Making Sense of the World Wide Web

Jon Margerum-Leys

The University of Michigan School of Education.

This version of my ongoing thoughts on the categorization of Web resources by function was created for the 1997 School Science and Mathematics Association conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. If you'd like to comment on the presentation or these pages, please take a moment to complete a feedback form. You can also view my Powerpoint slides from that presentation.

The original version of the categorization scheme below was developed in 1996 by Kathleen Hamel, Elisabeth Klann, Beth Klein, and Tracy Hammerman, who at the time were working for the University of Michigan Digital Library (UMDL) project. I would like to thank them for their help and recognize their contribution to the foundation of this work. Additionally, I would like to thank the Spencer Foundation for its support of my research fellowship, and Dr. Ron Marx for his editorial input, patience, and wisdom as my advisor.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Value of the Web. The World Wide Web, which has become synonymous for some computer users with the Internet, represents a tremendously valuable resource. On the Web, students can inquire into areas which interest them, view the work of other students, produce knowledge, interact with others, and have access to information and ideas which have never been available to students before. However, there are obstacles to using the Web as an educational tool; while these can be overcome or at least compensated for, they are worth considering when planning activities which use Web resources.

This paper looks at Web resources in a somewhat unusual way. In addition to asking the question "What are the thirty Web resources which might tell students about tree frogs in the Congo?", I suggest that it may be useful for teachers to consider the question "What kinds of resources are represented on the Web and how might I use those resources to create meaningful learning activities for my students?"

Indexing sites by content. Generally, I believe that starting from a structured set of Web sites may be more productive for students than open-ended searching. A number of sites do an excellent job of indexing in this way (see Yahoo! and the Argus Clearinghouse for examples). Content indexing is a vital service in scaffolding students' efforts to effectively use the Web; without it, students are reduced to open-ended searching or blind surfing of the Web.

Indexing sites by function. I propose that it also may be useful to characterize Web pages in terms of the type and organization of information presented and the possibility for interaction. This characterization could help to determine what kinds of educational activities might best be supported by particular kinds of Web resources.

It is my hope that this categorization scheme will be useful to school media center personnel and classroom teachers in organizing and extending their links to the Web. I envision the creation of larger function indexes which help users of the Web in educational settings to organize their thinking about how student learning might be enhanced through the use of the World Wide Web.

Rationale

It seems natural to me to organize this presentation as a Web document. All of the examples cited are available to you, the reader, so you can go directly to them and judge for yourself their utility and the helpfulness of this model of thinking about Web resources. Placing each category on a separate page allows you to view them (or not) in an order which makes sense to you, printing them as needed.

Categories

The categories below are sorted in a particular order. I list them roughly in terms of what I perceive as the frequency of their use: Extending local collections seems to me, after watching students and teachers use the Web for the past three years, to be a more frequent use of the Web than interacting with other students. That may change in the future. I've placed motivation at the bottom of the list, not because it is infrequently used, but because placing it anywhere else in the list seemed to break up the flow of the presentation.

For each of the categories, I have created a brief characterization of the category, a few annotated examples of resources which fall within the category, and a description of the kinds of activities supported by the resource.

Category	Description
Extend local collections	There are an almost infinite number of lines of student inquiry, more than can be accomodated by most school media centers. Using the Web to extend local collections is the most common use of the World Wide Web in schools.
See current information.	Students and teachers can use the power of the Web to see information which is updated constantly.
Read Periodicals.	As a distribution method for publications, the Web gives organizations an easy, inexpensive way to get their message out and schools an easy inexpensive way to receive information.
View primary source material.	There are things available on the Web which students can't normally view in their primary form.
Serve as a forum for student publications.	Creation of materials can be a powerful force for learning for students.
Interact With Other Students/Teachers.	With discussion groups and chat areas, students and their teachers can communicate with others who have similar interests.
Use Computer and Other Technical Resources.	Web pages can provide an interface by which students can control remote computers or other devices.
Take Advantage of Unique Opportunities.	It's not usually possible to send students to distant or dangerous places. Virtual tours allow students access to these places.
Distribute Curriculum and Professional Resources.	Lesson plans, units, national standards; all can be distributed via the Web.
Motivation.	Sometimes it's okay to just have fun. You might even learn something along the way.

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