Catalog of simple scenarios

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This is Part 2 of the TECFA SEED Catalog

The Catalog of simple scenarios

This catalog orginally has been developed as part of the TECFA SEED Catalog and it should be interpreted in the context of the C3MS project-based learning model.

For the moment, this is more or less a simple cut/paste - Daniel K. Schneider 19:39, 31 May 2007 (MEST).

This part of the catalog aims at supporting teachers in classes and virtual communities to design innovative learning activities and indirectly make the most of either portal or integrated web 2.0 technology to have learners collaborate, create and manage contents. This catalog does not aim to be complete nor do described scenarios pretend to be optimal for all situations. Their purpose to inspire teachers who at some point must "cook" their own scenarios.

"Activities" are used as synonym for "smaller and medium sized pedagogical scenarios". Below you will find scenarios that are rather abstract, others are based on concrete examples. We plan to add more scenarios, but also will try to add more (commented examples) in further editions.

Most of these activities can be performed with and adapted to teenagers (lower and upper high school) having variable degrees of autonomy and basic knowledge. Some activities can be led a upper primary school level or at university level. The role of the teacher in helping them performing their tasks and the length of the activities will thus vary accordingly and are not precisely defined in this first version whose aim is primarily to generate ideas and provide a framework for imaginative uses of portals. Moreover, most of the activities may be performed with different levels of technical support according to the available resources. They may also be adapted to diverse situations: interactions can take place between the individuals of an online community whose members are disseminated all over the world, between classes located in the same city, country, between the individuals of a same class, or even by isolated individuals.

Description of the learning activities

The various simple scenarios are made of:

• Learning objectives to be adapted (in most cases) to the learning content and discipline
• A detailed description of the different steps necessary for their realization, each step being associated with one or several alternative generic activities
• These activities are, in their turn, defined more generically in the >[#catalogsimpleacts Catalog of elementary activities] and linked, when possible, to the C3MS bricks to be found in the>[#catalogc3msbricks Catalog of C3MS bricks]

General design principles of pedagogical scenarios

See >[#activities-perspectives Activity-based pedagogical design]. Let's just recall a few principles that my apply to many situationst

1. Most scenarios (activities) should start by a warming up in order to generate curiosity, interest, motivation and lead the student to realize the point in using technology in this context (technology not being an activity in itself).
2. The activities should incorporate inductive discovery boosters: exploration, information research, experimentation, hypothesis formulation.
3. The learners should be active and creative and be led to discuss and cooperate with peers, interact and share their knowledge.
4. The different steps in the learning process are thus globally: discovery, interaction, production, feed back, end-product

Classification of the learning activities

The activities will be classified according to the following categories :

Gathering and distribution of information

Teachers and learners share resources and the activities are designed to help them gather information and make it available to all. See >[#learnactivity_help Gathering and distribution of information]

Creation of collaborative documents

Here the students can write definitions, analyze cases, solve problems, write documents and create illustrated documents together around specific themes. See >[#learnactivity_album Creation of collaborative documents]

Discussion and commentaries around productions

Learners identify together facts, principles and concepts and clarify complex ideas. They formulate hypothesis and plan solutions, make links between ideas, compare different points of view, argue, evaluate, etc. See >[#section_discussions Discussions and commentaries around productions]

Project management

Teachers can orchestrate scenarios, manage and facilitate student activities.Learners can decide work plans, share tasks and form groups, decide a schedule, etc. See >[#section_projets Project management]

Gathering and distribution of information

References list

Goal

• Web search, classifying, conceptualization, synthesis...

Target audience

• 11 years old and more

Description

• The students have to work on a theme they don't master for a project. They have to create together a list of web sites that will help them work in a later phase. These sites will have to be described and classified

Duration

• From several days to several weeks

Notes

• According to the level of students, the teacher can choose to identify the categories with them before they start searching the web.

