Three Rivers TESOL Conference, October 31, 1998

A Website Associated With a Textbook

http://www.linguistics.pitt.edu/~lion/wrp.html

Charlie Frowd, University of Stirling, c.d.frowd@stir.ac.uk

Lionel Menasche, University of Pittsburgh, esleli@pitt.edu

ORIGIN

1. Limitations of textbooks

(a) constrained by space and cost

(b) not tailored to specific classes

2. World Wide Web’s potential as educational resource, ESL resource, ESL textbook resource

3. Meeting of two Old Bangoreans in Pittsburgh.

4. Development of this website -- a work in progress -- to accompany Writing a Research Paper, Revised Edition (Pitt Series in ESL, University of Michigan Press, 1997).

3. Intended audience: instructors & students already using the textbook

CONCEPT

Comparison: instructors working in an office with a handy file cabinet full of curriculum materials =====>>>>>>>> web-connected instructors working anywhere in the world with a handy website full of curriculum materials

PURPOSE
1. Encourage textbook authors to create similar websites to support their books

2. Request feedback from audience on how this website may be improved

FUNCTIONS OF THE SITE

I. FOR INSTRUCTORS

1. Exchange of information: Instructors can post information and ideas on an information board, ‘Instructors’ Forum’, devoted to issues in teaching the research paper

2. Materials that can be downloaded, copied, and used by the instructor

(a) for administration of a course, e.g. grading sheet, schedule with dates for assignments, other assignments

(b) for teaching, with no copyright restrictions, e.g. additional assignments and explanatory handouts

3. Templates for instructors to copy and use for creating their own exercises:

ExCon, a downloadable software macro.

ExCon converts a document from inside Microsoft Word to an appropriate format for the internet.

Using ExCon, instructors will be able to create a number of different exercise formats for the web including multiple choice and yes/no.

The macro will be made available as freeware from an anonymous FTP site.

II. FOR STUDENTS

1. Information on research paper writing, with and FAQ format

2. Exercises to do online -- limited by the medium to certain types, such as multiple choice, true/false, fill in the blank, question and answer

WEB AUTHORING

1. Opportunities for Web authoring: writing interactive web pages using

Web support languages (to provide a high degree of human-computer

interaction). The focus will be primarily on the use of JavaScript as a

supplementary language for HTML, the main web language.

2. Interactive applications to date include search engines, on-line

forms, and question/answer sessions.

3. Huge possibilities are available for manipulating documents from within Microsoft Word using the built-in support language Word Basic.

Invoking Word macros operates at two levels:

(a) learning of keystrokes

(b) writing Word BASIC

It is interesting to note that the former generates the latter. Macro available for compiling multiple choice exercises on the web.

4. The use of web counters and logging information about users. Software available for Web Administrators.

SUMMARY AND DISCUSSION

This website will be continuously in development, therefore your suggestions -- as instructor, materials writer, editor, publisher, student -- are welcome.

Questions:

1. How can websites help us overcome the limitations of textbooks?

(a) space: web supplement allows more to be added to a textbook

(b) cost: web supplement may add value to a book without adding to its cost

(b) tailoring: web supplement can help an instructor adjust materials to specific classes

2. What other ways are there to supplement traditional textbooks through the Web?

3. How can whole textbooks be published on the Web? Can they ever be as useful as the classic form of a printed textbook? What are the implications for author royalties, publisher profits, copyright security?