Thursday, January 16, 2020
Engaging Students In Learning Process Essay
Abstract Technology plays a great role in education. Students get motivated when technology based education is given in the classroom. WebQuests involve inquiry-based learning in which students are encouraged to learn in group. The present paper provides information about the use of WebQuest as an educational technology. Various aspects of WebQuests are covered in this paper such as definition of WebQuest, components, use of WebQuest as a constructivist tool, implementation of WebQuest and advantages and disadvantages of WebQuests. Recommendations are given at the end of the paper. The author also provides a self-made WebQuest for year 9-10 students attached to this paper. Engaging Students in Learning Processing Using WebQuests Introduction Technology has been used as a teaching tool in schools since many years. It is very important to know the ways through which the technology can be employed to bring new opportunities to students to enhance their learning abilities. Technology offers numerous benefits to students. Technology offers tools that can be used to enhance the learning ability of a student. Thinking skills can also be enhanced with the use of technology in education. Students receive a variety of learning activities are authentic too. Students are encouraged for the regulation of their learning process depending on their abilities (Cho & Jonassen 2002). Despite numerous benefits, technology possesses some challenges too. Students usually do not wait to take proper guidelines from the instructor and they start using technology in their classrooms immediately. Thus they have to face a large number of difficulties too. It is believed that the traditional way to assess the performance of students need to be shifted from paper and pencil to technology based methods because a large number of students in schools and colleges are now using technology such as word processors and spreadsheets in doing their work. Thus the traditional method seems to be failed as this method can not explain and assess what the students have learned from technical way. The paper and pencil mode of assessment is left behind (Almeida, Vesu, and Ponte, 2003). Another study explained that technology based education is quite promising because it can help foster the creation of communities and the learners become able to perform several tasks such as: learners get more open opportunities to enhance the communication process in the classroom; discussions among students and between students and teachers may be encouraged; and the authority is shared among students and teacher because the classroom is now more rich in resources (Brooks & Brooks, 1999).  This paper provides information about the use of WebQuest as an educational technology used in the classroom. WebQuest Definition WebQuest can be defined as a tool that is effective for learning in an online inquiry-oriented environment. This can be explained as: in this type of learning, students are encouraged for the evaluation and exploration of required information with the help of World Wide Web in their classrooms (Chandler 2003). According to Tom March, Circa (2003): â€Å"A WebQuest is a scaffolded learning structure that uses links to essential resources on the World Wide Web and an authentic task to motivate students’ investigation of a central, open-ended question, development of individual expertise and participation in a final group process that attempts to transform newly acquired information into a more sophisticated understanding. The best WebQuests do this in a way that inspires students to see richer thematic relationships, facilitate a contribution to the real world of learning and reflect on their own meta-cognitive processes (p.1).†WebQuests are of varying lengths. Sometimes they are short enough to cover just in one class period and sometimes they require a month for completion. Group work is usually encouraged in WebQuests as each member of the work group is assign specific tasks to perform. The teacher is responsible for the selection of the specific resources prior the WebQuest use in the classroom. Thus, students are given the time to use the information and they need not to spend any time to look for the specific material (Dodge 1997). Source: (Tom March, 2007). Components and Types of WebQuests            There are six important components of WebQuest. They are named as:                        Introduction:            In this section, background information is provided to the learners. Students are given specific tasks and roles to motivate them. For example: â€Å"You are a geologist looking for volcanoes. Students are provided with the overview in the beginning that tells them about their goals they have to achieved in their learning process.            Introduction is presented to the students in such a way that they desire to perform that activity along with fun. Students are assigned the projects that are relevant to their previous experiences, students, future plans or ideas. When students receive projects of their interests, they get involved easily in them. Thus it is the main purpose of the introduction section of each WebQuest to motivate each student by exciting and engaging them. When the WebQuest is based on a longer period such as over a month then the introduction is given daily to the students to refresh their memory and to let them find the most appropriate material for their project. In long-term WebQuest, real world components such as print media and guest lectures are given to the students along their online investigation. The addition of real world components is very important for long-term WebQuests because if students are allowed to rely only on the online investigations then they may consider the meanings of the lesson as something unreal. Thus, in a long-term WebQuest projects, introduction is given daily to the students to keep them up-to-date with all the information and necessary material for they motivation (Dodge 2001).                        