Footprints

1. Reflections on web quest process and model.

This web Quest is a short Term Web Quest as it is designed to be completed in two classes

period including the work that students need to do at home individually. It is designed to

forced students to interact to be successful in achieving a common objective in 5 tasks.

The final objective of this Web Quest for students is to elaborate a group presentation about

their work in relation with the possibilities and implications for Irish people of leaving

abroad. Analyzing the Irish Diaspora we pretend to engage students with the subject as is

related with their upcoming possibilities in the future.

This Webquest`s target audience is Irish transition year students who are typically between

fifteen and sixteen years of age. To encourage them to freely engage with the material the

group changed some terminology to a more a age appropriate level. Below are a list of the

changes.

“Introduction” page changed to “Compass”

“Task” page changed to “Mission”

“Process” page changed to “Map”

“Resources” page changed to “Supplies”

“Evaluation” page changed to “Garmin/Bearings(Sat nav) (Rubrix)”

“Conclusion” page changed to “Destination”

“Reflection” page changed to ”Foot Prints”

“Credits” page stays as “Credits”

In order to keep their attention we designed an eye catching web site where we included

pictures and some coloured graphics to make the interface attractive and similar to the one

that their normally use in their spare time. It was important for us to make it look more like a

tool to play with, enjoy and explore rather than a boring interface. To connect real world with

the educational experiences is what we would like to aim for with this typology of activities.

According to Anderson and Speck (2001), students prefer working with a partner over

working alone on computer activities. Leu (1996) adds that "students often learn about

complex multimedia environments by showing each other cool things." Thus, through

collaborative technology activities, students benefit from working with each other.

In this web quest students work both alone and in groups and also face-to-face (first mission)

in a synchronous interaction but also in an asynchronous non face-to face. To design these

tasks we found it important to structure all the steps very clearly as we hope this will allow

students to navigate the web without getting confused.

Choosing a relevant topic for our target students it was an important part of our project.

We expect from students been engaged with the project and also to motivate them to explore

perspectives for their live, researching about Irish Diaspora allow them to research in the

countries and areas that their prefer but also we limited the search to countries that are no

very popular as we want to keep certain level the difficulty and also awake his curiosity.

The objective of the activity is not only encourage students to find information it is also

being able to use the information, they should acquire knowledge that they could be using in

their near future to make decisions.

The resources are partially added to the Web Quest because we would like students being

successful in their research and we would like to avoid spending too much time in this part of

the process. One important part of the Web Quest is to develop their ability to find

information but more important for them is to analyze this information for specific purpose.

However it became difficult to find resources that are attractive to them. We wanted to

include audio and video files as are easier to explore and also more engaging but in a further

revision of our Web Quest this should be area to update. We cannot forget that resources in

internet are very vulnerable and unstable in terms of time and that is why we would like to

emphasize the necessity of a Web Quest application guide for the facilitator or teacher.

2. Reflections on the experience of designing a web quest artifact.

What we learned from working in a collaborative environment Firstly it was apparent that group members had a wide variety of individual strengths and work experience skills. It is important for members of a group to clearly define their individual skills in order to assign appropriate roles.

Working in a collaborative environment in this special activity was very interesting as we needed to do what we would like students to do. The difficulties that we faced were basically related to the division of tasks and the elaboration of material. Editing and sharing the common material using Google docs was very useful as we saw the process for ourselves and how everything should match the objective step by step. A difficulty in this process is being able to revise others people work, we tend to be very critical of ourselves but when it came to analyzing others work we are flexible and tolerant. Such things are not bad in itself when it comes to rich the common objective but could be a barrier to innovate and searching deeply in the subject.

3. Advantages and disadvantages of web quests. This Web Quest is designed for a specific group of learners, Irish students because of the subject “Irish Diaspora”, and also designed for a specific educational level. Is clearly structured in 5 missions or tasks and it is designed to be working with internet and in red between students. The final presentation for this specific Web Quest should be done also with on-line tools as Google presentations and their job will be placed in internet ( Google map) being this outcome the most relevant to motivate students to engage with the topic. In addition, incorporating personal Blogs in the activity became relevant as the students could use them to share knowledge in and outside class, and also because they could access to their information any time in the future, and also beneficiate from other students work. What is relevant about this specific Web Quest is the possibility of using existing tools as web browsers, blogs. Google docs and presentation to facilitate their computer literacy and also introduce them in a new subject and methodology of work more align with the reality. The limitation of the present Web Quest is the topic as it limited the target group who could beneficiate of it. In the other hand because is clearly structured could be modified for posterior applications changing the final task and the topic.

4. Applicability of web quests to individual member’s sphere. I have used elements of the web quest model to scaffold contextual survey work for landscape architect students. Prior to visiting a project site, they were provided with an umbrella task, web resources and had to collate, analyse and present their findings. I’ve always found it difficult as a teacher to find good resources online that were easy to adapt and use in my own class. Having been introduced to web quests, I realise that there are a wealth of resources out there that follow the web quest model making the teaching process very easy. I also found links for Irish schools using lots of web quests and found that some have compiled webquest collections from schools all over the world that support the Irish curriculum, e.g.http://www.edulinks.stcronans.ie/webquests.html - Claire

Personally I find very useful to deliver a topic by organizing tasks. A clear structure

encourages students to approximate to the final result. As a language teacher using internet to

find resources about the language related to the culture is one of the most motivating things

for the students. In addition the entire project became significant as their need to work in

groups and help with personal knowledge that a posterior all together will place on internet.

