Meeting the Needs of All Learners: Learn to Differentiate Through WebQuests

8/8/2019 Meeting the Needs of All Learners: Learn to Differentiate Through WebQuests

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Digital Authors 1

Running head: MEETING NEEDS THROUGH WEBQUESTS

Meeting the Needs of All Learners: Learn to Differentiate Through WebQuests

Amber Bryant

Northern Arizona University



Digital Authors 2

Abstract

Teachers are limited in finding methods to effectively meet the needs of all learners in the

classroom. Utilizing learning activities that incorporate multiple instructional strategies is an

essential part of education today. Technology can be used to support teachers and their quest to

learn how to meet the needs of their students. Online learning environments create the flexibility

and support that many teachers need to make long lasting and positive changes in current

teaching practices. Not only are online learning environments supporting teacher needs, but they

can also be used to support the needs of the learner. By changing the way that information is

absorbed, processed, and employed, technology is impacting how people learn today. The aim of

this proposal is to determine whether utilizing meaningful and effective instructional strategies in

a Course Management System to instruct teachers in creating WebQuests will result in increased

participation in professional development for technology integration, increased implementation

of technology-based instruction in the classroom, and a better understanding of the online

learning process.



MEETING NEEDS THROUGH WEBQUESTS 3

Ti tle of Project

This project will investigate using Moodle to train teachers in creating effective

WebQuests. Teachers will learn to apply constructivist instructional strategies to create

WebQuests that promote student collaboration, higher level thinking skills, and student

motivation. Utilizing an online learning environment versus face to face professional

development will allow ease of access, social access, accessibility of online resources, and time

to process learning objectives.

Rat i onale

A well-designed WebQuest allows teachers the opportunity to create a learning

environment that engages the learner in authentic tasks to develop critical thinking skills.

WebQuests can be utilized to scaffold the curriculum for all learners. WebQuests can take the

learner beyond acquiring knowledge to developing new knowledge.

Utilizing an online learning environment to teach professional development for teachers

has shown an increase in confidence when applying technology integrated lessons in the

classroom. Teachers will develop a better understanding of the benefits of using technology in

the classroom by participating in a networked learning environment.

Statement of the Problem

There is a clear need in our education system for quality teachers who are prepared with

the necessary skills to develop curriculum utilizing proven teaching strategies and required

skills necessary to become a productive citizen in the 21st

century (U.S. Department of

Education, 2008). Teachers are a crucial factor in increasing the use of technology to




effectively instruct students. Teachers must be knowledgeable in the technical and

instructional skills necessary to develop and implement authentic, pedagogically sound

learning activities.

Traditional professional development trainings of teachers have been disjointed, costly,

and not learner-centered. Many times teachers are expected to learn and utilize training that

they receive in a short one time course. One of the top challenges to successfully

implementing professional development is lack of time. Teachers need time to acquire

professional development, process what they have learned, and integrate new practices in the

classroom (Abdal-Haqq, 1996).

Problem 1: Lack of teacher knowledge for using technology to create pedagogically

sound learning activities.

Problem 2: Insufficient professional development that provides time and ongoing support

for teachers.

Evid ence The number one requested professional development training in the district has been

technology. Yet many teachers when requesting training in technology just want to learn how to

use software or hardware. They fail to recognize the importance of utilizing technology to

support pedagogically sound instruction in the classroom.

When professional development occurs during normal school hours substitutes are often

placed in the classroom. However, because of the costliness of professional development during

the school day, districts often do not schedule professional development during the normal




contract hours of the teacher. Instead teachers are required to give up time outside the classroom

to participate in professional development. Many teachers opt not to participate in professional

development because the required meeting times do not support their personal schedules. Even

when the time is scheduled the training often does not create a social network of support for

teachers when they try to implement new practices in the classroom. Teachers become frustrated

when they meet obstacles in the classroom and have no resources to help solve problems. The

frustration and obstacles make implementing changes in teaching practices less likely to occur.