1. The teacher introduces the theme, gives clues and asks students to consider the different aspects of the subject. >[#BEJIAFJH IntroWork]>[#BEJBIJDB BrainStorm]
2. Students search the web with various search engines and bookmark the links they find interesting. >[#BEJDECAD SearchWeb]>[#BEJGCAGF KeepReference]
3. Students then try to work out a certain amount of categories and sub-categories for this theme. >[#BEJDAJGE CreateCategories]
4. The results are put in common and a hierarchy is worked out >[#CoEdit CoEdit]
5. The approved categories are entered in the portal >[#BEJBJDDA CreateLinkSpace]
6. Students classify, enter and describe their links >[#BEJCEIBC SubmitLinks] >[#CommentLinks CommentLinks]

Creation of a help system to master a portal

Goal

• Analysis, discovery, synthesis, technical skills

Target audience

• 13 years old students and more

Description

• Can be considered as a meta reflection on the use of a portal. Students have to use the portal for a project. Their task is thus to learn how to use the different functions they will need for the different activities and to create help pages to explain.

Duration

• From several days to several weeks

Notes

• For this activity, students must be administrators and already have some knowledge of the functioning of the portal. The FAQ module of the portal can be used for this activity, which suppresses web page and links creation.

1. The teacher and the students determine what functionalities in the portal they will need to carry out their project. >[#BEJBIJDB BrainStorm]>[#BEJDCGCE Interact]
2. Each group of students is given a functionality to understand and explain. >[#BEJGBIEC DistributeTasks]>[#BEJBAEIG PlanProject]
3. Hands-on : students try to understand how to do >[#BEJBDFFC HandsOn]
4. A « Help » link is created un a box or a new links category is set in the weblinks space of the portal >[#BEJJJDBI EditMenu]>[#BEJBJDDA CreateLinkSpace]
5. Students take notes, write a "recipe" and decide how to classify the different functions in the help system >[#CoEdit CoEdit]
6. They can then enter links to the help pages they have created >[#BEJCEIBC SubmitLinks]

Creation of a collaborative FAQ (frequently asked questions)

Goal

• Analysis, discovery, synthesis

Target audience

• 12 years old and more

Description

Goal

to keep track of the already asked questions and their answers. Questions can be about technical problems or linked to a particular theme.

Duration

• Unlimited, it depends (The FAQ can be linked to a specific time-limited project or about more general problems)

1. Students and the teacher discuss about questions that may arise >[#BEJIAFJH IntroWork]>[#BEJBIJDB BrainStorm] >[#BEJDCGCE Interact]
2. Questions are entered in the portal FAQ space as soon as they arise >[#BEJDFJIH SubmitQuestion]
3. When someone finds the solution, he can write it and post it >[#BEJIIHED SubmitAnswer]
4. The teacher checks if there are no mistakes and modifies the productions if necessary >[#CheckWork CheckWork]>[#BEJCJDHH Moderate]

Professional orientation

Goal

• Knowledge of the different types of professions in the workplace, insertion in professional life, defining one's objectives...

Target audience

• From 14 years old

Description

• Students have to search for the characteristics of different professions and have then to make a synthesis and introduce them briefly.

Duration

• About three sessions

1. The teachers and students determine the main professional fields (according to their own initial choices or not) >[#BEJBIJDB BrainStorm]>[#BEJIAFJH IntroWork]
2. Students choose the field that most attracts them and try to work out a certain amount of specific jobs related to it. >[#BEJGBIEC DistributeTasks]>[#BEJDAJGE CreateCategories]
3. Categories and sub-categories are created for each domain and each student chooses a different job to investigate. >[#BEJBJDDA CreateLinkSpace]
4. Students search for information on the Internet about the different jobs. They enter and comment their links in the portal >[#BEJDECAD SearchWeb]>[#BEJGCAGF KeepReference] >[#BEJCEIBC SubmitLinks] >[#CommentLinks CommentLinks]
5. Students can then make a brief synthesis of the different jobs, which they enter in the portal on a specific space >[#CoEdit CoEdit]>[#BEJHIDCG CreatePage]

Creation of collaborative documents

Review of the press

Goal

• Analysis, discovery, synthesis, curiosity, critical mind

Target audience

• 13-14 years-old and more

Description

• Creation of a review of the press on a subject that matches both actuality and their interests. Students search the web to find out what has been said on the subject and classify their results according to sources and themes. The results are then rearranged for an illustrated presentation page.

