The second colleague planned for months to develop a schoolwide media day for local media professionals to explore with teachers and students the effects of media on our lives. What was common across each of these three approaches was the opportunity for coaching and collaborative development, for teachers to practice the role of facilitator rather than giver of knowledge, and for guided reflection or product development. These institutes were jointly developed by SIUE faculty, the Illinois Area 5 Learning Technology Hub, and area teacher trainers and are the equivalent of three semester hours of college credit. Five to seven engaged learning strategies are modeled for a group of about 20 inservice teachers over a period of weeks. The strategies include learning communities, learning by design, problem-based learning, software evaluation, spreadsheet data collection and analysis, and WebQuests.
Participants also gain technology integration skills.
As they become more skilled in engaged learning strategies, they collaborate in engaged learning units that were ultimately taught and evaluated in their own classrooms. Hundreds of engaged learning units have been generated using this model. What is especially good about Dodge's model is that it combines engaged learning with clear structure. The heart of a WebQuest is a doable and motivating task, usually accomplished by collaborative group work with distinct roles for each student, that results in a product. WebQuests are structured in two ways.