"Web-based inquiry learning: Facilitating thoughtful literacy with WebQuests."
- Chinwe H. Ikpeze and Fenice B. Boyd
I originally picked this article so that I could learn more about webquests since it is what Brittany and I have to present to the class. After reading it, I came to see that it had a lot of different points of interest that I found extremely useful to learn about. WebQuests take an interdisciplinary approach to learning, as well as making students in charge of their learning processes by tapping into their own interests and having them construct their own knowledge.
The researchers included several components into the WebQuest learning, including such things as scaffolding, teaching web literacy, fostering critical thinking, collaborative group work/role-playing, incorporating different genres to make learning the subject a deeper endeavor, and partaking in interactive games.
I think a lot of different subjects could be great in the context of WebQuests. Because I love the subject of psychology, I will use that as an example. The web can be used to teach students about different parts of the brain and their functions, for example, as well as how that effects the way we think, feel and act. Students can have access to interactive models of the brain to give them a visual component. Because the researchers talked a lot about role-playing and collaborative effort, I could see having the students assign themselves as certain parts of the brain, and work together to act out how they are all connected, and how they affect one another. This would take extensive research on the different functions of the brain, but might be a very challenging task worth trying. Critical thinking can be employed by relating this to real life application, asking the students to give examples of how certain processes play out in our lives. Also, the researchers incorporated poetry into the learning of environmental protection, and I think that this could be a good way to get kids to think about how our brain processes affect how we feel on an everyday basis (ex. serotonin makes us happy, among other things) while they may not have to include particular psychological jargon, our everyday lives are nonetheless embedded in psychological principles, and writing poetry about how they feel, think and/or act can be a valuable tool in helping them to understand the importance of understanding psychology.
This is a very basic topic in psychology, and there are many other topics to be explored (memory, psychological disorders, sleep, etc.) and I believe that WebQuests can be an extremely powerful tool; however, as the authors of the article suggest, there must be carefully planned out WebQuests in order to make them powerful and meaningful in the context of student learning.
While employing so many techniques for one topic, and over a period of 10 weeks is not logical or even possible in normal school environment, I believe that all of the techniques can be employed over a school year, using some of the techniques for certain things, and others for other things, and using them at our own discretion to make the learning process deeper and more relevant to life.
What are the possible drawbacks to this type of learning (besides what the authors brought up about distraction, information overload, and navigational disorientation); more specifically, do you think there are certain subjects/topics where this technique would be less effective or even counter-productive?
How would you suggest we deal with the issues of distraction, info overload and navigational disorientation?
- Chinwe H. Ikpeze and Fenice B. Boyd
I originally picked this article so that I could learn more about webquests since it is what Brittany and I have to present to the class. After reading it, I came to see that it had a lot of different points of interest that I found extremely useful to learn about. WebQuests take an interdisciplinary approach to learning, as well as making students in charge of their learning processes by tapping into their own interests and having them construct their own knowledge.
The researchers included several components into the WebQuest learning, including such things as scaffolding, teaching web literacy, fostering critical thinking, collaborative group work/role-playing, incorporating different genres to make learning the subject a deeper endeavor, and partaking in interactive games.
I think a lot of different subjects could be great in the context of WebQuests. Because I love the subject of psychology, I will use that as an example. The web can be used to teach students about different parts of the brain and their functions, for example, as well as how that effects the way we think, feel and act. Students can have access to interactive models of the brain to give them a visual component. Because the researchers talked a lot about role-playing and collaborative effort, I could see having the students assign themselves as certain parts of the brain, and work together to act out how they are all connected, and how they affect one another. This would take extensive research on the different functions of the brain, but might be a very challenging task worth trying. Critical thinking can be employed by relating this to real life application, asking the students to give examples of how certain processes play out in our lives. Also, the researchers incorporated poetry into the learning of environmental protection, and I think that this could be a good way to get kids to think about how our brain processes affect how we feel on an everyday basis (ex. serotonin makes us happy, among other things) while they may not have to include particular psychological jargon, our everyday lives are nonetheless embedded in psychological principles, and writing poetry about how they feel, think and/or act can be a valuable tool in helping them to understand the importance of understanding psychology.
This is a very basic topic in psychology, and there are many other topics to be explored (memory, psychological disorders, sleep, etc.) and I believe that WebQuests can be an extremely powerful tool; however, as the authors of the article suggest, there must be carefully planned out WebQuests in order to make them powerful and meaningful in the context of student learning.
While employing so many techniques for one topic, and over a period of 10 weeks is not logical or even possible in normal school environment, I believe that all of the techniques can be employed over a school year, using some of the techniques for certain things, and others for other things, and using them at our own discretion to make the learning process deeper and more relevant to life.
What are the possible drawbacks to this type of learning (besides what the authors brought up about distraction, information overload, and navigational disorientation); more specifically, do you think there are certain subjects/topics where this technique would be less effective or even counter-productive?
How would you suggest we deal with the issues of distraction, info overload and navigational disorientation?
I also looked at the webquest as a great tool to use in the classroom! The article covered a lot of the drawbacks and I think a way to avoid the distraction and the feeling of being overwhelmed by information can be avoided. If doing the activity in the classroom it might be a great idea to give the students a list of websites that you have already looked at to guide them through the resources. Or give them key words to search that you know will provide them with appropriate links.
ReplyDeleteI think this activity could be great in a variety of subjects and classrooms but I have trouble imagining how to use it in a math classroom.
I feel that the drawbacks are few compared to the benefits. Financially speaking, most schools these days are outfitted with computer labs and classroom laptop checkout. There are many WebQuests available for free on the internet without sacrificing quality.
ReplyDeleteAs for the feeling of being overloaded, many of the WebQuests are designed that way to challenge the students. I tried one myself and it was no cakewalk. It actually annoyed me! If it wasn't a challenge, it wouldn't be useful in a classroom. Because many people are so good at internet searching (research), WebQuests create obstacles to build skill. It's up to the instructor to keep their students on task and help them when they need it.
Also, another great thing about them is that they exist for nearly every subject you can think of.
~MjG
I think the WebQuest technique inherently requires a subject/topic with a lot of information to cover. This is not necessarily a problem, but using a WebQuest for a short lesson on, say, the War of 1812 might not be appropiate.
ReplyDeleteChallenging students to think is a good thing, but challenging them with excessive information is not. As with most inquiry learning techniques, I believe teacher guidance is extremely important to keeping things managable for students.
To try to think of an unmentioned drawback....perhaps physical models of things like brain structure can be more easily absorbed due to tactile processing and ease of manipulation. However, it would take either extremely complex and expensive physical models or many many models to match the ease of a Webquest model.
ReplyDeleteI think WebQuests are a great idea and can really encourage critical thinking, but as you mentioned, overload is a common problem. You could try using a program that allows you to use filters and suggestions to help guide your students to the right information. Specific keywords and websites are also a good tool. Also by giving a specific assignment students can search more effectively without having to sift through too much information.
ReplyDeleteI think that WebQuests can be a great tool. They challenge students and really help students to gain deeper understanding of content. However, they can be overwhelming and problematic. Because it is such an in-depth process, it does require a subject/topic that is complex. This can lead to information overload if the student is not completely sure what they are looking for. Also these quests are time consuming, which means you might have to sacrifice other content if you choose to do this activity. I don't think any of these are reasons not to do a WebQuest, but rather something a teacher has to consider when planning to use a WebQuest.
ReplyDelete