WebQuest-a-thon!

According to March (2003, p. 1) WebQuests are “an inquiry-oriented activity in which some or all of the information that learners interact with comes from resources on the Internet”. From my learning and engagement associated with the WebQuest e-learning technology, it is an extremely beneficial activity if implemented correctly.

To do this however, it involves significant planning, development, creative pedagogical design and continual access to web-based technologies (computers, internet). In order to reap the full benefits of a WebQuest, I would develop a quest that focused on a loose, problem-based activity that formed the culminating (formative assessment) task for the unit. This would form an effective alternative to the traditional research-based assignment which the students would usually undertake as part of the curriculum requirements for this unit.

I would most likely do this in a context of my current Year 12 Geography class which focuses on the unit Sustaining Communities-Responding to Climate Change:
· Small group of learners (work in pairs)
· The unit is on Climate Change and the summative assessment task focuses on alternative green technologies.
· Students would have to take on the role of an Australian government official who has to decide on a particular green technology that should be given funding to help reduce the impacts of global warming.
· Students have to choose between wind, solar, nuclear, coal and biomass technologies, research it via the web and assess the benefits and drawbacks of choosing that particular energy source.
· Present their technology via either a collaborative class blog where students comment on their peer’s proposed technologies.

By implementing the tool in this context, it conforms to Kearsley & Shneiderman’s Active Engagement Theory (1999) as the task is problem or project-based, occurs in an authentic (real-life) context and requires collaboration amongst peers.
WebQuests strongly align with Oliver’s Learning Design Theory (1999) as WebQuests are used to scaffold the students’ learning journey via the provision of appropriate resources offered on the internet.

In the case of the proposed Year 12 Geography learning task, it conforms to Oliver’s theory as the students have to engage with a variety of web-based resources in order to propose solutions to the identified problem (the effects of climate change in Australia).
Even though there is a detailed process involved in the planning and implementation of WebQuests, there are many existing quests offered free on the web for teachers wishing to use this technology. WebQuest.org is a great site to search for existing quests that you could use or adapt to suit your learning design. Follow this link to access the site: http://webquest.org/search/index.php.

References:
Kearsley, G & Shneiderman, M 1999, Engagement Theory: A framework for technology-based teaching and learning, viewed 9 August 2009, http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm.

March, T 2003, The Learning Power of WebQuests, viewed 17 August 2009, http://tommarch.com/writings/wq_power.php.

Oliver, R 1999, Learning Design: The Learning Design Construct, viewed 9 August 2009, http://www.learningdesigns.uow.edu.au/project/learn_design.htm.