Task Task is the second component of a WebQuest. The purpose of this component is to inform the students about the lessons to be learned till the end of the project.            Initially, the teachers have to look for the specific information that is required in a specific project. Then they design the activity that requires the information gathered from online resources. Students are given the task that is to be performed by searching the information online. The task is designed in a way to make it doable, means that each task must has to be accomplished.            The most difficult part in the creation of a WebQuest project is the development of the main research question. This part is quite creative and needs a certain amount of time to search whether the question can be answered. Students can be asked to do a variety of tasks such as they may need to circulate the information they gathered on the website, they may be asked to work in collaboration with other online institution to perform specific research for the completion of a project and they may be asked to explain their research by using multimedia. The students are encouraged to complete their task in an interesting, appealing, visual and important manner.            Students should be given an example of a completed project. This given an idea to them how their project will look like after the completion. They become able to see the complete picture of the project in the beginning. They also come to know how they should perform to accomplish their task. It is great to show the students work of previous students. Teachers may also find the similar projects online done previously by other students as an example to show to their students. A large number of sample projects available for the students motivate them by showing them the efforts and achievements of other students. Students keep in mind the necessary steps they have to take to perform a specific task efficiently.            The teacher can use any successful project several times in different semesters and different classes. The project specifications can be modified each time. Students can be motivated by showing them the same project and challenge them to show a better project than the previous one (Jonassen & Rohrer-Murphy 1999).                        Process            Process is the third component of a WebQuest. In this component, the students are informed about all the steps that the students need to take for the completion of a project. Each step is surrounded by a number of links. It is advised for projects of longer duration that the teacher or one or two students demonstrate each step. Demonstration helps the students learn each step in a better manner and they become able to understand the written directions more easily (Kennedy 2004).                       Resources            This is the fourth component of a WebQuest. In this component, a list of all the necessary resources that involve printed material and online resources are given to the students for the accomplishment of a specific task.            A separate section was allocated in the old WebQuests for the resources but now in the recent WebQuests, the resources are attached with the instructions in the Process section. The students can access those resources when they are to perform that step. Though online resource are very important but it is also a fact that non-Web resources are not less important. Resources should be of variety and thus the quality of WebQuests can be enhanced by the use of online and non-Web resources. Non-Web resources can be of different types such as models, audio cassettes, field trips, maps, sculptures, books etc. to motivate the students (Lara 2003).                        Evaluation            Evaluation is the fifth component of a WebQuest. Three types of student examples can be pointed out when the introduction of a WebQuest is presented. The three examples of students include exemplary, acceptable and unacceptable. During the introduction, students are clearly shown what is meant by an excellent work. They are given examples of exemplary and acceptable work thus clearing the vision of the students and to motivate them to work hard to achieve the excellence. Examples of unacceptable work are given to students to show them what type of work cannot be accepted and thus enabling the students to know about the minimum standards required to accomplish a task (Lipscomb 2003).                       Conclusion            This is the last component of a WebQuest. In this component, the students are asked to present their reflections about their work and the teachers are required to sum up the project. Students are given time to discuss their project thus following the constructivist approach that though learning is achieved by doing but learning can be enhanced by discussion of what has been done. Teachers usually encourage their students during the conclusion section to explain if they come up with more better ways to perform the same project (March 2000). WebQuest as a Constructivist Tool            The constructivism theory explains how learning is achieved by performing a study that involves scientific method and observation. According to the constructivist theory, people learn and understand different aspects of world by their own experiences and by showing their reflections on their experiences. When people find something new, they usually try to bring the new information with their previous experiences. Sometimes, they find the new thing more informative and thus discard the older one and sometimes they find the new information totally irrelevant and thus rely on their previous experiences. In each of the cases, people have to find out by themselves which one is correct and to find that they ask different questions, explore the resources and then come to a conclusion (Milson 2002).            