers them and also allows them to personalize their experience.

Examples: to be used on the occasion of current events, such as the Olympics, opening of new movies, or important news events. The search can be conducted using search engines, or connecting to the sites of media outfits (newspapers, radio, TV).

1) The earthquake that damaged Saint Francis’ basilica in Assisi could be the springboard for a search on Saint Francis, Giotto, Cimabue, the city of Assisi, earthquakes…

2) You are Italian fans following the Winter Games. Each group follows one particular sport, reports on the champions and the outcome of the competitions. Encourage the students to follow one particular athlete and collect information on him/her.

Activities: the search should be followed up by activities in class. Assign students to work in groups. The final product could be a written report resulting from editing the information collected.

Strategy 2 GUIDED SEARCH

Pre-select relevant sites and assign the task of extracting the relevant information. This can be done with "feature" sites, such as the Web page of a famous hotel, a restaurant, a resort area, as well as sites on cuisine, films, and "official web pages" of famous people.

Other topics could be famous ‘brands’ of the country being studied: Ferrari, Armani etc.

Articulate the goals: 1) retrieving relevant information; 2) critical reading of the site: a) who created the page; b) who maintains it: c) what purpose does it have (selling, promoting, informing, PR); d) who is the target.

Also list additional features of the page: "mailto" for direct communication, chat room, bulletin board.

If there is a bulletin board, what kind of items are posted, who are the writers and what kind of questions are being asked?

Activities: report on the usefulness of the site, the quality of information, the degree of "cool", the graphic appeal and the technical complexity (Java applets etc).

Strategy 3 COMPARATIVE SEARCH

Identify current issues with international resonance and examine newspaper headlines here and abroad: "Clintongate", Saddam Hussein, Europe’s monetary unification. Highlight cultural emphasis, perspectives and hierarchy of importance. Find a Forum in the target language.

Strategy 4 SEARCH FOR INTELLIGENT LIFE IN CYBERSPACE

Look for personal webpages and write to the author with comments on the page, maybe suggestions or requests for advice. Ask the interlocutor to respond: this will be proof of the work done. The challenge is to find someone who will answer.

This exercise could lead to a regular exchange by email with a pen pal.