Understanding Educational Technology #3: PBL WebQuests? What are They?

Before taking the educational technology course these initial blog posts are for, I had no idea. After taking this course, I know, and can hopefully teach you what they are here. I attempted, and failed to find a quote I was thinking of that went something like, “The true sign of understanding is being able to effectively teach a child, not impress with big and fancy words.” I have no idea who the quote is from, or if I have amalgamated several quotes in my mind. Anyways, let's dive into Webquests.

Digital Learning Assignments

Webquests are summed up in the title of this section, you’re well, not doing that joke again from the last post. Webquests are much more than just simple digital assignments. They are rooted in PBL–both Project and Problem Based Learning [PBL], rooted in Inquiry-Based Learning [IBL], and should immerse students in an assignment that pulls them out of the classroom and into a real–world scenario, or a simulation of one. That is a lot to unpack, and the first step is understanding PBL.

With the two terms being very similar, I found a chart that really breaks down the similarities and differences between the approaches.

Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0: Image Authored by MrJanzen1984

The main item I want to focus on is the commonality of ‘simulating professional situations’ within PBLs. This is the key to WebQuests. They take students outside of the traditional classroom tasks, and essentially hide the true task inside the work they are doing. Molebash and Dodge describe this within Webquests as the assignments “appear[ing] interesting, and (initially) just beyond their capabilities.” Because assignments do not take a traditional form, students may initially feel overwhelmed. Then, they become more engaged than they would have with traditional assignments because of the authentic nature of the task.

IBL is a concept I understood innately, but struggled to put into practice on my first attempt at a WebQuest–by the time you read this, my WebQuest will hopefully be adjusted to better match IBL. Below is a graphic that I made to see the steps of what is called the Big6 Inquiry Method.

Graphic made with PiktoChart

Here is a simple, one-sentence explanation of each step.

Step 1: The problem to be solved is considered.

Step 2: Questions are made to try to solve the problem.

Step 3: A plan to solve the problem is made.

Step 4: Extra information to solve the problem is found.

Step 5: The found information is read and organized.

Step 6: A solution to the problem is presented.

When stuck on any step, go to the beginning. Reflection is a core component of IBL through the first step. Whenever you can’t make progress, think about it.

Conclusion

So, WebQuests are a teaching tool that immerses students in a scenario outside of the classroom to produce a product that is non-traditional. The final product may be a research paper, as it is in my example of a WebQuest–linked at the bottom–but it is never called a research paper. In my example, I initially failed this. I called it both a research paper and a letter to potential donors. I should only have called it a letter to donors because that immerses the students. To get to whatever final product they are making, students should be engaged with Inquiry-Based Learning through constant reflection and planning of their next steps. Again, I failed this initially when building my Webquest, too. Just because you have understanding does not always mean that your first attempts to put it into practice will flourish or not need revision. I encourage you to seek out how you can use WebQuests in your classroom.

Thank you for reading.

My WebQuest Link

Reference:

Molebash, P., & Dodge, B. (2003). Kickstarting Inquiry with WebQuests and Web Inquiry Projects. Social Education, 67(3), 158-162.