The idea of developing a lesson plan for web delivery is an intimidating but curious adventure. Once over the initial fear of designing the lesson plan, the creative instructor can easily add the Internet to his or her arsenal of delivery methods.

A few basic conceptual understandings of current technology are necessary to be successful. Fortunately Delaware Technical and Community College encourages it's faculty to develop and use present technology for classroom delivery. Delaware Tech has developed an Educational Technology Certificate program. This program introduces and teaches the appropriate technology in the classroom and online that is necessary to develop Web-based instruction and other various delivery modes. The American Association of Community Colleges recently featured an article referring to the program as a countrywide model. (1)

After being bitten by the technology bug and eliminating first time jitters, I now compose entire lesson plans available to students via the Web. Credit must also be given to the Wilmington College Master's in Education Technology Program. The different approach to the exploration of educational technology reinforced my confidence and all of my jitters disappeared. For those unable to attend these fine establishments, the following will be exceptionally useful and present some successful strategies.

It does not matter how much technology you learn because it is useless if you cannot apply it. The requirements are often more demanding than most normal school budgets allow. As with all new teaching methods, one must start with the basics and be adequately trained. Personal computer training should not only include general operations but also some basic Web design. Netscape Composer® is one of the simplest systems to learn, but has some limitations for advanced Web-page design.

System requirements will vary from one technology to another. For culinary arts I have found that the following listed in Table 1 is sufficient.

Table 1
 

Component:	Specifications:
PC	IBM compatible
Hard Drive	10 GB or larger
Processor	Pentium II, 450 MHz or faster
Memory	128 MB RAM
Video Card	Good quality
Sound Card and speakers	Good Quality
Floppy Drive A:	1.44 MB 3.5"
Zip Drive B:	100 MB
CDRW	Good Quality
Software:	Windows Operating system®
	MS Word Office 97® or newer
	Video capture
	Photo editing
	Virus protection
ISP	Netscape or comparable browser
Printer	Color preferred
Scanner	Flat bed, USB connection
Digital Camera	3.5" floppy disk-type preferred

The first decision of a lesson plan is the hardest. As a chef instructor, what activities do you have your students accomplish first? Or what lesson do you feel you teach best? Focus on one concept or lesson with easily defined measurable and obtainable goals. Take one of your existing lesson plans and reformat it using the following guidelines:

1. Introduction - What is to be taught and to whom?
2. Task - What has to be done?
3. Process - How will it be done?
4. Resources - What other information is needed by the student to complete the lesson? Where do they need to go to find the information?
5. Evaluation - How is the student graded?
6. Conclusion - What has the student learned?

An example of a completed Web quest for an advanced class can be found at www.dtcc.edu/~dnolker Follow the links to "Food Prep II project."

Never assume the student "Chef of the Future" is comfortable using a computer for his or her assignment. This method of lesson plan delivery should only be used after your student is familiar with the technology and has access to the technology at home or within your institution. Unrealistic expectations will not yield realistic results with any student.

The introduction page must set the tempo for the entire Web quest assignment. The student needs a comfortable beginning with adequate communication. The information must be specific and objective. Design your Web pages to be accommodating and inviting to the student. A complicated site will only confuse and frustrate the student. Resist numerous animated graphics for this age group. Your students are on an educational quest not a video game adventure.

The task page explains what has to be done to complete the unit, followed by the process, or a "how to do it" page. Accurate resources are very important if you want the learner to succeed. Frequently check all Web sites quoted for authenticity and accessibility. The death rate of Web sites is surprisingly large and assuming all of your sites are still active will be very discouraging for students searching for information that is no longer available. Include substantial resources within the text when designing a quest for a first time user and gradually increase the amount of Internet research for subsequent lessons. It comes down to being fair and objective in the presentation of the materials and not over estimating the ability of your students.

Evaluation is often the most difficult section of any assignment to design totally objectively. A points system based on 1,000 points is the easiest to develop, administer and translate into a percentage. The percentage grade is student friendly and allows students to see how they are progressing so they may then concentrate on specific tasks as required. Any forms or grids required for evaluation must be included or easily downloaded.

The conclusion can tie in all the measurable objectives in the assignment and describe what knowledge the student should have gained. It is a useful tool for the students and for assessments of your success as a culinary instructor.

Provide a consistent system of navigational page links for the entire project. Keep each page user friendly. Netscape has a tutorial available to assist in Web design located in the help toolbar in Netscape Composer. Take advantage of the free information. Often many ISP's offer limited free web space (2) and support.

The web quest has hidden qualities beyond successful completion of the assignment. The greatest achievement is that of allowing a student to exercise his or her mind creatively and explore all the options available in the assignment. The Chef with the ability to think creatively, not only while preparing foods, but also in management skills, will be the industry leader of the future.

References:

(1)
George, O.J, (2000, December15) Asking Hard Questions About Technology Training, Community College Journal, 16,18, 19-20, 22. On line available at: http://www.aacc.nche.edu/books/journal/pdf/oct00/16-23tec.pdf

(2)

Stas.net http://www.stas.net/	Go.com http://homepages.go.com/
Crosswinds http://home.crosswinds.net/	Stormloader.com  http://www.stormloader.com/index2.html
GeoCities  http://geocities.yahoo.com/home/	Netscape  http://home.netscape.com/websites/index.html
1Avenue http://www.1avenue.com/index2.html