S olut i on Learning to create WebQuests can provide a solution to teachers effectively using technology

in the classroom. WebQuests support many researched-based teaching strategies in one

educational setting. One such strategy is constructivism. Constructivism is an educational theory

that concentrates on the thought that students generate their own knowledge in the framework of

their own experiences. Constructivism focuses on students being actively engaged in "doing,"

rather than passively engaged in "receiving" knowledge. WebQuests can be viewed as one

learning activity in which students construct personal knowledge. Another strategy supported by

WebQuests is differentiated learning. Teachers can differentiate WebQuest content, processes,

software, and environment. Many times learners are part of a group or team. They assume roles

that contribute to the group¶s multi-perspective of how knowledge is acquired and applied.

Individual learners vary in the extent of prior knowledge, assiduousness, and capability.

WebQuests enable the differentiated learning environment (March, 2004).

In order to provide the type of training necessary to meet the demands for high quality

professional development, research suggests that utilizing online learning environments and




communities are more effective than face-to face traditional training. A number of conditions

must be met in order to provide high quality professional development that will result in long

lasting positive changes. There should be an emphasis on self-instruction and differentiated

learning activities, ongoing feedback, time for reflection, training that builds learning

communities within the school and online, resources sharing, and access to expert resources

(Lowery, 2008). Moodle is a Course Management System that provides a learning environment

focused on collaborative construction and interaction. Because Moodle is available through the

internet, learners can access course materials virtually whenever and wherever. Using the

Constructivist On-Line Learning Environment Survey (COLLES), researchers evaluated Moodle

from a social constructivist perspective. The research notes that Moodle provides an effective

platform for professional development. Quality instruction utilizing Moodle should consider the

relevance of the course to professional practices of the learner, whether the online learning

stimulates reflective thinking, are the learners engage in substantial and purposeful

communication, and are learners provided with enough support from the learning community

(Dougiamas & Taylor, 2003).

S ett i ng, T arget Part i cipants/Learners/Audi ence

This project is intended for teachers within the Sahuarita Unified School District for the

purpose of expanding their knowledge of technology integration within the classroom. The

project will be available at the beginning of the semester for teachers within the school district.

Teachers will be able to participate from home or from school in the project. The project has a

set timeline for ending, but will incorporate some flexibility in completion of each of the learning

activities during the project.




Teachers will need to have access to a computer and Internet connectivity. Teachers who

participate in the project should be familiar with basic computer operations and be able to

navigate the Internet. Teachers will utilize programs such as Google Sites, PB Wiki, WetPaint

Wiki, or any other available Web page creator/ editor to create a WebQuest. Teachers should be

knowledgeable with the Web page creator they choose to utilize.

The benefits of this unit go beyond just the teachers participating in the unit. The learning

activities that the teachers will be experiencing will create a ripple effect in their schools through

exposure to new technologies. Colleagues of the teachers will learn through a transfer of

knowledge gained and shared by the participants. Students of the teachers who participate in this

project will benefit from the implementation of WebQuests into the class curriculum.

Project Goals and Learner Object i ves/Outcomes

The project introduces participants to creative and authentic learning in an online environment,

by exploring various technologies related to the creation of WebQuests. Participants will use

critical thinking skills to analyze, synthesize, and design WebQuests. Participants will apply

skills and knowledge of pedagogically sound technology-based instruction practices in complex

problem solving activities.

Project Goals The first goal of the project is to enrich instruction through the development and support

of "21st Century Teachers." The project will facilitate the use of technology to enhance

learning, allow for colleagues to share their expertise, and to use technology as a tool for

developing curriculum. The project provides professional development that instructs teachers

on how to develop instructionally sound WebQuests.




The second goal of the project is to provide ongoing support for professional inquiry,

exploration, and the development of professional practices. The project will provide an

environment conducive to meeting the time constraints that many teachers face in the

professional setting. The project will also provide support by building the necessary

resources to sustain the learning and implementation of the new practices in the classroom.

Goal I: Enrich instruction through the development and support of "21st Century Teachers

Problem I: Lack of teacher knowledge for using technology to create pedagogically

sound learning activities.

Solution I: Provide learning opportunities to increase teacher knowledge and skills in

using technology-based instructional strategies to support learning in the classroom.

Goal II: Support professional inquiry, exploration, and the development of professional

practice

Problem II: Insufficient professional development that provides time and ongoing

support for teachers.

Solution II: Utilize Course Management System to provide online training

opportunities for teachers

Part i cipant Learni ng Object i v

es/Outcomes

Learning objectives were developed for this project based on standards from NETS and

the needs of the participants. Participants in this project will construct meaningful learning of




utilizing technology-based instructional strategies in the classroom to promote critical

thinking skills.