Duration

• Two to three sessions

Notes

• The students can work alone or in groups of two or three

1. The teacher introduces the subject and launches a discussion. (The teacher explains to students that everything that is written on the web is not necessarily reliable. He gives the name of some "official" papers) >[#BEJIAFJH IntroWork]>[#BEJBIJDB BrainStorm]
2. Students search the web for articles on the subject -whatever sources- and bookmark the links to the most interesting pages >[#BEJDECAD SearchWeb]>[#BEJGCAGF KeepReference]
3. Students try to work out a certain amount of categories: sources, trends, bias >[#BEJDAJGE CreateCategories]
4. The results are merged and classified >[#CoEdit CoEdit]
5. A space is created to enter these categories >[#BEJBJDDA CreateLinkSpace]
6. Students classify, enter and describe their links >[#BEJCEIBC SubmitLinks] >[#CommentLinks CommentLinks]
7. They can then use these resources to create illustrated synthesis pages >[#BEJHIDCG CreatePage]
8. Links to these pages are inserted in the portal >[#BEJJJDBI EditMenu]
9. A vote is organized to select the best productions >[#BEJDBEDA EditVote]>[#BEJCADJH VoteFor]
10. Links to the three best pages (best of) are kept on the portal >[#BEJBFCHE ShowBest]

Collaborative story

Goal

• Written expression creativity, imagination

Target audience

• 11 years old and more

Description

• The students write a story together. At each step, a vote is organized to select the best production

Duration

• About 5 to 6 sessions

Notes

• The "illustrated page" step is facultative but might be a way to motivate students poor at writing and good at creating visual documents

1. The teacher posts a text to be commented >[#BEJJFEGE SubmitStory]
2. Students write a following (alone or in pairs) >[#CoEdit CoEdit]
3. Students post their production >[#BEJBCBGH SubmitComment]
4. Students read what others have written
5. A poll is created with the identifier of each production >[#BEJDBEDA EditVote]
6. A vote is organized to select the best production >[#BEJCADJH VoteFor]
7. The selected production is inserted after the introduction >[#BEJFBHEJ EditStory]
8. And so on until the end of the story...
9. Students create an illustrated page to display the story (groups of three) >[#BEJHIDCG CreatePage]
10. Links are created to each groups' production >[#BEJBJDDA CreateLinkSpace]
11. A vote is organized to select the best productions >[#BEJDBEDA EditVote]>[#BEJCADJH VoteFor]
12. Links to the three best productions are inserted in the portal >[#BEJGHIBI EditSummary]

Collaborative glossary

Goal

• Written expression, vocabulary, semantics

Target audience

• 10 years old and more

Description

• The students write a collaborative glossary to give the definition of terms related to a specific project

Duration

• About 5 to 6 sessions

1. The teacher and students identify and determine the terms to be defined related to a theme they don't master >[#BEJIAFJH IntroWork]>[#BEJBIJDB BrainStorm] >[#BEJDCGCE Interact]
2. The alphabetical list of terms to be defined is entered in the interactive space chosen >[#BEJDGCDH EditGlossary]>[#BEJBJDDA CreateLinkSpace]
3. Students search the web or in dictionaries resources on the theme >[#BEJDECAD SearchWeb]
4. Students synthesize their results to create short definitions >[#CoEdit CoEdit]
5. The teacher checks if the definitions are right >[#CheckWork CheckWork]
6. Students enter their definitions >[#BEJIIHED SubmitAnswer]

Commentary on a text

Goal

• Written expression, analysis, synthesis, vocabulary, semantics

Target audience

• 14-15 years old and more

Description

• Students have to comment upon a text by annotating it or adding links to commentary pages

Duration

• 2 to 3 sessions

1. The teacher posts a text (the text should bear multiple investigation tracks: society problem, current issues, etc.) >[#BEJJFEGE SubmitStory]
2. Students read the text and select two issues trying to find out a good problematic for each >[#BEJBIJDB BrainStorm]
3. They post their results (commentaries) >[#BEJBCBGH SubmitComment]
4. The teacher determines who does what according to students' wishes >[#BEJGBIEC DistributeTasks]
5. Students search the web (or in libraries) resources on their respective theme >[#BEJDECAD SearchWeb]
6. Students write their commentary
7. They can then post their production >[#BEJBCBGH SubmitComment], or use the WIKI to insert commentaries directly in the text >[#CoEdit CoEdit]
8. The teacher can then read what has been written >[#CheckWork CheckWork]
9. The teacher sends a general or particular feed back to the students according to the chosen commenting mode >[#BEJIIHED SubmitAnswer]>[#BEJGEFIC SendFeedBack]

