Webquests and constructivism

Johnston, M. & Cooley, N. (2001). What we know about: Supporting new
       models of teaching and learning through technology. Arlington, VA:
       Educational Research Service.

When reading chapter one for this week, I started thinking about the resources teachers have to enable them to make learning meaningful for their students. As the authors said, kids today are “growing up digital” and technology allows us many means to engage students and provide them with opportunities to show their learning in creative ways (Johnston & Cooley, 2001, pg. 11). In particular, I began thinking about webquests, and ways that teachers could use them to engage students and promote student proficiency in technology. Webquests are online research projects that assign students a problem or question to answer, and then provide them with resources to locate the information they need. Students are also asked to work together to create a final project which can be graded. Webquests promote research skills and utilize different forms of technology, and they allow students to practice using technology in a meaningful way.

I have used webquests previously as a classroom teacher, and I love the structure that they follow because they support the constructivist model for education. For example, in a webquest students are assigned roles that they need to fulfill when working collaboratively, and both collaboration and student roles were mentioned in the indicators for engaged learning (Johnston & Cooley, 2001, pgs. 17-18). Webquests also focus on a specific problem that the students are asked to solve or answer, and when they finish completing the necessary research they have to create a project that shows their learning. Constructivist teaching supports project based assessments and informal assessments over tests that stress rote memorization, and the performance-based assessments give students an opportunity to show that they can memorize and then apply information in a creative way. Performance-based assessments is a key factor in engaged learning strategies, and is an effective way for teachers to evaluate a student’s knowledge on a specific topic and their ability to effectively use technology to locate information (Johnston & Cooley, 2001, pgs. 16-17). Webquests meet many of the indicators for engaged student learning, and they are a wonderful way to integrate other subject areas into one learning experience.

I was able to attend an inservice last spring on webquests related to science instruction, and I think that training provided me with resources that I could use in my own media center. As a classroom teacher I know that most of our days are spent teaching the mandated curriculum, and little time is left for supplementary activities. However, in my county media specialists are encouraged to match their lessons to the curriculum and to find ways to integrate science and social studies into their programs, and webquests would allow me to do this. For example, I could have my fifth grade classes do a webquest on ways to stop global warming, or I could have my first graders do a webquest on rhyming patterns. Obviously, various levels of support would be needed, but I think that not only would using webquests to support the curriculum motivate the students, but I also think teachers would enjoy them as well. I know as a classroom teacher that I appreciate any extra help I can get, and knowing that my students were getting extension opportunities outside of my instruction would be a blessing to me! Webquests could be a means of providing a cross-over from the classroom to the library, and students and teachers can benefit when a media specialist uses webquests.