USING DYNAMIC WEBQUEST APPROACH IN TEACHER EDUCATION TO PROMOTE PROJECT-BASED LEARNING

Assist. Prof. Dr. Yasemin Gülbahar

Başkent University, Faculty of Education
Department of Computer Education and Instructional Technologies, Ankara / Turkey

Filiz Kalelioğlu

Başkent University, Faculty of Education
Department of Computer Education and Instructional Technologies, Ankara / Turkey

R. Orçun Madran

Başkent University, Faculty of Education
Department of Computer Education and Instructional Technologies, Ankara / Turkey

1

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to analyze of integration Web technologies into education by using “Web Macerası” in order to promote project-based learning and investigate what the pre-service teachers thought about the process they experienced. This research study mainly used qualitative research methods. Thus, the system “Web Macerası” was used in an undergraduate course in a private university by 44 seniors for creating Web-based projects. At the end of the semester, the perceptions of the pre-service teachers were taken through open-ended questions. The results showed that most of the participants were positive toward using WebQuest in their teaching profession. However, availability and suitability of technical conditions found as crucial important for their use. Moreover, in the process of creating a WebQuest project idea, it is found that pre-service teachers deal with the selection of a creative project idea that would take attention of the students. Most of the participants had difficulties about using the system and transforming their project idea into ”Web Macerası” system regarding the structure of the webquest and time planning. It is hoped that the use of dynamic WebQuest approach will be useful for seniors and usage of the system will be diffused at different subject fields, together with other creative technology integration ideas.

Keywords: WebQuest, Technology Integration

1

INTRODUCTION

Technology is constantly changing and outspreading to new fields of interests by offering innovative resources. These innovative resources are being integrated into teaching–learning process somehow. However, educators and institutions are trying to find an effective way to create meaningful learning environments with the help of these resources. Curriculum developers, educators, and instructional technologists have proposed some useful, creative ideas about the integration of technology into curriculum and classroom environment. In addition, educators plan instructional activities by using instructional methods and materials to achieve the expected or planned learning outcomes. On the other hand, varios learning theories and models are being adapted to learning environments framed with technologies to improve the quality of the teaching-learning process as well as the learning outcomes. Moreover, the roles of educators have shifted from teaching to guiding learners with the help of technology-based environments.

The terms such as computer-based, Web-based, and Internet-based constitute some examples to the model to be used among the technology-based teaching-learning methods. All have the same and most common aim of improving the quality of instruction through the use of technologies. When these technologies are used with the instructional methods, such as active learning strategies in a manner of motivating learners to engage in the teaching-learning environment, learners can construct their own learning. As Pollard and Pollard (2005) mentioned, “With increased access to computers and the Internet, researchers extended their efforts to investigate the role of technology in the educational setting, including its impact on teachers and the learning process.” (p.145).

Technology is in fact more than the hardware that provides access to a variety of information and human resources. Sapone and Hyatt (2005) explained the importance of the technology in the classroom as stating, “Teachers must prepare to provide and design the “right kind” of assignments that utilize technology” (p. 155). One of the most common and great source of information, Internet, connecting people around the world, and can be utilized as a supportive resource in a learning environment. If Internet and its resources are used effectively to engage learners in meaningful learning, they will have the potential to transform the teaching-learning process from traditional, teacher-directed instruction to a powerful, student-led, inquiry-based learning (Jonassen et al., 2003). The educational value of Internet-based activities varies widely and promotes minimal learning activities that require students to seek, analyze, evaluate, and apply information in the process of transforming that information into knowledge through inquiry (Jonassen et al., 2003).

Cramer (2007) pointed out “One way to engage students in authentic instruction and assessment is through WebQuests, which are inquiry-oriented activities that use Web resources to solve a problem” (p. 129). Moreover, Jonassen and his colleagues (2003) added that “For teachers just beginning to use the Internet as a learning tool, WebQuest may be good starting place because they provide a clearly defined structure and their design and use is well supported” (p. 45). Additionally, the father of the WebQuest, Bernie Dodge (1996) defined the term WebQuest as “… a technique for engaging students in active learning which uses the Web and other resources as they strive to understand a topic.” Hence, a well-designed WebQuest uses Internet effectively to promote instructional practices (March, 2004).

WebQuest is a systematic approach to teach a specific subject in the Web environment through active learning strategies addressing higher order thinking skills, and critical thinking. This instructional technology also can allow students to gain problem solving and decision-making skills by offering authentic tasks. Moreover, WebQuests are student-oriented and collaborative environments that arrange students to involve constructivist activities resulting in shared learning experiences and new knowledge based on Web research skills (Godwin-Jones, 2004).

