Reflection on WebQuest
This is a copy of the reflections included in the WebQuest site.
Initially, I found it difficult to come up with a topic for a WebQuest that would fit into the level I teach at (third level). I thought that WebQuests were mainly used at secondary and primary level and not so much for third level. Then as I looked at other WebQuests on the internet, I realised that wasn't really the case and that a WebQuest could be used in any context - it's really more about what you're trying to get the learners to do.
Once I had decided that it was ok to do one for third level, I thought about the area I teach - web development (at the moment) - and if I could do a WebQuest in that context. Initially I thought about using it for when I give students a project or assignment to build a web site. But on second thoughts this seemed to go over a longer time scale than the typical WebQuest. I also like to give that as an individual assignment to students to do over a period of time and I felt the WebQuest was more suited to in-class group work.
Another idea was to use it as a framework for a cross-disciplinary general group project carried out by Computer Science students. In that scenario, they are given a real-life project to take from the requirements analysis stage through design, build, test and implementation. I ruled this out for a couple of reasons. It would also be longer than the typical WebQuest and it would be very broad, encompassing alot of areas such as project management, requirements analysis, spec writing etc. I felt this could be possible but not in the time-frame I had for this assignment - it would require me rooting out a lot of resources in all those areas. And I didn't really have the time for that.
I felt that using it to help students learn technical skills such as how to write HTML or CSS or JavaScript wouldn't work - as those topics not so much about analysis and synthesis of information as they are about trying out bits of code, seeing how they look and then trying something else.
There were also times when I thought that I should be adventurous and look at doing a WebQuest for younger students, higher primary or secondary. I was thinking of something like a small project for kids to learn more about developing countries, fitting into the area of 'global education'. This would have them work in groups, each group focussing on a different area e.g. religion, geography, history, culture, housing, education, children. They would then present to each other, with one of the objectives being to help them realise that 'third world' countries are similar to ours in many ways and that they could relate to kids in those countries. But overall, I thought I should stick to an area I was more likely to use and for which I already knew the resources.
I then came across another WebQuest through the bestwebquests.com site. It was called On The Cutting Edge (by Dave Young) and it inspired me because it covered the area of web site design, but specifically the things that make the perfect e-learning web site. The whole idea of good web site design is dear to my heart (I do hope this site reflects that) and it's something I usually dedicate one or two classes to when teaching a course in web development, be it HTML or more advanced web scripting.
When I have taught the topic of good web design in the past, I've tried to take what the students already know and help them to articulate what they see as being good and bad in web sites. This almost naturally leads to them being able to identify characteristics of good web sites, such as clear navigation, suitable colour schemes and well laid-out content. Interestingly, this approach has worked for me both in Ethiopia, with students whose access and exposure to internet is recent and limited, and here in Ireland with students who are part of the wired generation.
I thought a WebQuest would make the planning of this session easier for me in future. I still think it could but I have some reservations. It could take more class-time to do it really effectively, especially if I insist on having each group present to me. Class-time can be at a premium when under pressure to get through a syllabus (as many institutions are still, unfortunately, using traditional learning/teaching frameworks). To address this, maybe I could think of a way to break it down more so different groups could cover different areas. This might involve expanding the areas of coverage.
As I'd already taught this topic this year, I haven't had a chance to try this out yet with students. I hope to use it sometime in the future, maybe with some changes based on feedback I get when presenting it in class and on my own future thoughts.
I think that WebQuests are, in general, a good instructional design model, though they are dependent on the inclination of the teacher and his/her access to tools to build web pages, suitable to their technical skill level. They are definitely a good addition to a course, as a way of getting students engaged with (or in?) a particular topic.