Goal I: Enrich instruction through the development and support of "21st Century Teachers´

Objective/Outcome I-1: Participants will understand the key elements of a WebQuest and

the ways WebQuests contribute to inquiry-based learning.

Activity 1: Discussion Forum. Share experiences with WebQuests. Explore pre-

existing WebQuests to gain a working background knowledge. Find two examples of

WebQuests online. Compare and contrast the WebQuests. Post findings to the

discussion thread.

Activity 2: Determine the critical characteristics of the perfect WebQuest. Teams will

create a "design grid," a chart or table with cells filled with their description and

present that information in the discussion forum to the class.

Objective/Outcome I-2: Participants will deepen their understanding of the process of

choosing good WebQuests to support inquiry-based learning in their classrooms

Activity 3: Read articles by Dr. Bernie Dodge (Some Thoughts About Webquests)

and Tom March (WebQuests for Learning). Reflect on what you learned about

WebQuests. Describe a WebQuest in your own words noting the conceptual

underpinnings of the WebQuest approach, including problem-based learning,

constructivism, and cooperative learning. Compare the results with your

teammates. Make changes to your design grid based on the group¶s findings.




Activity 4: Evaluate existing WebQuests based on the assessment matrix

developed by Tom March and the rubric designed by Bernie Dodge. Choose three

WebQuests that you think reflect best practices of WebQuests. Assess their

quality using both assessment tools

(http://www.teachersfirst.com/getsource.cfm?id=7121)

(http://webquest.sdsu.edu/webquestrubric.html). Submit analysis of the

evaluations.


practice

Objective/Outcome II-1: Participants will effectively utilize online resources to design

a WebQuest using the six major components.

Activity 5: Teams will develop a WebQuest for students on a specific topic.

y brainstorm an idea for the WebQuest

y discuss the design process

y locate relevant web sites and choose a development tool

y create the process

y review the elements

y discuss next steps for web publication or other sharing ideas

y share WebQuests with the class

Activity 6: Using assessment tools from Tom March and Dr. Bernie Dodge as aguide, teams will create their own assessment tool for WebQuests. Teams will

then evaluate their own WebQuest and one other team¶s WebQuest.

Objective/Outcome II-2: Participants will reflect on the cognitive growth during the

course

Activity 7: Participants will submit a written personal reflection to the instructor

y Determine if there are cognitive connections of the course content to theclassroom.




y What have you learned about WebQuests?

y How do you feel about what you¶ve learned or done in our project? Why?

y Describe what you¶ve done in this project«how you used WebQuests inthe past and how you might change your behavior in the future now that

we¶ve done this project.

C ontent

This project will include course material hosted on Moodle. Moodle is a Course

Management System available online. The course is comprised of seven interdependent activities

or lessons. Each lesson will incorporate required readings that will be linked to the web pages

within the Moodle course. Each lesson topic will be mash up of content generated by the course

designer and already existing pages on the web. Participants will be given a username and

password to access the course. Instruction will take place over the course of several weeks.

Participants will be given flexibility in some aspects of time requirements, but all activities will

have a specific due date. Instruction will take place through reading documents and viewing

online tutorials (video and presentations).

The instructor will use online discussion to facilitate understanding of WebQuests and the

reasons that incorporating WebQuests into the classroom would be an effective strategy. The

project requires collaboration among participants to create and evaluate WebQuests. In addition

to collaboration and discussion, participants will reflect on the implications and connections to

the classroom.

Content Overview


Topic 1 Learning strategies supported in WebQuests




Topic 2 Need for WebQuests in the classroom


practice

Topic 3 Six elements of effective WebQuests

Topic 4 Evaluation of WebQuests

I nstruct i onal S trateg i es (Proced ures)

Instructional strategies that will be incorporated into the unit will be cooperative learning

groups, scaffolding, prior knowledge, and reflective thinking. In cooperative learning, students

work together in small groups on a common learning task, coordinate their efforts to complete

the task, and depend on each other for the outcome. Teams normally consist of learners of mixed

ability, ethnicity, and gender. Grades are given for the group as well as individuals. Cooperative

learning has roots in constructivist theory and the perspective that cognitive change takes place

as students actively work on problems and discover their own solutions (Tam, 2000).