Illustrated album on a theme

Goal

• Depends on the subject...search skills, image processing, technical skills

Target audience

• 12 years old and more

Description

• The students have to work together to create a commented album of illustrations on a particular subject (biology, history, art)

Duration

• 2 to 3 sessions

1. Students, with the teacher's assistance, try to determine important aspects of an unknown theme >[#BEJIAFJH IntroWork]>[#BEJBIJDB BrainStorm] >[#BEJDCGCE Interact]
2. Students work in groups (3 to reduce the amount of albums produced) and choose a particular aspect of the subject with the agreement of the teacher >[#BEJGBIEC DistributeTasks]
3. Students search the web to find resources and illustrations allowing to explain things with integrated visual elements >[#BEJDECAD SearchWeb]
4. Students process images to make them fit the targeted result >[#BEJFBJBI CreateImage]
5. They then organize the displaying of their images and commentaries either on a web page or using the portal « gallery » module >[#BEJHIDCG CreatePage]>[#BEJIEFJC EditGallery]

Geographic location

Goal

• Geographical and archaeological knowledge,.image processing, synthesis, creativity...

Target audience

• 12 years old and more

Description

• The students have to build together a world map on a particular theme and locate some places like, for instance, monuments, archaeological sites...

Duration

• 2 to 5 sessions

Notes

• For this activity to be really rich, students must be provided with a world map they can modify to place their discoveries

1. The teacher introduces the theme and asks students what they already know on the subject. Keywords necessary for further research are then worked out >[#BEJIAFJH IntroWork]>[#BEJBIJDB BrainStorm]
2. According to the chosen theme, groups of two or three students are made, each having to explore a part of the world >[#BEJGBIEC DistributeTasks]
3. Students search the web and in encyclopaedias the resources necessary for the location of the places where are the elements to be identified >[#BEJDECAD SearchWeb]
4. Students then create a list with connections between sites and elements and with links to resources and references >[#CoEdit CoEdit]
5. The teacher checks if there are no mistakes and gives a feed back >[#CheckWork CheckWork]>[#BEJGEFIC SendFeedBack]
6. Each group of students use these resources to create an illustrated and annotated world map >[#CoEdit CoEdit]>[#BEJFBJBI CreateImage]
7. The teacher creates a poll to determine the best production >[#BEJDBEDA EditVote]
8. Student vote for the best production >[#BEJCADJH VoteFor]
9. The most successful maps are displayed in the portal >[#BEJGHIBI EditSummary]>[#BEJBFCHE ShowBest]

Discussions and commentaries around productions

Introduction: To do !

Argumentation Graph

Goal

• Concept building

Target audience

• Upper secondary and higher education

Description

• Students are engaged in pseudo-activities that will trigger discussion and meta-reflexion before they have to write a paper on some conceptual issue. This scenario is directly implement as C3MS brick, see >[#pn_arguegraph PN ArgueGraph] in the >[#argumentation_tools Argumentation Tools]

Duration

• One longer session + homework, or several smaller sessions

1. Students fill in a questionnaire on a certain topic. Each question is formulated as MCQ, but students also have to fill in a free text form and motivate their choice
2. The module produces a summary of replies, including a graphic map that reveals conceptual differences among students.
3. The teacher forms pairs with contrasted opinions (see step 2) and asks students to fill in the questionnaire again. They have to debate and agree on a compromise.
4. The module shows again obtained results. The teacher can now engage the class in some discussion (either in the classrom or via forums). He can go through each question, look at means from both rounds of the survey. (Each question can be documented with theory that is also available now
5. Students have to write a short paper as homework and the result is published on the Web.

Information race

Goal

• Information search, synthesis, quick-mindedness...