When constructivist approach is applied in the classroom, different types of teaching ways are explained that can enhance the learning process. The most common of the teaching way is to motivate the students to utilize effective techniques such as real-world examples to gather the information, then to reflect what they have come up with and then conclude what they have done. Students explain how the new idea has changed their previous understanding. It is very important for a teacher to be aware of the previous understandings of the students. Then the teacher guides the students to perform the activity that is based on their previous conceptions.            When teachers utilize constructivist approach, they always motivate their students to find out the role of the new activity in their learning process. Students usually get the position of expert learners in a constructivist classroom because they are to ask questions themselves. This type of learning broadens their learning process and they come to know how they have to learn (Molebash & Dodge 2003).            When students are constantly encouraged to reflect on their experiences then they seem to gain power. Strong abilities seem to build up in the students that motivate them for the integration of any new idea or information. Thus it can be said that the one of the most important role of teacher in the constructivist classroom is to motivate the students to experience by themselves and then learn from those experiences by reflecting on them.            Conservative and traditional teachers usually criticize that the role of the teacher is dismissed in the learning. But constructivism encourages teachers to play their role more efficiently and their knowledge is highly valued. In constructivist approach, the teachers are required to motivate the students for the construction of the knowledge by themselves instead of finding out the facts that have been previously observed and noted. In a constructivist classroom, the students are encouraged to use problem solving skills and they are involved in inquiry-based learning. These activities make the students able enough to test their ideas, reflect on their experience and present the conclusions. A constructivist classroom transforms students from passive recipients that receive information just by sitting in the classroom and listening to their teachers to active participants that not only listen to their teacher but they also get involved in searching information by using interesting methods (Ngeow & Kong 2001).            There is a misconception about the constructivist theory that it forces the students to reject the older ideas and to replace them with new one such as they are asked to reinvent the wheel. But the fact is the constructivist theory does not ask the students for the reinvention of the wheel but with the help of this theory the students come to know how to use the wheel. Real world examples are given to the students that clear their ideas about how the wheels can be used in their daily lives. Thus they learn from their experience, present reflections on their experience and then come up to a conclusion that is based on their experiences.            Constructivist theory is very different from other traditional ideas of education and learning. The focus is put on students rather the teachers in a constructivist classroom. The students are no longer passive students that sit in the classroom and ingest the knowledge provided by their teacher only. They are encouraged in the constructivist classroom how they should struggle to search for information.  The role of the teacher now changes to facilitator who is involved in helping the students rather them forcing them to understand what the teacher says. Constructivist theory can be easily implemented in the WebQuest. Constructivist teachers ask students to initiate a WebQuest project. Students are asked different questions and they are encouraged to find the answers. Students are guided in a way to let them find the answers of the questions independently. Different types of teaching techniques can be used in a constructivist classroom using WebQuest projects. The techniques involve: students are encouraged for the formulation of the questions by themselves. Thus they are encouraged to enquiry-based learning. They are given the freedom to express their learning in multiple meaningful ways. Group work is highly encouraged and each student in a group performs a specific task (Peterson & Caverly 2003). Students are given freedom to find out new things for themselves. Students are given free hand to do the experiments, they can ask questions, and they can do the things that are often considered as things not working. Teachers play different roles such as roles of moderators, coaches and they can also give suggestions to students to facilitate their learning process. In order to enhance the learning process of students, they should be able to participate fully in activities such as hands-on experiments. An important part of using WebQuest as a constructivist tool lies in the fact that students are given permission to give their reflections what they have done and then discuss on the conclusions. Students become experts as they are given complete opportunity to control their learning process. They choose their own path that is solely based on their reflections about their experiences. Teachers play a great role in the creation of an environment where the students are free to ask questions and give their reflections about their experiences. This can happen in private or in the form of group discussions. Teachers are also responsible for the creation of activities in a way that after performing those activities students become able to reflect their previous experiences. It is very important for the students to know what they have learned and how the learning process took place (Savery & Duffy 1995). As constructivism and WebQuest are based on the same