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1549 The Pedagogical Implications of Web 2.0 performance. Last but not least, teachers need to become change agents using Web 2.0 tools to move towards a new way of learning and teaching (Richardson, 2006, pp. 132-133). CONCLUSION In this chapter, social constructivism has been proposed as the foundation for online language learning environments that foster the participation of students and teachers in today’s knowledge and information-based society to their full potential through the use of Web 2.0 tools like blogs and wikis. It has been argued that teachers and students need to take full advantage of these emerging tools to participate in more dynamic, immediate, and communicative environments that provide opportunities for meaningful experiences through social constructivist learning. While putting the pedagogy of blogs and wikis to work may take some time, the following recommendations can assist program designers and teachers in making the first step towards participatory and collaborative online learning of the Web 2.0 era: Where possible, orientation “events” • should be held to introduce students to the requirements of the technology and the expectations for student-to-instructor and peer-to-peer communication. The orientation process can be a critical factor in the success of online learning programs (Johnston et al., n.d.). When possible, begin the course by pro-• viding traditional face-to-face instruction and then blend it with online education. Face-to-face instruction can provide students with a little online learning experience with support and help them develop condencein their ability to succeed using on-line learning tools (Johnston et al., n.d.). Help students develop their ability to en-• gage in self-directed learning. If the online learning program is complemented with some traditional instruction, teachers can spend time in class working with students on self-management strategies and help change their perceptions of themselves as students and allowed them to take ownership of their learning (D’Amico & Capehart, 2001). Provide opportunities for students to take leadership and engage in peer tutoring. In an online learning program, ongoing • support should be provided for students through frequent contact with teachers via multiple modalities, e.g. e-mail, instant messenging, chat, or telephone contact. Learners should be offered opportunities to participate in online learning at the earliest possible point in their language learning. A tool for students to self-assess their on-• line learning skills should be accessible to them. This tool should assess students’ fa- miliarity with technology, their experience in online learning, their problem solving skills, their ability to motivate themselves, their level of self-directedness as well as theirlevelofEnglishuency.Theresults should be shared with the student to help in determining their preference for learning environments. Encourage students and fellow teachers to • explore and experiment with Web 2.0 tools and their potential for learning and teaching. Professional development activities should take advantage of the same technologies so that teachers learn about e-Learning 2.0 the same way students would and understand the implications of the demands placed on students and their expectations better. 1550 The Pedagogical Implications of Web 2.0 REFERENCES Anderson, T., & Elloumi, F. (2004). Theory and practice of online learning. Athabasca University. Retrieved January 10, 2008, from http://cde.atha- bascau.ca/online_book/index.html Ariza, E. 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Retrieved January 10, 2008, from http://www.calpro-online.org/documents/10092 4DistanceEducationProof.pdf Instructional Technology Resource Center. (2006). LMS pilot report (Moodle). Idaho State University. Retrieved January 10, 2008, from http://www. isu.edu/itrc/resources/LMS_Pilot_Report_FI- NAL_Fall06.pdf Johnston, J., Petty, L. I., & Young, S. J. (n.d.). Research overviews: Technology in adult education. Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan. Retrieved January 10, 2008, from http:// www.calpro-online.org/documents/100924Dista nceEducationProof.pdf Jonassen, D. H. (1991). Objectivism versus constructivism: Do we need a new philosophical paradigm? Educational Technology Research and Development, 39(3), 5–14. doi:10.1007/ BF02296434 Jonassen, D. H., Carr, C., & Yueh, H P. (1998). Computers as mind tools for engaging learners in critical thinking. TechTrends, 43(2), 24–3. doi:10.1007/BF02818172 Jonassen, D. H., & Land, S. M. (2000). Preface. In D. H. Jonassen & S. M. Land (Eds.), Theoretical foundations of learning environments. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Jonassen, D. H., Peck, K. L., & Wilson, B. G. (1999). Learning with technology: A constructivist perspective. Merril/Prentice Hall. Kennell, T. (2004). Guide to blended learning. Skills at Work Series. AlphaPlus Centre, from http://alphaplus.ca/pdfs/SkillsatWorkGBL.pdf Krashen, S. (1994). The input hypothesis and its rivals. In N. Ellis (Ed.) Implicit and explicit learning of languages (pp. 45-77). Academic Press. Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning - legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge University Press. Lightbrown, P. M., & Spada, N. (1999). How languages are learned. Oxford University Press. Milken Family Foundation. (2008). The Milken Exchange’s Professional Competency Continuum: Professional Skills for the Digital Age Classroom. Retrieved January 10, 2008, from http://www.mff. org/publications/publications.taf?page=280 Node (2001). 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The emerging online life of the digital native: What they do differently because of technology, and how they do it. Retrieved Janu- ary 10, 2008, from http://www.marcprensky.com/ writing /Prensky-The_Emerging_Online_Life_ of_the_Digtal-Native-03.pdf Richardson, W. (2006). Blogs, Wikis, podcasts, and other powerful tools for classrooms. Corwin Press. Rovai, A. P. (2003). In search of higher persis- tence rates in distance education online programs. The Internet and Higher Education, 6(1), 1–16. doi:10.1016/S1096-7516(02)00158-6 Salmon, G. (2002). E-moderating: The key to teaching and learning online. Kogan Page. Utah Education Network. (2007). Distance Educa- tion: Glossary. Utah Education Network in partnership with the Utah State Office of Education and the Utah System of Higher Education on the World Wide Web. Retrieved January 10, 2008, from http://www.uen.org/distance_ed/glossary. shtml Warschauer, M. (2000). The changing global econ- omy and the future of English teaching. TESOL Quarterly, 34, 511–535. doi:10.2307/3587741 Warschauer, M. (2006). The paradoxical future of digital learning. Learning Inquiry, 1, 41–49. doi:10.1007/s11519-007-0001-5 Warschauer, M. (2007, November). Information literacy in the laptop classroom In . Teachers College Record, 109(11), 2511–2540. White, C. (2003). Language learning in distance education. Cambridge University Press. Wikipedia (2007). Web 2.0. Wikipedia. Retrieved January 10, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Web_2 Wikipedia (2008). Wiki. Wikipedia. Retrieved January 10, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Wiki Winn, W. (1993). A constructivist critique of the assumptions of instructional design. In T. M. Duffy, J. Lowyck, & D. H. Jonassen (Eds.), Designing environments for constructive learning. (pp. 189- 212). Springer-Verlag. KEY TERMS Blended Learning: The term Blended Learn- ing describes the design of a learning environment from the viewpoint of how the delivery of learning materials to the students is best accomplished by a variety of means available, be they technological or non-technological in nature. By choosing the appropriate vehicle for the student to access the learning content, a number of different strategies are used to provide hybrid learning environments. Blended Learning is closely related to Distributed Learning and Flexible Learning. Distributed Learning: This term refers to learning environments that use a mixture of tools to navigate the distance between teachers and learners. From a design viewpoint of a learning environment, building a variety of connections between the participants and the learning content is the main objective, as is allowing patterns of participation to develop between teachers, students and learning materials. Technological tools allow these connections to be made easily. Distributed Learning is closely related to Blended Learning and Flexible Learning. e-Learning 2.0: The term e-Learning 2.0 refers to the second generation of eLearning making use of the social collaboration and information shar- ing tools embedded in Web 2.0 environments. It describes a new generation of e-based learning environments that allow students to create content, and collaborate with peers on the creation of content distributed by technological tools. e-Learning 1553 The Pedagogical Implications of Web 2.0 2.0 provides a new learning paradigm naturally unfolding collective intelligences. Flexible Learning: This term describes a learning design perspective deeply rooted in the needs of students, with the main objective being to provide them with the most flexibility about the learning content, schedules, access, and learning styles as possible. A flexible learning design customizes learning environments to meet the needs of learners, using both technological and non-technological tools. Flexible Learning is closely related to Blended Learning and Distrib- uted Learning. PLATO: Programmed Logic for Automated Teaching Operation, refers to one of the first computer assisted instruction systems, dating from the early 1970s and running until 2006. PLATO was one of the first systems to test applications such as e-mail, discussion forums, and chat rooms. TICCET: This stands for Time-shared, Inter- active, Computer-Controlled Educational Televi- sion. The project ran at the same time as PLATO and was funded by the University of Texas at Austin and Brigham Young University. In place of expensive