In general, WebQuests are static Web pages, which facilitates students’ short-term or long-term projects. For the purpose of bringing dynamism to WebQuests, an interactive platform were designed and developed. This platform called “Web Macerası” is mainly developed for creating and managing WebQuest projects by tracking project steps. When this process is experienced by pre-service teachers, they will be given the chance for hands-on experience in a real-life like situation in a constructivist manner which will expected to increase the collaboration between students and develop critical thinking skills (Leahy & Twomey, 2005; Kundu & Bain, 2006; Zheng, Stucky, McAlck, Menchana & Stoddart, 2005).

Not only completing a WebQuest project but also developing a WebQuest project facilitates multi-dimensional learning. “At various stages in the development of the WebQuests, students make new connections that improve their productivity and their understanding of how to integrate technology into the art of classroom in a constructivist manner” (Kundu & Bain, 2006, p.10).

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study was to integrate Web technologies into education by using “Web Macerası” in order to promote project-based learning and investigate what the pre-service teachers thought about the process they experienced. Thus, this study conducted to find answers to the following questions:

  1. What have pre-service teachers been experienced during the process of creating “project idea”?
  2. What are pre-service teachers’ thoughts about using the “Web Macerası” as a technology support for implementing their project idea?
  3. What have pre-service teachers been experienced during the process of transforming project idea into the “Web Macerası” system?
  4. What are pre-service teachers’ suggestions to improve the “Web Macerası” system?

Method

Sample and Population

Being a case study, the study was conducted in a private university with students at the last year of the Department of Computer Education and Instructional Technology in the Faculty of Education. The reason for selecting such a sample was that pre-service teachers are the possible future implementers of similar technology integration ideas. So their experience with this integration process and their thoughts were valuable. Hence, the system “Web Macerası” was used in an undergraduate course in a private university by 44 seniors for creating their Web-based projects about learning outcomes for different grade levels offered by the Ministry of Education for primary school 1-8.

Research Model

This research study mainly used qualitative research methods. After the administration of “Web Macerası” system, the perceptions of the pre-service teachers were collected through open-ended questions. The collected data were analyzed inductively in order to get more detailed results (Yıldırım & Şimşek, 2000).

The Dynamic WebQuest: “Web Macerası”

The goal of the “Web Macerası” for teachers was to facilitate teaching, evaluating, whereas for students to learn and produce their projects. The site was developed by using PHP and MYSQL technologies to create fields to keep records of students and teachers in the databases. The features of this system, which can be reached through the navigation bar, can be summarized as follows.

Home Page (Ana Sayfa): This page consists of a list of WebQuest projects joined as well as greetings to the system.

Create a WebQuest (Macera Yarat): If the mode of login type is “Instructor”, instructor can create WebQuest project with the help of definition wizard.

Signing up a WebQuest (Maceraya Katıl): The users can partake in WebQuest projects after looking over active ones. If WebQuest owner confirms this user’s application, then user can upload files to the enrolled projects.

Communication (iletisim): This part is purposely designed to provide communication with the administrator, WebQuest owners by using their e-mail addresses.

Search (Arama): The users can search both WebQuest projects and users in the site by supplying key words.

Information (Bilgi): The users can perform tasks like managing their account, changing their passwords, uploading their photos, checking system statistics.

Help (Yardım): This page provides detailed information about the buttons in the navigation bar.

Exit (Çıkıs): This page helps users to exit site in a secure way.

A sample screen for creating a webquest is shown in Figure-1.

Figure 1 Sample Screen for Creating a Webquest

Another sample screen for a carrying out a project can be seen in Figure-2.

Figure 2 Sample Screen for Enrolling a Webquest Project

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

Experiences during the process of creating “project idea”

The answers to this question were converged under five themes. Of 44, 11 participants stated that they did not have any difficulties during the idea creation process, whereas 3 participants mentioned about their difficulty with aligning topic with the target group. 4 participants declared their difficulty in the selection of topic. In terms of time management and planning, 2 participants stated their inconvenience. The applicability of the topic together with being attractive was another difficulty mentioned by 9 participants. When the findings are generally interpreted, it is obvious that participants completed this process step by step, as the case in the system. They started with thinking about the learning outcomes and target population; they go on with the creative ideas for effective, attractive and up-to-date topics and finalized their work transforming these ideas into stages in the project. One student stated that: “I tried to find a topic that will gain attention of the students. I especially dealt with selecting an up-to-date topic. Moreover, I gave students the freedom to choose the format of the final product”. Another student reflected his experiences as: “I have real concerns about implementation of such a technology- enriched project in my teaching profession in the future. I have realized that this kind of approach results with effective learning and really takes time”.

Thoughts about using the “Web Macerası”

Five themes were emerged by the interpretation of the responses to this question. The emerging themes together with the number of participants are listed below.

