What a great learning tool the WebQuest is! Some WebQuest that I browsed were well-designed and well-organized. The main resources are already there, beside the each categories of the topic. When the learners need to reserch for the task, just click on the URL and it gets there in few seconds.
March (1993) studied that a real WebQuest consists of a scaffoled learning structure. That is developed with academic style of learning as follows;
-Introduction,
-The Question (task),
-Background information and body,
-Group work,
-Assessment,
-Summary,
-Conclusion
It is designed with authentic task and open-ended questions, which is supported excellent web sources. While learners are attempting the task, they will develop their critical thinking with variety of points of view. At the end of the task, they will be able to familiarize and comprehend it. It is related to metacognitive processes (March, 2003).
According to Siemen's (2004) theory, Connectivism, maintaining the current knowledge is crucial for the 21st learners. One of his theory that is continual learning make complex problem less complex (Siemen, 2004). The system of WebQuest is exactly the continual learning, which is so engaged.
The topic of WebQuests are often complex and messy issue, so as it is designed, the learners are requied to contribute the tasks with peers. It might be interested to have peers who are diversity of people as study members meeting on line. The group work would be more engaged for the learners.
In comparision to the traditional approach such as pen and paper method everyone has to be in a class room, the online learning is available to learn whatever, whenever and wherever. So the learner alternatively learning. The style is communicative, learners become spontaneous in their learning.
To design and publish WebQuests, I am sure that it would need large amount of time for them because it is required to be sophisticated to satisfy higher level of learning (Central Queensland University, 2009). Therefore, I believe that WeQuest suits for the learner at higher education or can be used for Year 11 and 12 at secondary students' learning.
Regards,
Shiho
Reference
Central Queensland University. (2009). An introduction of teacher's derivery technology. Retrieved August 18, 2009, from http://moodle.cqu.edu.au/mod/resource/view.php?id=671
Hawkquest Educational Enterprise. (2004). Antarctic ice to water Australia. Retrieved August 19, 2009, from http://pbl.cqu.edu.au/web_quest/home.htm
March, T. (2004). The learning power of Webquests. Retrieved August 15, 2009, from http://tommarch.com/writings/wq_power.php
Siemens, G. (2005). A learning theory for the digital age. Retrieved August 17, 2009, from http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm
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