hardware, the system used televi- sion technology with minicomputers to deliver interactive educational content. Wiki: This is a Web-based environment designed to enable readers to become creators of content and editors of previous entries. Wikis are paradigm examples of Web 2.0 tools that are effectively used to design constructivist learning environments and engage learners in collaborative learning environments. Much like blogs, wikis integrate different types of media from audio to video files, which can be played on demand, as well as podcasts to vodcasts, which readers can subscribe to. Wikis can be an integrated part of a larger learning management system. This work was previously published in Handbook of Research on Web 2.0 and Second Language Learning, edited by J. Wang, pp. 367-384, copyright 2009 by Information Science Reference (an imprint of IGI Global). 1554 Copyright © 2010, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited. Chapter 5.20 Developing Digital Literacy Skills with WebQuests and Web Inquiry Projects Susan E. Gibson University of Alberta, Canada ABSTRACT This article identifies digital literacy as an important aspect of new media literacy at the K-12 level. Digital literacy includes developing the skills of information location and application as well understanding how to use available evidence to assist in problem solving and decision making about important questions and issues that have no clear answers. Two web-based examples of instructional strategies – WebQuests and Web Inquiry Projects—are suggested as ways to develop these and other important 21st century learning skills. WHAT IS DIGITAL LITERACY? Over the last decade the term ‘ literacy’ has evolved to include an ever increasing, and diverse range of skills. “The new literacies of the Internet and other ICTs include the skills, strategies and dispositions necessary to successfully use and adapt to the rapidly changing information and communication technologies and contexts that continuously emerge in our world and influence all areas of our personal and professional lives” (Leu, Kinzer, Coiro & Cam- mack, 2004, p. 1572). According to Jamie McKenzie (2005), “Literacy is about wrestling understanding from chunks of information, whether these chunks be numerical, textual, visual, cultural, natural or ar- tistic” (p. 7). One form of literacy, ‘digital’ literacy, can be defined as “a person’s ability to perform tasks effectively in a digital environment, with “digital” meaning information represented in numeric form and primarily for use by a computer [and] includes the ability to read and interpret media (text, sound, images), to reproduce data and images through digital manipulation, and to evaluate and apply new knowledge gained from digital environments” (Jones-Kavalier & Flannigan, 2006, p. 9). Developing the skills of information location and application is one aspect of digital literacy. These skills include the ability to find, evaluate, synthesize, and use information to answer questions and make informed decisions. Digitized information comes in many forms, and students need to acquire the ability to read, interpret, understand, and use all of these media formats. They need to understand that DOI: 10.4018/978-1-60566-120-9.ch026 1555 Developing Digital Literacy Skills with WebQuests and Web Inquiry Projects everything on the Web represents an individual’s point of view and that all sources need to be carefully and critically examined for authenticity and bias. They also need to recognize that no one source of information can adequately represent all there is to know about a particular topic; multiple sources on any topic should always be consulted and their information compared. Digital literacy also involves understanding how to use the available evidence to assist in problem solving and decision making about important questions and issues that have no clear answers. Furthermore students benefit from opportunities in which they are encourage to transform information in new ways to advance their own and other’s thinking, rather than simply consuming what others have produced. Finally, students need to develop a critical attitude toward computer technology in our society in terms of its present and future impact on humanity. The overall goal of digital literacy is to develop knowledgeable, skilled, and responsible users of computer technologies. The Partnership for 21st Century Learn- ing [http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/index. php?option=com_content&task=view&id=254& Itemid=120] calls for an emphasis in schooling on all of these literacy skills to ensure that students will be successful in the 21 st century. The Inter- national Society for Technology in Education’s (ISTE) Standards for Educational Technology (2007) also include creativity and innovation, communication and collaboration, research and information literacy, critical thinking, problem solving and decision making, digital citizenship, and technology operations and concepts. Address- ing all of these components of digital