An interesting week has passed. So, Encyclopedia Britannica is no longer publishing a print version. They are done with that.

Today’s student is more apt to look at Wikipedia, or (to many a teacher’s dismay) just “Google” it. Then there’s all that media that is out there – videos, images, etc. There is a lot to compete with. The 21^st century learner is not content with the mere written word. In order to engage and motivate, content needs to be dynamic.

A resource that you may find suitable for student research and exploration is http://www.qwiki.com/.

It’s dynamic, plug in a topic in the search field and find out for yourself. There’s audio, images, and engaging presentation. So, go look it up could now be a more fun directive to give your students.

Now, bear in mind that Qwiki is really just starting out, and the accumulation of information as well as accuracy is something that will improve with time. It is also my understanding that authoring tools will soon be offered, which you can offer to your students for project-based learning activities. I am very interested to see where this site goes.