As a teacher to have all the resources placed in the activity and in internet is very useful to be

able to guide students focusing in language structures more than in their process of searching

information .-Meritxell

A WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented activity in which some or all of the information that learners interact with comes from resources on the internet, optionally supplemented with videoconferencing. There are at least two levels of WebQuests that should be distinguished from one another.

Short Term WebQuests

The instructional goal of a short term WebQuest is knowledge acquisition and integration, described as Dimension 2 in Marzano's (1992) Dimensions of Thinking model. At the end of a short term WebQuest, a learner will have grappled with a significant amount of new information and made sense of it. A short-term WebQuest is designed to be completed in one to three class periods.

Longer Term WebQuest

The instructional goal of a longer term WebQuest is what Marzano calls Dimension

3: extending and refining knowledge. After completing a longer term WebQuest, a

learner would have analyzed a body of knowledge deeply, transformed it in some

way, and demonstrated an understanding of the material by creating something that

others can respond to, on-line or off-. A longer term WebQuest will typically take

between one week and a month in a classroom setting.

The webQuest that we designed is a short term Web test

This web Quest is a short Term Web Quest as it is designed to be completed in two classes

period including the work that students need to do at home individually. It is designed to

forced students to interact to be successful in achieving a common objective in 5 tasks.

The final objective of this Web Quest for students is to elaborate a group presentation about

their work in relation with the possibilities and implications for Irish people of leaving

abroad. Analyzing the Irish Diaspora we pretend to engage students with the subject as is

related with their upcoming possibilities in the future.

This Webquest`s target audience is Irish transition year students who are typically

between fifteen and sixteen years of age. To encourage them to freely engage with

the material the group changed some terminology to a more a age appropriate level.

Below are a list of the changes.

“Introduction” page changed to “Compass”

“Task” page changed to “Mission”

“Process” page changed to “Map”

“Resources” page changed to “Supplies”

“Evaluation” page changed to “Garmin/Bearings(Sat nav) (Rubrix)”

“Conclusion” page changed to “Destination”

“Reflection” page changed to ”Foot Prints”

“Credits” page stays as “Credits”

In order to keep their attention we designed an eye catching web site where we

included pictures and some coloured graphics to make the interface attractive and

similar to the one that their normally use in their spare time. It was important for us to

make it look more like a tool to play with, enjoy and explore rather than a boring

interface. To connect real world with the educational experiences is what we would

like to aim for with this typology of activities.

According to Anderson and Speck (2001), students prefer working with a partner

over working alone on computer activities. Leu (1996) adds that "students often learn

about complex multimedia environments by showing each other cool things." Thus,

through collaborative technology activities, students benefit from working with each

other.

In this web quest students work both alone and in groups and also face-to-face (first

mission) in a synchronous interaction but also in an asynchronous non face-to face.

To design these tasks we found it important to structure all the steps very clearly as

we hope this will allow students to navigate the web without getting confused.

Choosing a relevant topic for our target students it was an important part of our

project.

We expect from students been engaged with the project and also to motivate them to

explore perspectives for their live, researching about Irish Diaspora allow them to

research in the countries and areas that their prefer but also we limited the search to

countries that are no very popular as we want to keep certain level the difficulty and

also awake his curiosity.

The objective of the activity is not only encourage students to find information it is

also being able to use the information, they should acquire knowledge that they

could be using in their near future to make decisions.

The resources are partially added to the Web Quest because we would like students

being successful in their research and we would like to avoid spending too much

time in this part of the process. One important part of the Web Quest is to develop

their ability to find information but more important for them is to analyze this

information for specific purpose.

However it became difficult to find resources that are attractive to them. We wanted

to include audio and video files as are easier to explore and also more engaging but

in a further revision of our Web Quest this should be area to update. We cannot

forget that resources in internet are very vulnerable and unstable in terms of time

and that is why we would like to emphasize the necessity of a Web Quest application

guide for the facilitator or teacher.

(4) Advantages of WebQuests. In the eyes of the learner

For Students

Students learn through discovery and synthesis with a quest. (if

structured properly) This higher level of thinking is what we are

striving for all students to achieve

The structure of the web Quest is a terrific organizational tool for

most students. All the requirements are laid out from the beginning.

Students using web quests must use their thinking abilities. They are required

to compare, contrast, make decisions and recommendations. They cannot lean

on a quick cut and paste for their answers.

With a quest students can be exposed to materials, people, activities

and ideas that are not available in our standard text and are highly

meaningful.

From what I have read, the "power" of the 21st century is going to be with

the people who know how to find the information, do it quickly and

accurately, and put it to use. In the process of participating in Web Quests,

students learn how to search effectively, evaluate what they find, and put it to use.

In schools today, we are preparing the "knowledge workers" of the 21st century.

AS A GROUP

(5) What we learned from working in a collaborative environment

Firstly it was apparent that group members had a wide variety of individual strengths

and work experience skills. It is important for members of a group to clearly define

their individual skills in order to assign appropriate roles.

Working in a collaborative environment in this special activity was very interesting as

we needed to do what we would like students to do.

The difficulties that we faced were basically related to the division of tasks and the

elaboration of material. Editing and sharing the common material using Google docs

was very useful as we saw the process for ourselves and how everything should

match the objective step by step. A difficulty in this process is being able to revise

others people work, we tend to be very critical of ourselves but when it came to

analyzing others work we are flexible and tolerant. Such things are not bad in itself

when it comes to rich the common objective but could be a barrier to innovate and

searching deeply in the subject.

Time management - had regular meetings

Assigned roles within group according to strengths and interests

choosing subject matter

how technology assisted collaborative learning - use of google docs, email,

wikimedia commons

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