Target audience

• From 9-10 years-old

Description

• The goal of this racing game is to search for precise information on a theme on given web pages. Students have to find the information and answer questions related to it as quickly as possible

Duration

• One session

Notes

• According to the level of students, it is possible either to only make them search for sporadic information on motivating topics or to organize the research around curricular issues

1. The teacher gives students a "mission" sheet on which are written the links to the websites on which are to be found answers to each questions (this could be done directly on the portal) >[#BEJIAFJH IntroWork]>[#BEJJFEGE SubmitStory]
2. Students, alone or in pairs, race through the web to find the answers >[#BEJDECAD SearchWeb]
3. Once all the information is gathered and all the questions answered, they post their results >[#BEJIIHED SubmitAnswer]>[#BEJBCBGH SubmitComment]
4. The teacher checks if the productions are right >[#CheckWork CheckWork]
5. The exact moments at which the answers were posted appear on the portal, which allows to determine the winners >[#BEJGEFIC SendFeedBack]

Debate

Goal

• Argumentation, hypothesis formulation, conceptualization, comparison, critic, evaluation, curiosity, synthesis, language

Target audience

• 12-13 years old students and more

Description

• The students have to analyze a society problem and work out key issues

Duration

• 1 to 2 sessions

1. The teacher initiates the debate giving some clues >[#BEJIAFJH IntroWork]>[#BEJBIJDB BrainStorm]
2. He posts the question like in a forum>[#BEJJFEGE SubmitStory]or he can even create a special forum for the occasion>[#BEJGABII CreateForum]
3. The students think about the different issues and give a first advice in the shape of a commentary>[#BEJBCBGH SubmitComment]or interact directly in the forum >[#BEJDCGCE Interact]
4. Each student reads what all the others have said and builds a short list synthesizing the different points of view.
5. They post their production >[#BEJBCBGH SubmitComment]>[#BEJIIHED SubmitAnswer]
6. The teacher enters the name of the participants in the « polls » section>[#BEJDBEDA EditVote]and the students vote for the best list >[#BEJCADJH VoteFor]
7. The most successful list is then displayed in the polls section so as to organize a larger scale poll >[#BEJDBEDA EditVote]

Proverb elucidation

Goal

• Semantics

Target audience

• 11 years old students and more

Description

• The students must try to understand the sense of proverbs or sayings

Duration

• One session

1. The teacher posts a proverb like « There are plenty of fish in the sea» (The proverbs must be sibylline enough for the students to doubt and wonder a lot) >[#BEJJFEGE SubmitStory]
2. The students try to understand the sense of the proverb and communicate by sending comments >[#BEJBCBGH SubmitComment]
3. After a certain amount of interactions, each student sends an answer >[#BEJBCBGH SubmitComment]
4. They check if an agreement has been worked out >[#CheckWork CheckWork]
5. The teacher sends a feed back to give details >[#BEJGEFIC SendFeedBack]

Crime in Northern Ireland

Goal

• Argumentation, conceptualization, history, information research, organization and structuring of information, group work...

Target audience

• 15 years-old and more

Description

• A crime was committed in Northern Ireland. The students in the class have to prepare a trial. The class is divided into groups : the protestant team, the catholic team, the journalists. Each group will be given a role to play as well as each individual in the group

Duration

• Three sessions

1. The teacher and students say what they already know about this conflict >[#BEJBIJDB BrainStorm]
2. What is at stake for each community in the situation is determined and the teacher distributes the roles according to the students' wishes >[#BEJGBIEC DistributeTasks]
3. A set of links categories is created in the portal for the students to organize information >[#BEJBJDDA CreateLinkSpace]>[#BEJDAJGE CreateCategories]
4. According to the team to which they belong, students search the web for information on which to build their argumentation and then enter and comment their links >[#BEJDECAD SearchWeb] >[#CommentLinks CommentLinks]
5. Students work together to prepare a talk and the staging of the trial >[#CoEdit CoEdit]>[#BEJDCGCE Interact]
6. They can then either play the trial or create a sort of comic which will be displayed on the portal >[#BEJCEIBC SubmitLinks]>[#CoEdit CoEdit]

Ethical questions

Goal

• Argumentation, understanding of systems

Target audience

• From 16 years old (particularly suited to marketing and commerce students)

Description

• The students must investigate ethical questions on a particular case related to a precise topic they study in class

Duration

• One session

1. The teacher introduces a case to the students >[#BEJIAFJH IntroWork]>[#BEJJFEGE SubmitStory]
2. Students discuss and work out the different aspects of the topic >[#BEJBIJDB BrainStorm]>[#BEJDCGCE Interact]
3. Two opposing teams are created (by chance or according to their wishes) >[#BEJGBIEC DistributeTasks]
4. Students react, interact and produce a text: one team must adopt an ethical behavior, the other a counter-ethical one >[#CoEdit CoEdit]>[#BEJJFEGE SubmitStory]
5. Each team reads and comments what the others have produced >[#BEJBCBGH SubmitComment]
6. The teacher gives a feed back to both teams >[#CheckWork CheckWork]>[#BEJGEFIC SendFeedBack]

Quiz creation

Goal

• Peer tutoring, meta cognition, synthesis

Target audience

• From 14-15 years old

Description

• Students must create a multiple choice questions quiz based on some material studied in class. They must also write the precise explanations to each question .