  • Implementation may be difficult due to the requirement of access to technology and being computer literate (8 participants)
  • Students will gain skills such us systematic thinking, working properly, time management and responsibility (5 participants)
  • By offering technology supported environments for project-based learning, students expected to show positive attitudes and thoughts towards technology (16 participants)
  • Implementation may be difficult in the first three grades of primary school, thus high school and university levels may be more appropriate (7 participants)
  • It leads to create extra ordinary ideas (4 participants)

One student pointed out that: “This system provide students not only to learn with technology supported, but also to keep their work in a proper manner”. Another student underlined her favor about the system by stating: “The system is constructed in terms of evaluating the students work both as a process and as a product”. Yet another student mentioned her idea about the future use by mentioning: “I thought that this is the new homework concept for the new generation”.

Experienced during the process of transforming project idea into the “Web Macerası” system

The participants generally expressed the difficulties they faced during the transformation process. Of 44, 16 participants did not realize that they would use available wizard for defining tasks. Extra questions posed to participants on this explanation revealed that participants had such a difficulty due to not reading the instructions carefully. 12 participants mentioned that the problem that “Creating tables for rubric affected the page format by placing page elements into inappropriate positions”. Similarly 10 participants complained about the usability problems with the text editor embedded in the system. 9 participants owing to the speed of Internet connection face technical problems. Finally, 5 participants declared the complexity of the stages in the project. The number of participants, who reported that everything was fine in the system, was 10.

Suggestions to improve the “Web Macerası” system

The frequently stated suggestions are as follows.

  • The usage of available wizard for defining tasks should be explained in detail (8 participants)
  • Multimedia applications should also be integrated into projects (8 participants)
  • Communication tools other than e-mail should be added to the system (7 participants)
  • Interface should be customizable according to user preferences (3 participants)
  • The system should allow sharing of projects with users (3 participants)

Conclusion and Suggestions

This research study was mainly based on the idea of effective integration of technology into higher education. Nowadays, the learner-centered, active learning approach, which is preferred by all educational institutions, shapes education. This approach requires learners to take their own learning responsibilities, which make teachers to use alternative teaching methods in instructional environments. Among these teaching methods, project-based, problem-based, inquiry-based approaches are frequently used by the instructor.

As stated by Lamb (2004), “Rather than writing an essay or making a speech for a teacher, quality WebQuest s requires students to connect their understanding of information to meaningful situations through original products for authentic audiences.” (p. 40), instructors should provide pre-service teachers with real life like examples both to model technology integration and to give the opportunity of having experience. Given such an opportunity, in this research study pre-service teachers experienced project-based learning by creative ideas.

Generally, it was found that most of the participants were positive toward using WebQuest in their teaching profession. However, availability and suitability of technical conditions found as crucial important for the use.

All the findings showed that using a dynamic WebQuest approach encouraged students’ participation to projects, helped students work in a planned and guided way, and motivated students to complete their tasks in time, supported application of theoretical knowledge to different situations.

Except for few modifications to the Web site, the features provided were efficient and effectively used by the participants. But it is found that some slight modifications may be done in order to improve the usability of the system.

Possible future research studies can seek answers to following questions:

  • What is the effect of inquiry based, problem based and project based teaching methods used for WebQuest project on retention?
  • What is the role of collaborative projects in the WebQuest environment on developing higher-order thinking skills and social skills?
  • What are the perceptions of students about using WebQuest as a formative and summative assessment technique?

It is hoped that the use of dynamic WebQuest approach will be useful for the experienced students and usage of the system will be diffused at different subject fields, together with other creative technology integration ideas.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This research project was supported by SOBAG (Research and Development in Social Sciences) grant by The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey under the grant number of 106 K 385.

REFERENCES

Cramer, S.R. (2007). Update Your Classroom with Learning Objects and Twenty-First-Century Skills, The Clearing House; 80 (3), p.126

Dodge, B. (1995). WebQuest s: A technique for Internet-based learning. Distance educator, 1(2), 10-13.

Dodge, B. (1996). Active learning on the Web (k-12 version). Retrieved February 23, 2007, from Web site:

Godwin-Jones, R. (2004). EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES Language in Action: From WebQuests to Virtual Realities. Language Learning & Technology. 8 (3). 9–14.

Jonassen, D.H., Howland, J., Moore, J., & Marra, R.M. (2003). Learning to Solve Problems with Technology: A Constructivist Perspective. USA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Kundu, R. & Bain, C. (2006). WebQuests: Utilizing Technology in a Constructivist Manner to Facilitate Meaningful Preservice Learning. Art Education, 59(2), 6-11.

Lamb, A. (2004). WebQuests. School Library Media Activities Monthly. 21(2), 38-40.