literacy is a major undertaking for schools and all teachers, grade levels and subject areas have important roles to play. This chapter begins by reviewing what we currently know about effective computer use to support and enhance teaching and learning. Constructivism is then examined as a promising theoretical framework for that use. The remain- der of the chapter looks at WebQuests and their extension, Web Inquiry Projects, as approaches that have the potential to effectively address both constructivist learning principles and digital literacy, higher level thinking, problem solving and communication skills. WHAT DOES THE RESEARCH TELL US ABOUT WHAT MAKES EFFECTIVE AND MEANINGFUL TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION? Before examining ways to address digital literacy skills in teaching with technology, it is important to review what we know about effective technology use. Computers are now more readily available in many schools worldwide and the Internet is often hailed as an innovation with unprecedented potential for the improvement of teaching and learning. Although some critics claim that the use of computer technologies has had minimal to no affect on learning outcomes (Cuban, 2001, Op- penheimer, 2003), there have been positive affects identified in the research literature. “Several recent research reviews and meta-analyses published in the United States and Britain suggest that, when measured across the board, educational technology yields “small, but significant” gains in learning and student engagement” (Viadero, 2007 p. 1). Learner motivation has been identified in numer- ous studies as being particularly evident with the use of computer technologies (Sterling, 2007). As for learning gains, Wan, Fang, and Neufeld (2007) found that, “Technology can influence learning processes by facilitating cognitive information processing activities such as search, scanning, transformation or comparison of information” (p. 187). Higgins (2004) found advances in reasoning, understanding and creativity using computers. Viadero (2007) identified positive affects for writing with the use of word processors, and for 1556 Developing Digital Literacy Skills with WebQuests and Web Inquiry Projects generating deeper understanding and increasing knowledge through the use of simulations. Bal- anskat, Blamire and Kefala (2006) analyzed the evidence from 17 impact studies and found that using information and communication technologies had a positive impact on children’s’ learning of basic skills such as calculation, reading and writing, and on communication and process skills, while also allowing for greater differentiation to address individual needs and learning styles, and giving more responsibility for the learning to the student. The greatest benefits, according to Balan- skat et al. (2006), were seen in primary education. Significant benefits have also been found in the areas of special needs (Hartley, 2007) and English as a Second Language (Lee, 2006). While the benefits from the use of computer technologies are evident, K-12 teachers continue to be at varied levels of awareness about the possibilities for employing these technologies in effective and efficient ways to enhance teaching and learning. “Effectively integrating new technology into educational practice is not just a matter of learning how to use technology. It is also a process of reflecting on how to teach and how students can learn most effectively in today’s world” (Wiske, Franz, & Breit, 2005, p. 3). Where the greatest challenge for teachers lies is in thinking differently about teaching and learning. According to David Thornburg, “The main thing that’s holding technology back is a fear a well-placed fear, I might add that if technology becomes ubiquitous, it will totally transform the practice of education. There are a lot of people who don’t want the practice of education transformed because they’re very comfortable with it” (cited in Brumfield, 2006, p. 1). Computer technologies can help teachers to develop new approaches to teaching and learning, but teachers need to be exposed to these new understandings and new capabilities. They also need to determine where technologies fit into their philosophy of teaching. As noted by Doolittle and Hicks (2003), “A philosophical and theoretical foundation provides answers to the questions of why and how specific pedagogy, including the application of technology, should be employed” (p. 76). The key to best use is not the fact that computers are being used, but how they are being used. Where success has been most apparent, has been in cases where teaching is transformed through the use of computer technologies and where learning is happening in ways that were impossible or difficult without the use of these technologies. “Education can be transformed using ICT which brings new capabilities and capacities to learning. For example, ICT has the potential for enabling teachers and students to construct rich, multi-sensory, interactive environments with almost unlimited teaching and learning