Teaching with Online Treasure Hunts and WebQuests by Patricia B. Arinto Assistant Professor, UP Open University email: [email protected].

Teaching with Online Treasure Hunts and WebQuests

by Patricia B. Arinto

Assistant Professor, UP Open University

email: [email protected]

Presentation outline:

1. Background: The Pilipinas SchoolNet project

2. Webquests and Online Treasure Hunts: What are they?

3. Philippine examples

4. Some observations as well as notes from the field

5. Implications for teaching

http://www.pilipinasschoolnet.org

PSN’s vision

To build a network of schools throughout the Philippines that will leverage information and communication technologies (ICTs) to improve learning and to better prepare the Filipino youth for the demands of the knowledge society

PSN’s objectives

1. Pilot the instructional use of ICTs in public secondary education to help inform national policy formulation

2. Create opportunities for students in public high schools to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills for lifelong learning through the use of ICTs in the classroom

3. Open the door to additional development opportunities that ICTs offer to local communities

PSN schoolsLegend:Luzon – 3 schools (all in NCR)Visayas – 12 schools (Cebu-3; Iloilo-2; Bohol-2; Negros Oriental-3; Leyte-2)

MINDANAO

VISAYAS

METRO MANILA

LUZON

Parang HSMarikina

Rizal HS-SagadPasig

Qurino HSQuezon City

Passi NHSPassi, Iloilo

Guimbal NHSGuimbal, Iloilo

Camanjac NHSCamanjac, N. Oriental

Negros Oriental HSDumaguete, N. Oriental

Tayud NHSConsolacion, Cebu

Cansojong NHSTalisay City, Cebu Bitoon NVS

Dumanjug, Cebu

Manga NHSTagbilaran, Bohol

San Roque NHSAlbuquerque, Bohol

Ipil NHSOrmoc, Leyte

Hilongos NVSHilongos, Leyte

Bais City HSBais, N. Oriental

PSN Proponent and Implementor: Foundation for IT Education and Development

Local Partners: Department of Education local government units/local NGOs Globe/Islacom Center for Industrial Technology and

Enterprise (CITE) Technical Institute UP Open University, University of Cebu ConnectEd.ph

Corporate Sponsor: The Coca-Cola Export Corporation (Phils & Asia-Pacific)

International Partner: World Links for Development (WorLD) Program of the World Bank Institute

Components Connectivity. Providing the necessary physical

and technical infrastructure and resources Training. Developing competencies in the

effective uses of ICTs in education, with particular emphasis on matching technology use with curricular goals

Telecollaboration. Implementing structured, curriculum-specific school-to-school collaborative learning activities using the Internet

Monitoring and Evaluation. Focused on the issues of efficacy, sustainability, and scalability

PSN teacher training activities

Phase 1. Basic Computer & Internet Skills for Teachers

Phase 2. Information Literacy & Telecollaboration

Phase 3. Integrating Computers & the Internet Into the Curriculum: An Instructional Design Workshop

Philosophical underpinnings of PSN: Why teach with ICTs

exponential growth in ACCESS to information, driven in part

by ICT development

information society

In today’s information society we need

ICT competencies critical thinking skills generalist (broad) competencies decision-making skills ability to handle dynamic situations teamwork competencies communication competencies

The 2002 Basic Education Curriculum:

conceived as an interactive curriculum that promotes integrated teaching and interdisciplinary, contextual and authentic learning

honors multiple intelligences; recognizes that there are different pathways to learning and different articulations of knowledge

achieves interactivity through “the use of information technology and the greater emphasis on computer literacy in all the learning areas in every school where equipment is available”

Instructional uses of ICTs:

“teach the tool” - ICT literacy & ICT specialization

“use the tool to teach” - application in subject areas & across the curriculum

Application of ICTs in subject areas& across the curriculum:

Computer-Assisted Instruction (CAI): drill and practice, tutorials, simulations, graphical representations of math equations, etc.

Resource-Based Learning (RBL): involves the achievement of both subject and information literacy objectives through exposure to and practice with diverse resources, making students active learners

Telecollaboration

RBL using the Web: two strategies

1. Online Treasure Hunts (aka Knowledge Hunt)

2. Webquests

Online treasure hunt: key aspects An online inquiry-based activity

developed by Tom March Aims to develop knowledge of a specific

topic Learners are given several (6-10)

websites/Web pages on a topic There is a key question that learners

must answer for each website/Web page A Big Question helps the learners

integrate what they learned about the topic

Let’s look at some examples of online treasure hunts written by PSN teachers

Some observations Learners working in groups—cooperative

learning The set of questions define the parameters of

the topic Questions are sequenced—part of scaffolding There is a variety of question types and levels

(from simple to complex)—still scaffolding The Big Question is integrative; may require use

of HOTS The treasure hunt can be used in different ways

—e.g., to introduce a topic, to deepen understanding of a topic introduced previously

Webquest: an overview

An inquiry-based activity developed by Bernie Dodge and Tom March in 1995 at the San Diego State University

Learners create new knowledge products out of information found on the Web and other sources

Targets higher order thinking skills: analysis, synthesis, evaluation

Webquest elements1. An introduction that sets the stage/

establishes the context (creative and motivational)

2. A doable and interesting task revolving around an open-ended question

3. A detailed, sequential description of the process to be followed to accomplish the task

4. A list of resources needed to complete the task

5. A section that shows learners how their work will be evaluated (evaluation)

6. A conclusion

Let’s look at some examples of webquests written by PSN teachers

Some observations Promotes cooperative learning:

– learners work in groups; – each member has a role to play; roles are

unique and complementary; – learners learn that no one knows

everything Promotes authentic learning:

– a real-world problem must be solved creatively (no set answers);

– learners work with real resources; – learners’ outputs have a real audience (the

output is published online)

Involves scaffolding– the task is broken down into sub-tasks

(Process)– examples are provided (in Resources)– learners are guided– activity is linked to previous lessons

Contains elements of novice-expert approach: learning through guided experience

Develops information literacy and HOTS Promotes reading and writing across the

curriculum Promotes reflective learning through self-

assessment (and peer evaluation)

Were all of these realized in the actual implementation of the webquests and treasure hunts?

Student reactions What they liked most: using computers and

the Internet, field research (excursion) What they had difficulty with: interviewing

experts, working with uncooperative members of the group

What they learned (aside from the subject matter and the output format): patience, cooperation, self-confidence, connections between subject areas

Suggestions for improvement: more time in the computer lab, more guidance from teacher

Teacher reactions What they found most interesting: students

were highly motivated to use computers and Internet; students working together; teachers learning from their students’ work

What they had difficulty with: lack of time, lack of administrative support, negative reactions from some parents, passive students, poor technical skills (both teachers and students), limited access to computer lab, slow Internet connection

What they would do differently: form smaller groups, choose better resources, not require a field trip of younger students

Implications: the challenge for teachers good instructional design provision of various forms of learner support willingness to be a “guide on the side” rather

than a “sage on the stage” (avoiding stage managing)

access to and familiarity with the Web; developing IT skills and information literacy skills

authentic assessment skills working with other teachers reflective teaching

“How you use technology in education is more important than if you use it at all.”

--Thornburg, “Technology in K-12 Education: Envisioning the Future”, 1999