theory, the main activity that is performed in a WebQuest classroom is to find the solution of the problems. Inquiry method is used to ask questions. A topic is investigated and then a large number of different types of resources is utilized to find out the solution of the questions. After exploring a certain topics, the students become able to conclude. When students explore questions again and again, new questions come to their mind. Students are encouraged in a WebQuest classroom to have new ideas and do experiments to prove that later shows that their ideas were not correct or valid. But this cannot be considered as a failure because the students have put their steps in the process of knowledge integration. Students are encouraged to work in collaboration with peers. The main reason to include group learning in constructivism is that students learn from the experiences from other students working in the same group besides learning from their own experiences (Vidoni & Maddux 2002). Implementation of WebQuest in School WebQuest can be implemented in schools. In order to implement WebQuest easily and successfully in a school by keeping in mind the following principles: The thinking level of a WebQuest must be higher. The information must be transferred from one domain to another domain. A WebQuest must be designed in such as a way that does not load the students with heavy burden of questions that make the students only surfing the internet or that involve calculations only. A good WebQuest will lead the students to gain information and be the students able to transform that information with the help of their own problem solving skills. Though the creation of WebQuest lessons require a lot of time but it is also a fact that once the teachers have created a lesson plan, they do not have to worry about the preparation of other lesson plans while the students are busy with their work. After the completion of a year, every thing will be all set. The teachers may need some amendments in the WebQuests that had been created in the previous year but it would not take much time and things will go smoothly. Learning through WebQuest is a new way for students as well as it is a new teaching method for teachers. The teachers must keep in mind that students cannot perform a task unless they are familiar with it. Students cannot be expected to perform every task in the correct manner in their first attempt. They need time to practice and the teachers need to have patience. in order to implement a WebQuest successfully, it is necessary to incorporate all the six essential components that have been described in this paper earlier (Scardamalia & Bereiter 1999). Advantages of WebQuests Though the creation of WebQuests requires a large amount of time but once the WebQuests have been created they can be used over and over with some minor changes. The teachers get rid of the daily worries for the lesson planning. Now they get enough time to act as facilitators and coaches to assist the students in their learning process. Tom March has explained the benefits of WebQuests as quoted below: â€Å"WebQuests will motivate your students! Students confront a complex and controversial real-world issue Students grapple with a central question that truly needs answering Students utilize real world, up-to-date resources on the Web (from experts, current reporting, and/or fringe groups) Students assume roles and must develop expertise Results of student work can be posted or sent to real people for feedback and evaluation. WebQuests are rooted in learning theory and good teaching practice Based upon elements of cognitive psychology and constructivism. You provide guidance on the thinking process you want your students to follow. (Prompting or Scaffolding) Students are exposed to a broad range of information, examples, and opinions; they construct their own meaning which connects with their prior knowledge and experiences. (Constructivism) Contain concrete instructional objectives and tasks. Students must transform information in some way, exercising higher order thinking skills like error analysis, comparison, and synthesis. Students work in cooperative learning groups which mirror real-life situations. By taking on roles, students become experts on a specific aspect of a large and complex topic. The students work in groups to solve problems, utilizing their different areas of expertise. (Similar to work situations in real life.) The work of individual students is important, as it adds to the quality of the group’s solution†(What are the benefits, p. 1) Disadvantages of WebQuests WebQuests cannot be used for the learning of simple definitions, simple procedures. They are also not the best way that could be used for teaching factual recall. As some parts of the curriculums are based on such simple things, they cannot be included in the designing of a WebQuest. The biggest hurdle in the designing of a WebQuest is the availability of time. It is very important to learn about the new tools. Many teachers do not get enough time to spend in learning about the new tools for the creation of a WebQuest (VanFossen 2004). Students should be able to read to a certain level in order to work on WebQuests. So it can be said that the creation of WebQuests is much easier for third grade and onwards than the junior grades because their reading abilities are limited at that stage. This type of disadvantage can be over come if a WebQuest is designed very carefully by using more visual sites with less or no words in it for the junior students with limited reading proficiency (Tomlinson 2000). Recommendations WebQuests appear to be highly effective in facilitating the learning process of students. Students tend to learn more in when technology is incorporated in education and WebQuests seem to be the best way. It is strongly recommended that all the schools should incorporate WebQuests in their standard curricula. 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