Duration

• Three sessions

1. The teacher gives to pairs of students special aspects of a topic to be seriously investigated >[#BEJGBIEC DistributeTasks]
2. Students study the documents and take notes so that they can produce appropriate questions for a quiz
3. Each pair select about ten questions to be formulated briefly and precisely. They also prepare a set of short answers for each
4. They then write the explanations (feed back)
5. They can then edit their quiz, a short feed back for each question and can even give links to more detailed explanations >[#BEJJFDIF CreateQuizz]

Reciprocal peer tutoring - RPT

The right definition

Goal

• Semantics. Understanding of the different levels of language, intuitive discovery of meanings.

Target audience

• From 13-14 years old

Description

• Students must find a correct definition for an abstract term whose meaning they don't know and then find the correct definition inside a list of incorrect definitions in which it will have been inserted

Duration

• One session

1. The teacher proposes a term to students, making sure they don't know its meaning >[#BEJIAFJH IntroWork]>[#BEJBIJDB BrainStorm]
2. Students try to write a definition in "dictionary" style (they can work alone or by groups of two or three) >[#CoEdit CoEdit]
3. Each student or group posts a definition >[#BEJBCBGH SubmitComment]
4. The teacher corrects mistakes if necessary and create a list with all the definitions produced in which he inserts the right one >[#CheckWork CheckWork]>[#BEJJFEGE SubmitStory]
5. The students have to find the right definition and post their answer >[#BEJIIHED SubmitAnswer]
6. The teacher gives the correct answer and explains >[#BEJGEFIC SendFeedBack]

Training for an examination

Goal

• Depends on the subject

Target audience

• Classes with an end year examination

Description

• The students have a case to study, a problem to solve which is of the same type as what they will be given for their examination. The problem will have to be difficult and require method and problem solving skills

Duration

• 1 or 2 sessions

1. The teacher posts a case >[#BEJJFEGE SubmitStory]
2. The students ask questions and interact until they feel ready to solve the problem >[#BEJBCBGH SubmitComment]>[#BEJDCGCE Interact]
3. Students work alone or in pairs and post a solution >[#BEJBCBGH SubmitComment]>[#CoEdit CoEdit]
4. The teacher checks the answers >[#CheckWork CheckWork]
5. He sends a feed back to each >[#BEJGEFIC SendFeedBack]
6. Students readjust their productions and post a last version of their work >[#BEJIIHED SubmitAnswer]
7. Once checked by the teacher, the solution is displayed in a special block in the portal dedicated to solved problems >[#BEJGEFIC SendFeedBack]>[#BEJJJDBI EditMenu]

Expert advice

• Note: The steps need to be revised, this is too close to some example {|

|}

Goal

• Link to the workplace

Target audience

• technical classes

Description

• The students submit a project (architecture, something specialized and « professional »). Experts are asked to give a piece of advice and comment upon the different productions.Experts and students can communicate

Duration

• Depends on the time experts can dedicate to the task...

1. The students have realized a project (architecture, circuits) >[#CoEdit CoEdit]
2. A space is created in the portal with links to each referenced project >[#BEJGHIBI EditSummary]
3. In a forum, the teacher posts an introduction and explanations for the experts to navigate and interact easily in the portal >[#BEJGABII CreateForum]>[#BEJJFEGE SubmitStory]
4. The teacher will have found experts, who examine the projects and send comments by quoting references >[#CheckWork CheckWork]>[#BEJBCBGH SubmitComment]
5. Experts comment the projects using references in the forum >[#BEJBCBGH SubmitComment]
6. Students can react, ask questions, ask precision >[#BEJBCBGH SubmitComment]

Photo gallery

Goal

• Information organization, analysis, synthesis

Target audience

• 11 years old students and more

Description

• The students go for a day out on a given theme (biology, ecology). They have to produce an illustrated account of their experiment and discoveries. Instead of making photos, it also works with drawings.

