Matt ChilcottMoodle Users Group Wales

November 2010

EXPERIENCE OVER TIME

• Success in ensuring early engagement with research community but less so with academic / teaching staff.

• Barriers to academic staff engaging:

• preference for traditional face to face learning approaches /- digital literacy / digital learning approaches use of directed independent study / time pressures for authorship of a digital curriculum / lack of familiarity with the digital context of subject areas/ Union perspective.

CURRENT SOLUTIONS BEING TESTED

1. Web Quest approaches for staff development

• Before undertaking staff development in the ‘mechanics’ of digital learning the IDL team are engaging staff in a provisional ‘creative’ phase to enable a stronger understanding of the evolving digital context of their subject areas.

• This involves staff taking time to review the web through the lenses of their subject and identify engaging resources they can utilise – case studies, curriculum, games, perspectives.

CURRENT SOLUTIONS BEING TESTED

2. Promotion of the use of Moodle as a ‘Learning Dashboard’

• Learning is not restricted to take place within the confines of the Course Management System – instead Moodle is used as the home for learning activities utilising a wide range of external online content that has ‘engaged’ the tutor.

APPROACH INFLUENCES

• Futurelab’s InfoCow web portal – A social networking portal for young people to find useful online resources regarding their entitlements.

• Constructivist online learning approaches put forward by Bernie Dodge & Tom Marsh

• RSC Wales NetVibes Learning Dashboard

THE WEBQUEST FORMULA

"A WebQuest," is an inquiry-oriented activity in which most or all of the information used by learners is drawn from the Web. WebQuests are designed to use learners' time well, to focus on using information rather than on looking for it, and to support learners' thinking at the levels of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.“

Source: Bernie Dodge & Tom Marsh (2010) Education World:

Technology Centre, San Diego State University

THE WEBQUEST FORMULA

“The WebQuest instructional strategy is often praised as an inquiry-oriented activity, which effectively integrates technology into teaching and learning”.

Source: Jason Abbitt, (2008) Miami University & John Ophus, University of Northern Iowa

PROVISIONAL IMPACT OF APPROACHES

• Staff see engagement in digital learning in the context of their scholarly activity more fully (also within the comfort zone of a constructivist pedagogic approach).

• They are more comfortable with the digital context of their subjects and using web quest templates to enable more collaborative and reflective directed study online following a recommended formula.

• There is an increasing move away from writing curriculum content to more interactive directed study using external web based content.

PROVISIONAL IMPACT OF APPROACHES

• Staff are using the WebQuest approach to increase students level of critical thinking and media literacy.

• Staff are more motivated and comfortable in engaging with the mechanics of Moodle as they are seeking to deploy Web Quests as a learning strategy for their students.

• Has not convinced everyone.

• Accessibility.

WEB RESOURCES:• Futurelab’s InfoCow http://www.infocow.org.uk • Dodge, B. (2009) Web Quest Designhttp://webquest.sdsu.edu/designpatterns/all.htm

• Schrocks, K. (2010) Guide for Educators:WebQuests in Our Future http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/webquest/webquest.html

• Dorman, J. (2010) Grazing for Digital NativesWebQuest Resources and Templateshttp://jdorman.wikispaces.com/Webquests

• RSC Wales Portal to JISC Services http://www.netvibes.com/rscwales#JISC_Services_portal

ACADEMIC REFERENCES: • Abbit, J., & Ophus, J. (2008). What we know about the Impacts

of Web-Quests: A review of research. AACE Journal, 16(4),441-456.

• Marsh, T (2004) The Learning Power of Webquests: Educational Leadership, Volume 61. No.4

• Roberts, L. (2006). The WebQuest Creation Process: A Case Study of Preservice Teachers Working Individualistically or Collaboratively. In C. Crawford et al. (Eds.), Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2006 (pp. 1760-1767). Chesapeake, VA: AACE.

• O'Bannon, B. (2000). Using WebQuests to Construct Learning. In D. Willis et al. (Eds.), Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2000 (pp. 2223-2226). Chesapeake, VA: AACE.

• Lahaie, U. (2007) WebQuests: A New Instructional Strategy for Nursing Education CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing: May/June 2007 - Volume 25 - Issue 3 - pp 148-156