PBL, WebQuests

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PBL, WebQuests OELEs

• EDMD 7200Spring, 2007
• Dr. Sara Wolf
• WebQuest information is drawn from the materials
  provided by Dr. Bernie Dodge, and located at
  http//webquest.sdsu.edu/

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Problem-Based Learning

• PBL in action in
• Brush, T. Saye, J. (2000). Implementation and
  evaluation of a student-centered learning unit
  A case study. Educational Technology Research
  and Development, 48(3), 79-100.

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Characteristics

• Student-Centered
• Real-life Scenarios/Problems
• Ill structured
• Divergent
• No one right answer
• Faculty are Guides/Facilitators
• Group Discussion

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Brief History

• Began in medical school communityMcMaster
  University (Canada)
• Socratic origins
• Deweys engagement
• Moved to other Sciences
• Slowly into Humanities
• Social Studies has particular interest

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Benefits

• Increased Engagement
• Process Meaning vs. Minutia
• Team-based Problem Solving Skills
• Using Information to solve Problems
• Information Literacy
• Self-Regulation
• Student Ownership of Learning

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Challenges

• Culture/Role Changes
• Student
• Instructor
• Institution
• Money for Larger Projects
• Achievement on Standard Tests
• Time
• Assessment

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Open Ended Learning Environments (OELE)

• References in this section from
• Hannafin, M. Land, S. and Oliver, K. (1999).
  Open learning environments Foundations,
  methods, and models. In C. Reigeluth (Ed.),
  Instructional design theories and models (Vol. 2,
  pp. 115-140). Mahlway, NJ Erlbaum.

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OELE

• Open Ended Learning Environments(Hannafin et
  al.)
• Enabling Context
• Resources
• Scaffolds
• Tools
• Hannafin, M. Land, S. and Oliver, K. (1999).
  Open learning environments Foundations,
  methods, and models. In C. Reigeluth (Ed.),
  Instructional design theories and models (Vol. 2,
  pp. 115-140). Mahlway, NJ Erlbaum.

9
Enabling Context

• Enabling contexts are the vehicles through which
  individuals are oriented to a need or problem and
  interpretive perspectives are situated. They
  guide students in recognizing or generating
  problems to be addressed and framing learning
  needs. (p. 124)

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Enabling Context

• Externally Imposed
• Context problem are teacher-provided
• Means to solution is student-provided
• Externally Induced
• Context is teacher-provided
• Problem and solution are student-provided
• Individually Generated
• Context, problem, and solution are
  student-provided

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Resources

• Source materials that support learning. (p.
  126)
• Changeable
• Unchangeable

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Tools

• Provide the overt means through which
  individuals engage and manipulate both resources
  and their own ideas. (p. 128)
• Processing (cognitive processing)
• Seeking, collecting, organizing, integrating,
  generating
• Manipulation (understanding testing)
• Data entry, modeling
• Communication (collaboration)
• Asynchronous, synchronous

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Scaffolds

• Scaffolding is the process through which
  learning efforts are supported while engaging an
  OLE (p. 131).
• Conceptual (what to consider, problem is defined)
• Metacognitive (how to think)
• Procedural (use of features)
• Strategic (analysis and approach to learning
  task/problem)

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WebQuests

• Locate the evaluation rubric for the WebQuest in
  WebCT. Refer to it during this portion of the
  presentation

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Why WebQuests?

• Constructivist way to introduce students to
  variety of material
• Open-ended in nature (OELE)
• Lend themselves to interdisciplinary study
• Structure is applicable in a variety of settings

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Constructivism

• Learning a change in meaning constructed from
  experience
• Effective instruction anything that helps
  students construct their own representations of
  knowledge in authentic situations
• Hypermedia and OELEs, increased learner control

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WebQuests

• 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. (para. 2).
• Dodge, B. (1997). Some thoughts about WebQuests.
  Retrieved February 6, 2006, from
  http//webquest.sdsu.edu/about_webquests.html

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WebQuests

• Introduction
• Task
• Process (Resources)
• Resources
• Evaluation
• Conclusion
• Teacher Page

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Introduction

• - Aimed at the student
• - Preparation and hook
• - Essential or guiding question
• (http//projects.edtech.sandi.net/sessions/westwar
  dho/introduction.htm)Westward Ho!, Shall we
  go?It is 1830 in Wahoo, Kentucky. You and your
  family have been called to a town meetin' by Mr.
  Imin Charge, the mayor of Wahoo.The mayor is
  concerned because he has heard talk from the
  citizens of Wahoo, about leaving this fine town
  and headin' west. He has informed everyone that
  they will have a formal meetin' in one weeks
  time. At that time, all townfolk must come
  prepared to share their decision of whether they
  will stay or go. Westward Ho! Will you go?

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Task

• - Aimed at the student
• - Provides focus
• - Clear, crisp description
• (http//projects.edtech.sandi.net/pbelem/childrens
  pool/task.htm)The City Council is trying to make
  a fair decision on the Children's Pool
  issue.They need to be informed on all sides of
  the debate.You will participate in a DEBATE as a
  representative of your special interest group.
  There are other groups of people who also have
  interests in the issue and will not share your
  views. The City Council will use the information
  and opinions you present to make a decision.
  Therefore, the quality of your contribution in
  the debate will influence their decisions. Make a
  good case in PERSUADING the City Council towards
  your position.There is no right or wrong answer
  to this very difficult issue. The class will use
  this debate to explore the different perspectives
  in order to help make sense of environment and
  human interactions.