Scaffolding is based on the idea that at the beginning of learning, students need more

support from the teacher and/or others; progressively, this support is removed to permit students

become more independent. If students are unsuccessful in achieving independence, the teacher

brings back the support system to help students experience success until they are able to achieve

independence. Providing support can happen in many ways - the way in which the selections are

structured in the subject matter, the amount of prior knowledge activation that is provided, and

the types of replies students are guided to compose. (Hogg, 1997)






Project Evaluat i on: Data C ollect i on and Analysi s

The project will assess participant learning, motivation and engagement in utilizing

Moodle as a learning environment for learning to create WebQuests through pre- and post-

surveys, rubrics, criteria, and portfolios Data will be gathered prior to beginning the project on

the participation and success of current professional development through surveys distributed to

the participants. Surveys and rubrics will be completed midway through the project to determine

progress and evaluate weaknesses in the project and participants¶ learning process. Participant

portfolios will be used as a summative evaluation of the effectiveness of the project. The

assessments will provide comparative results prior to the project and at the conclusion of the

project. Online journal reflections will be kept throughout the entire project by the project

researcher. Revisions to the project will be made during the project as needed to ensure that the

learning objectives are being met.

Project Evaluat i on Plan


Objective/Outcome I-1: Participants will understand the key elements of a WebQuest and

the ways WebQuests contribute to inquiry-based learning. Evaluation Discussion Criteria

Activity 1: Evaluation Discussion Criteria

Activity 2: Evaluation Discussion Criteria

Objective/Outcome I-2: Participants will deepen their understanding of the process of

choosing good WebQuests to support inquiry-based learning in their classrooms

Evaluation Discussion Criteria and Checklist




Activity 3:Discussion Criteria

Activity 4: Checklist


practice

Objective/Outcome II-1: Participants will effectively utilize online resources to design

a WebQuest using the six major components. Evaulation WebQuest Rubric and Peer

Evaulation

Activity 5: WebQuest Rubric

Activity 6: Peer Evaluation

Objective/Outcome II-2: Participants will reflect on the cognitive growth during thecourse. Evaluation Reflection Criteria

Activity 7: Reflection Criteria

References

Abdal-Haqq, I. (October 1996). M aking time for teacher professional development . ERIC Digest.

ED 400 259. Washington DC: ERIC Clearinghouse on Teaching and Teacher Education

[Online]. Retrieved March 10, 2010 from

http://eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/14/bb/a

7.pdf

Anderson, R.C., & Pearson, P.D. (1984). A schema-theoretic view of basic processes in reading.




In P.D. Pearson, R. Barr, M.L. Kamil, & P. Mosenthal (Eds.), Handbook of reading

research. White Plains, NY: Longman

Dougiamas, M. & Taylor, P. (2003). Moodle: Using Learning Communities to Create an Open

Source Course Management System. In D. Lassner & C. McNaught (Eds.), Proceedings

of World Conference on Educational M ultimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications

2003 (pp. 171-178). Chesapeake, VA: AACE.Retrieved from

http://www.editlib.org/p/13739.

Hogg, C. (1997). Useful Instructional Strategies for Literature-Based Instruction. Retrieved

October 20, 2009, from Houghton Mifflin Company:

http://www.eduplace.com/rdg/res/literacy/lit_ins4.html

Lowry, B. (February 2008). Online versus face-to-face professional development for adult

learners: Learning from the research. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the

American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, Hilton New Orleans Riverside,

New Orleans, LA [Online]. Retrieved March 10, 2010 from

http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p207712_index.html

March, T. (2004). What WebQuests are, really. Retrieved on March 10, 2010 from

http://bestwebquests.com/what_webquests_are.asp




Pope, C. A. (1999). Reflection and refraction: A reflexive look at an evolving model for methods

instruction. English Education, 31(3), 177-200.

Tam, M. (2000). Constructivism, instructional design, and technology: Implications for

transforming distance learning. Educational Technology & Society , Retrieved October

19, 2009, from http://www.ifets.info/journals/3_2/tam.html

U.S. Department of Education. (1998). Promising practices: New ways to improve

teacher quality. Retrieved March 2, 2010 from

http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/PromPractice/title.html

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Meeting the Needs of All Learners: Learn to Differentiate Through WebQuests