Duration

• 3 to 4 sessions

Notes

• A numeric camera is necessary

1. The students go for a day out, each having a particular goal in relation to the theme, which will have been discussed before. They can work in groups >[#BEJIAFJH IntroWork]>[#BEJBIJDB BrainStorm] >[#BEJGBIEC DistributeTasks]
2. They take photos while keeping their goal in mind
3. They may search for resources on the web >[#BEJDECAD SearchWeb]
4. They create an illustrated and commented album of their discoveries >[#BEJIEFJC EditGallery]>[#CoEdit CoEdit] >[#BEJBJDDA CreateLinkSpace]>[#BEJCEIBC SubmitLinks]
5. A poll is created with the name of each project >[#BEJDBEDA EditVote]
6. They vote for the best productions >[#BEJCADJH VoteFor]
7. It is then possible either to enter links to the best productions >[#BEJGHIBI EditSummary] or >[#BEJBJDDA CreateLinkSpace]>[#BEJCEIBC SubmitLinks]>[#CommentLinks CommentLinks]or classify the galleries according to their success >[#BEJBFCHE ShowBest]

Design of an online educational contents

Goal

• Analysis, synthesis, data management

Target audience

• From 16 years old

Description

• Students have to collaborate to create contents for a lesson or a larger teaching unit. This lesson will be available online

Duration

• 4 to 6 sessions

Notes

• It could be interesting, for this activity, to use a numeric camera

1. The teacher introduces the topic to be investigated and students discuss to determine the different research questions >[#BEJIAFJH IntroWork]>[#BEJBIJDB BrainStorm] >[#BEJDCGCE Interact]
2. The different questions are entered in a wiki type space, allowing to edit pages together >[#CoEdit CoEdit]
3. The teacher gives everyone a special mission according to their wishes >[#BEJGBIEC DistributeTasks]
4. Depending on the chosen topic, students can go for a day out (See activity >[#BEJJHEGD Photo gallery]), and search the web and in encyclopaedias to find out illustrations and information they will use to design their lesson >[#BEJDECAD SearchWeb]
5. All these resources are inserted on the wiki in a somewhat disorganized way >[#CoEdit CoEdit]
6. The teacher checks the authenticity of the information gathered on the wiki and inserts comments >[#CheckWork CheckWork]
7. Students can then make a synthesis of their discoveries and organize all the data >[#CoEdit CoEdit]
8. Students interact to progressively work out their production and agree on the structure of the document >[#CoEdit CoEdit]>[#BEJDCGCE Interact]
9. The teacher helps but tries not to be too intrusive >[#BEJGEFIC SendFeedBack]
10. The end product is then ready to be printed and is displayed in the portal

Biology teaching in higher education

Biology teaching in higher education http://tecfa.unige.ch/~lombardf/cyber-2os/

Example

http://idefix.gymliestal.ch:8888/

Web sites record

Goal

• Analysis, synthesis, critical mind, web research

Target audience

• 12 years old students and more

Description

• The students have a particular subject to investigate and search the web for resources

Duration

• Two sessions

1. The teacher introduces the subject, gives clues and ask the students to choose a particular aspect >[#BEJIAFJH IntroWork]>[#BEJBIJDB BrainStorm] >[#BEJGBIEC DistributeTasks]
2. A space with categories and sub-categories is created to enter the links >[#BEJBJDDA CreateLinkSpace]>[#BEJDAJGE CreateCategories]
3. The students (in groups) search the web for sites well exposing the subject and bookmark them >[#BEJDECAD SearchWeb]>[#BEJGCAGF KeepReference]
4. The students select about ten sites they find most interesting and insert them in the categories with comments >[#BEJCEIBC SubmitLinks] >[#CommentLinks CommentLinks]
5. The teacher checks the quality of the selected sites >[#CheckWork CheckWork]>[#BEJCJDHH Moderate]
6. The students can then visit the others' sites>[#CheckWork CheckWork] and rate them >[#BEJCJBGB RateLinks]