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Process

• Aimed at the student
• Outlines how the task will be accomplished
• Clear steps, resources tools included

• http//projects.edtech.sandi.net/grant/insects/pro
  cess.htm
• Choose an insect
• Research your insect
• Have a group discussion
• Write a letter
• Design a group poster

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Resources

• Pre-defined and evaluated resources focus
  student time on understanding and transforming
  information. (para. 1)
• Many times, embedded in the Process page
• Used as part of the scaffolding process for
  students
• Evaluation must occur and be documented on your
  WebQuest (A nice overview can be found at
  http//projects.edtech.sandi.net/staffdev/tpss99/p
  rocessguides/evaluating_teacher.html

Dodge, B. (1997). Building blocks of a Webquest.
Retrieved February 6, 2006, from
http//projects.edtech.sandi.net/staffdev/building
blocks/p-index.htm (note click on process,
scaffolding, resources to find correct citation
location)
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Evaluation

• Aimed at the student
• Explains evaluation criteria for performance
  (rubric included)
• Aligned with task

http//projects.edtech.sandi.net/balboa/nations/ev
aluation.htm Did you follow directions? Did you
cooperate with your partner? Did you use your
resources? Did you complete your poem? Did you
present your poem to the class?
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Conclusion

• - Aimed at the student
• - Provide summary, encourages reflection
• - May include rhetorical questions, extension
  ideas/links, etc.
• (http//projects.edtech.sandi.net/ofarrell/genocid
  ewebquest/conclusion.htm)They say that unless
  one learns from one's mistakes, history repeats
  itself. Genocide is a real threat to ethnic
  groups in our world. We, as a caring society,
  need to fight against the complacency of people
  who choose to ignore this horrifying cleansing
  act. By completing this challenging webquest you
  have gained a tremendous amount of information
  that most people either do not know, or chose to
  forget. Be assured that genocide does go on, even
  now, in many places in the world. You as a
  citizen of the world need to be constantly aware
  of injustices that are going on, not just in
  foreign countries, but in your own back yard.
  Elie Wiesel said that "indifference can be
  tempting...It is so much easier to look away from
  victims. It is so much easier to avoid such rude
  interruptions to our work, our dreams, our hopes.
  It is, after all, awkward, troublesome, to be
  involved in another person's pain and despair."
  May indifference will never be tempting to you.

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Teacher Page

• Aimed at other teachers
• Provides background other special information
  that aids in implementation.
• Examples of different teacher pages can be found
  at the WebQuest site(http//projects.edtech.sand
  i.net/staffdev/buildingblocks/p-index.htm) by
  clicking on teacher page in the left navigation
  bar, and following the links provided.

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Your Teacher Page

• Instructional goals/objectives
• Curricular and technology standards
• Modifications for all learners
• Evaluation criteria for resources
• Include instrument
• Include evidence of instrument use or evaluation
  process for each resource
• Other information as necessary and/or appropriate

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WebQuest Taxonomy

• http//webquest.sdsu.edu/taskonomy.html
• 12 types of WebQuests, ranging from very low
  level, to very high level of thinking involved.

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Taxonomy (1)

• Retelling
• Compilation
• Mystery
• Journalistic
• Design
• Creative Product

• Research Report
• Transformation
• Synthesis
• Bias accuracy
• Authentic constraints
• Open-ended, inviting

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Taxonomy (2)

• Consensus Building
• Persuasion
• Self-Knowledge
• Analytical
• Judgment
• Scientific

• Realistic, varied
• Convincing vs. accommodating
• No short answers
• Sim/Diff leading to implications
• Supported decisions
• Hypothesis testing(challenge to avoid the arcane)

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Relationships
?
PBL
OELE
?
?
WebQuests
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Exercise (homework)

• Using WQSHOELEcomparison.ins (available on the
  WebCT discussion board) Illustrate your
  understanding of the relationship between these
  three techniques. (30 min.)
• Create links
• Rearrange elements
• Add symbols or elements
• Add text
• Etc.
• Export your file as a .jpg attach it to a
  discussion posting

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Exercise (homework)

• Based on your exploration of WebQuests, searches
  you conducted using search engines, and your
  experience.
• Brainstorm possible WebQuest topics of interest
  to you.
• Dont worry about finding specific WWW resources
  right now, but think about what types of pages
  youd want to find to facilitate the activity for
  your students.
• Using Word, PowerPoint or Inspiration, create a
  document that illustrates this first draft plan
  for the creation of a WebQuest. Keep it for
  future reference.

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Homework

• Before close of business on Friday (2/5/06) you
  should email the following to Dr. Wolf in the
  WebCT dropbox.
• A proposed problem, theme, or topic for the
  WebQuest project (please include your name)
• A proposed method for assessing student success
  with your WebQuest.

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Selected Bibliography

• Dodge, B. (2002). Readings and training
  materials. online Available
  http//webquest.sdsu.edu/materials.htm (Accessed
  July 15, 2002). (A selected bibliography is
  available here)
• Hannafin, M. Land, S. and Oliver, K (1999). Open
  learning environments Foundations, methods, and
  models. In C. Reigeluth (Ed.), Instructional
  design theories and models (Vol. 2, pp. 115-140).
  Mahlway, NJ Erlbaum.
• Krajcik, J., Soloway, E., Blumenfeld, P., Marx,
  R. (1998). Scaffolded technology tools to
  promote teaching and learning in science,
  Yearbook (Vol. 1998, pp. 31-45). Alexandria, VA
  Association for Supervision and Curriculum
  Development.
• Land, S., and Hannafin, M. (1997). Patterns of
  understanding with open-ended learning
  environments A qualitative study. Educational
  Technology Research and Development 45(2).
  47-73.