Learning through Webquests.

What is a WebQuest? A WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented online tool for learning. This means it is a classroom-based lesson in which most or all of the information that students explore and evaluate comes from the World Wide Web.

Beyond that, WebQuests:

• can be as short as a single class period or as long as a month-long unit;
• usually (though not always) involve group work, with division of labor among students who take on specific roles or perspectives;
• are built around resources that are preselected by the teacher. Students spend their time USING information, not LOOKING for it. (Educational Broadcasting, 2004),

While WebQuests can be applied to a wide range of topics, they aren't equally appropriate for everything. You wouldn't use a WebQuest to teach the times table. In other words, don't use WebQuests to teach factual pieces of information.
The best use of the WebQuest format is for topics that are less well-defined -- tasks that invite creativity and problems with several possible solutions. For example a technology unit may require the students to conduct an investigation. With a Webquest students are able to explore the topic, map out the required processes and USE the information to solve and reflect on the investigation.

With a technology unit based around a Webquest, collaborative learning skills should be encouraged and modelled by the teacher. With this in mind Johnson and Johnson (2000) have selected some critical aspects of what a successful cooperative learning environment should look like. They include:

• Positive interdependence
• Promotive Interraction
• Individual and group accountability
• Interpersonal and small group skills
• Group Processing

Webquests encourage these attributes and challenge the thinking patterns of our learners. I have looked at several webquests constructed and guided by teachers and they have clearly shown how effective this form of learning opportunity can be for our students. I also feel that organisation and planning is a must for this tool to be effective. It would be easy for the children to become confused if the steps are not explicit. Organisation for this type of learning experience will vary depending on the availability of resources. I believe it is how these resources (even if limited) are utilised that inform the success for the students' outcomes. Below I have provided a link to some video's that show how student outcomes can be met by using a WebQuest in the classroom: http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/webquests/index_sub4.html

WebQuests and Constructivism:

Constructivist authentic learning environments are defined as those learning
environments whose design is consistent with the principles of the more recent constructivist tradition on how people learn. As Herrington and Oliver (2000) point out, such learning environments typically provide authentic contexts and activities,access to expert performances, and support multiple roles and perspectives. In addition, such environments also support collaborative construction of knowledge and promote reflection and articulation. Finally, such environments may include coaching and scaffolding by the teacher and provide for authentic assessment of learning within tasks. With this in mind, using a constructivist approach to frame our planning, for example a WebQuest, the principles of constructivism are adhered to. Within a Webquest students are creating multiple perspectives and and at the same time collaboratively creating authentic learning experiences.

These authentic experiences succinctly line up with the 'Learning Engagement Theory' which has a group, project and authentic focus. This theory refers to learning environments and how our students need to relate to real-world, authentic problem-solving and then donate the solution back into the real world. This donating approach forms a rich task for students in which they can be engaged in authentic and real-life situations. (Kearsley and Shneiderman, 1998).

The constructivist view of learning has its foundations in Piaget (1975) who believed that learning is not transmitted passively, but attained through well-defined stages by active participation of a learner. Vygotsky(1980), presented similar ideas but focused on the importance of socio-cultural activity in learning in addition to introducing flexible stages of development. (Zualkernan, 2006).

References:

Educational Broadcasting, 2004, Concept to classroom; What is a Web Quest? retrieved 17th August, 2009, from; http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/webquests/index.html

Dodge, B, 2001, International Society for Technology in Education, 5 rules for writing a great webquest. Retrieved 17th August, 2009, from; http://edWeb.sdsu.edu/Webquest

Central Queensland University. Course studyguide: Engagement Theory: Retrieved 10th August, 2009, from; http://moodle.cqu.edu.au/course/view.php?id=134

Zualkernan, I. A. (2006). A framework and a methodology for developing authentic constructivist e-Learning environments. Educational Technology & Society: Retrieved 17th August, 2009, from: http://www.ifets.info/journals/9_2/16.pdf