Problem solving

Goal

• Depends on the subject

Target audience

• 3-14 years old students and more

Description

• The students have a problem to solve and interact to find a solution

Duration

• Two sessions

1. The teacher submits a problem to students >[#BEJJFEGE SubmitStory]
2. The students discuss to define the learning goals and what they have to learn to solve the problem >[#BEJBIJDB BrainStorm]>[#BEJBCBGH SubmitComment]
3. The students produce a synthesis of what has been said (in groups of 3) >[#CoEdit CoEdit]
4. They post their production >[#BEJBCBGH SubmitComment]
5. The teacher comments upon each group's results >[#BEJBCBGH SubmitComment]>[#BEJGEFIC SendFeedBack]
6. The students can then solve the problem

Getting ready for an essay

Goal

• Analysis, synthesis, critical mind, argumentation, hypothesis formulation

Target audience

• 14-15 years old students and more

Description

• The students interact on the portal to define a problematic and build a plan for an essay

Duration

• One or two session

1. The teacher posts the subject for the essay. According to the level of students, he can give clues >[#BEJIAFJH IntroWork]>[#BEJJFEGE SubmitStory]
2. The students ask questions and discuss in the forum >[#BEJGABII CreateForum]. They can also search the web for resources >[#BEJBIJDB BrainStorm]>[#BEJDCGCE Interact] >[#BEJDECAD SearchWeb]
3. The students make a synthesis of what the others have written to define a problematic by analyzing the different ideas and points of view
4. The students make a plan, alone or in pairs >[#CoEdit CoEdit]
5. They post their plans and the teacher can comment upon what everyone has produced >[#BEJBCBGH SubmitComment]>[#BEJGEFIC SendFeedBack]
6. The students can then write their essay

Intercultural exchanges

Goal

• Foreign languages learning, communication

Target audience

• 13-14 years old and more

Description

• The goal is to make students from different cultural backgrounds interact

Duration

• About four sessions. The exchanges should take place at least twice in both direction

1. Foreign language teachers agree to collaborate, for instance english and swiss teachers teaching classes of the same levels >[#BEJBAEIG PlanProject]
2. Students produce a text on a given topic (in pairs) >[#CoEdit CoEdit]>[#BEJHIDCG CreatePage]
3. The french speaking students insert their work on the portal >[#BEJJFEGE SubmitStory]
4. The english speaking students read these productions and add comments (in english) to help their peers understand their mistakes >[#BEJBCBGH SubmitComment]>[#BEJGEFIC SendFeedBack] >[#CheckWork CheckWork]
5. The english speaking students enter their own productions in the portal and the process goes the same
6. Students in both countries can then produce a better text and submit it again for comments

WKTO Collaborative learning

WKTO Collaborative learning

http://www.ac-grenoble.fr/wkto/

Project management

For the moment we describe here rather smaller activities where learners can determine work plans, share tasks and form work groups, decide of a schedule, a program, etc. Project-based teaching scenarios will be developed in a further edition.

Shared calendar

Goal

• Organization, project management, sense of collaboration

Target audience

• 14-15 years old students and more

Description

• The students interact in the portal to establish a common work plan

Duration

• Depends on the project

1. The teacher introduces the subject to students and discuss with them explaining what will have globally to be done >[#BEJIAFJH IntroWork]>[#BEJBIJDB BrainStorm] >[#BEJJFEGE SubmitStory]
2. The students think together (groups of 3 or 4) about the different steps, goals and sub-goals >[#BEJBIJDB BrainStorm]>[#BEJBAEIG PlanProject]
3. The groups post their results >[#BEJBCBGH SubmitComment]
4. They can then comment upon what the others have produced and find the best solution together >[#BEJBCBGH SubmitComment]>[#CoEdit CoEdit]
5. The students enter their results in the calendar >[#BEJFCCBI EditCalendar]
6. They can then work on the plan in detail and continue until they are happy with the result

Election of a person in charge

Goal

• Organization, project management, sense of community, creativity

Target audience

• 14-15 years old students and more

Description

• Several classes participate to a project and interlocutor-spokesman must be chosen for each class. The students interact on the portal to elect the best

Duration

• 1 to 2 sessions

1. The students discuss to work out what this role consists in >[#BEJBIJDB BrainStorm]
2. Each student produces a « programme » to define his role and explains his motivation. Each program is posted and referenced to remain anonymous >[#BEJJFEGE SubmitStory]
3. A poll is created with the references >[#BEJDBEDA EditVote]
4. A vote is organized to choose the best>[#BEJCADJH VoteFor] : The elected candidate will be the most motivated and convincing one and not necessarily the most popular