Using WebQuests to Engage Students in CSCL

Dabae LeeIndiana University

Using WebQuests in CSCL

• WebQuests as a way to present collaborative learning projects and guide students through the collaboration process (Milson & Downey, 2001).

• Few attempts to use WebQuests in presenting collaborative learning projects and providing students with guidelines

CSCL & WebQuests

CSCL• Students work through

computers or around computers to learn together (Johnson & Johnson, 2007).

• Students use computers to communicate with each other, share their works, or create something together.

WebQuests• A WebQuest is an

inquiry-oriented lesson format in which most or all the information that learners work with comes from the web (Dodge, 2007)

In This Presentation…

• Discuss the benefits and limitations of WebQuests in CSCL

• Introduce a WebQuest used in CSCL• Illustrate technology tools to build

WebQuests

The Five Components of WebQuests

• Capture students’ attention/interest & introduce learning goals

Introduction

• Describe end-products in detail

Task

• Provide step-by step instructions, necessary resources, tools

Process

• Let learners self-evaluate their work

Evaluation

• Reflection , additional resources, credits

Conclusion

Collaboration Model

Benefits

• Clear goals to create goal interdependence (Johnson & Johnson, 2009) by – Describing the project in the task

section – Providing evaluation criteria in the

evaluation section.

Benefits

• Prevent undesirable process-related conflict (Jehn, 1997) by providing structure of the process – Roles & Responsibilities

• Guide students to more appropriate and effective resources given students’ grade level and the topics.

Benefits

• Evaluation serves as mechanisms through which – Students formatively assess their

product– Engage in group processing (Johnson &

Johnson, 2009).

• Contributes to community of practice in education.

Limitations

• Linear process • No interactive feedback• More suited for well-structured

problems

An Example

• Digital Natives WebQuest– Used in an undergraduate course, Using

computers in Education– Learn about the digital natives – Collaboratively create a presentation

about digital natives using a text to movie tool called Xtranormal.

Digital Natives WebQuest

• Capture students’ attention and introduce learning objectivesIntroduction

• Content, Format, Examples Task

• Web resources to learn about digital natives, • Process to create a presentation including brainstorming, writing

script, and creating an Xtranormal movie,• Technology tools to create the movie (Xtranormal.com) and

facilitate collaborative writing (Google Docs), and job aids to help them use the tools.

Process

• A rubric is presented for self-assessment of students’ presentations.

Evaluation

• Project summary, additional resources, and feedback on the WebQuest

Conclusion

Technology Tools

Pre-set templates• Examples available• Step by step instructions• Not entirely free• Tools

– Quest Garden• Featured WebQuest

– Zunal.com

Website-building• Google Sites• Weebly.com• Yola.com• Wix.com

– Example

Collaborative writing• Google Docs

• Real-time editing, chat, and commenting features

• EtherPad• Color-code different users,

chat

Evaluation tools• Rubrics

• iRubric• Rubistar

• Quiz• Zoho Challenge Quiz Make

r• EasyTestMaker

References• Dodge, B. (1995). WebQuests: A Technique for Internet-Based Learning.

Distance Educator, 1(2), 10-13. • Dodge, B. (2001). FOCUS: Five rules for writing a great WebQuest. Learning

and leading with technology, 28(8), 6-9. • Dodge, B. (2007). http://www.webquest.org/• Jehn, K. A. (1997). A Qualitative Analysis of Conflict Types and Dimensions

in Organizational Groups. [Article]. Administrative Science Quarterly, 42(3), 530-557.

• Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. T. (2007). Cooperation and the use of technology. In M. J. Spector, D. M. Merrill, J. V. Merrienboer & M. P. Driscoll (Eds.), Handbook of research for educational communications and technology (3 ed., Vol. 1, pp. 1017-1044). New York, NY: Erlbaum Associates.

• Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. T. (2009). An educational psychology success story: Social interdependence theory and cooperative learning. Educational Researcher, 38(5), 365-379.

• Milson, A. J., & Downey, P. (2001). WebQuest: Using Internet Resources for Cooperative Inquiry. Social Education, 65(3), 144-146.

THANK YOUDABLEE@INDIANA.EDU