Ed.S. Proposal on the use of WebQuests

I am currently working on an Educational Specialist degree at Valdosta State University. As part of the program, I will be conducting an Action Research Project. I have chosen to use the topic of WebQuests and how the WebQuest model leads to higher-level thinking among 7th grade students. I want to determine if middle school students can attend to analysis, synthesis, and evaluation (Bloom’s Taxonomy). I have used dozens of WebQuests in the past. However, over the last two years I have become frustrated with using WebQuests because the students simply could not, or would not get beyond simple fill-in-the blank questions. I resorted to using what Filamentality classified as a Subject Sampler.

The Samplers seemed to work rather well with middle school students, but I was not satisfied. As I reflected, I began to wonder if brain development was at the core of middle schoolers’ inability to get to higher-level thinking skills. As I talked with colleagues, and experimented with highly scaffolded WebQuests, I have begun to notice that another big problem with our students, is a lack of prior knowledge, or the lack of desire to recall what they should have already learned.

As I asked students questions about their learning experiences, I began to uncover a common thread. Students were being taught the same things year after year after year. Some students had learning gaps, so the teachers felt obligated to reteach the content to everyone. The students that understood the content, began to shut down, figuring if they didn’t get it this time, they’d get it later from some other teacher. By the time students get to middle school they have heard the same lessons numerous times, and believe there is nothing new to learn. When a teacher tries to get them to learn something new, the students think the material is too hard, and they can’t do it. So teachers, out of frustration, revert back to simplistic lessons that are not requiring students to think deeply.

Somewhere in all of this, I believe students can be led to deeper thinking by using WebQuests, as long as they are provided with a lot of guidance (scaffolding). Because of the scenario I am in, I have begun to wonder if there are “missing components” in the WebQuest process.

This is my current big experiment. I will begin reporting some of my findings here. I am in the process of creating the proposal, complete with data collection tools, triangulation ideas, and all the research items necessary to complete the Ed.S. program by May 2006. I keep you posted.

Ric

WebQuest Redesign? Thoughts to start the discussion

This post is not meant to imply there is anything wrong with the WebQuest model. I believe the WebQuest is one of the most important educational creations for the digital age. I am simply experimenting with ideas to help the WebQuest “grow up” since there have been so many new online tools developed since the advent of the WebQuest. The link below will take you to a table that contains some of my thoughts and questions. I have tossed these ideas around with a colleague who is an Understanding By Design proponent. Again, the WebQuest is so strongly based in sound educational theory, the steps fit well with UbD concepts, again a testament to the historical reflecting and forward thinking of Dodge and March.

Click here to see the Table.