LEVEL THREE:
PROJECT-BASED COLLABORATIVE LEARNING

CONTEXT: There are over ten different collaborative tools on the Internet, with more being invented all the time. Success in the information age will depend on a student's character, values, and ability to work with others both face-to-face, and when necessary, 'virtually.'

The work model of the future is multiple short term projects requiring highly developed groupwork skills. Knowledge of which collaborative tools are best used for specific purposes is vitally important and can best be learned through direct hands-on experience. Students need to learn how to plan, implement and evaluate projects that involve others and the manipulation of digital information.

ACTIVITY: Take a look at the online slide show explaining WebQuests, http://www.capecod.net/schrockguide/webquest/webquest.html Explore the sample WebQuest activities at  http://edweb.sdsu.edu/webquest/matrix.html
View the WebQuest webpage template and play around with creating your own WebQuest, or modifying existing WebQuests. Courses for teachers to learn how to create WebQuests are available at the web site above.

ACTIVITY: Check out the tutorial "Harnessing the Power of the Web" which includes guides for project-based learning activities; planning and implementing student web projects! Don't miss the "Examples of Student Web Projects!"
http://www.gsn.org/web/

ACTIVITY: Explore the resources on project-based learning listed in the K12 Projects WebTour http://lone-eagles.com/projects.htm

ACTIVITY: Explore the student-created instructional web pages at Thinkquest (also referenced in level two:) http://library.advanced.org/library/index.html   See also http://www.thinkquest.org

ACTIVITY: Explore the student-created school/community web page winners at Cyberfair: (OUTSTANDING!!!)
http://www.gsn.org/cf97/cb97winners.html

ACTIVITY: Explore the K12 project directories and programs at http://lone-eagles.com/projects.htm to appreciate the quality and diversity of "ready-to-go" collaborative activities for your students!

ACTIVITY: Explore the tutorials for the ten top collaborative Internet tools, noting that the first two are the primary ones most people use, but that the others have unique applications for education.