potential” (Balanskat et al., 2006, p. 12) “Researchers are just now understanding how much greater the payoffs can be when digital- learning programs combine specific academic content with lessons from cognitive science and de- velopmental psychology on how children learning in those subjects” (Viadero, 2007, p. 1). Computer use needs to go beyond low-level tasks such as students being able to demonstrate understanding of how to operate the various technologies with proficiency, to tasks that encourage more advanced learning by actively engaging students in learning, by releasing of agency from teachers to students, and through collaborative knowledge building around authentic or ill-defined problems. Accord- ing to Dunn (2007) the best uses of computers gain learners’ attention, engage learners through productive work, increase learners’ perceptions of control, help learners visualize problems and solutions, link them to information resources and to learning tools, encourage shared intelligences through collaborative and cooperative learning, and encourage higher level thinking. Using an inquiry approach to learning with computers can be an effective way of creating a learning environment that places less emphasis on acquiring and presenting information and more on constructing 1557 Developing Digital Literacy Skills with WebQuests and Web Inquiry Projects knowledge, making meaning, drawing on personal life experience, and taking responsibility for learning. The merging of technology and constructivism offers many possibilities for framing the design of such innovative learning environments. HOW CAN CONSTRUCTIVIST LEARNING THEORY HELP TEACHERS TO DESIGN MEANINGFUL, COMPUTER-ENHANCED LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS? Ferdig (2006) identifies the importance of “tying innovation to learning theory to create authentic and engaging activities for students” (p. 750). Research on effective integration of computer technologies in schools points to uses that support constructivist learning principles (Jonassen, How- land, Moore, & Marra, 2003). Constructivism is a theory about how people learn in which learning is not just about acquiring more knowledge but rather “it’s the mental act of reformulating what we thought we knew into something new and different Learning occurs through conceptual change” (Brooks, 2003, p. 13). This conceptual change occurs through an active and social process. The new learning always begins with and builds upon the learners’ previously stored knowledge; as the learners elaborate upon and interpret the new information, their initial ideas are reshaped, and misconceptions in prior knowledge can be ad- dressed through the formation of alternate concep- tions (Tarhan, Ayar-Kayali, Urek & Acar, 2007). They are routinely asked to apply knowledge in diverse and authentic contexts, to explain ideas, interpret texts, predict phenomena, and construct arguments based on evidence (Windschitl, 2002). Learning occurs most effectively when it is situated in experiences that are authentic and meaningful to the learner and when they engage in task-oriented dialogue with one another. Constructivism as a framework for using computer technologies in the classroom has been advocated now for over a decade, but adoption has been slow. One of the reason is that it requires a significant shift in thinking about teaching and learning for many teachers from knowledge instruction to knowledge construction. Teachers who support this view recognize the importance of the active involvement of their students in learning and the need for a learning environment that encourages students’ independent exploration of ideas. Smith, Clark and Blomeyer (2005) see the greatest benefits in “constructivist approaches that use interaction within a situational context to encourage learners to think and reflect while constructing their own personal meaning” (p. 11). However, teachers need to remember that the technology does not teach students, but rather the students only learn when they construct their own knowledge and think and learn through their experience. The computer is simply a tool that can assist students in their knowledge construction. Technology use that is shaped by constructivist learning principles supports a more student centered, inquiry oriented approach to teaching. What is needed in classrooms are technology uses that help students to build knowledge and develop higher order thinking and problem solving skills by providing opportunities for them to think critically and analytically about information and represent their new understandings in multiple ways in an engaged setting (Marlow & Page, 2005). Accord- ing to active learning principles, which emphasize constructivism, students must engage in research- ing, reasoning, critical thinking, decision making, analysis and synthesis during construction of their knowledge” (Tarhan, Ayar-Kayali, Urek & Acar, 2007, p. 286). Ferdig (2006) identifies five components of a social constructivist innovation design: authentic, interesting and challenging academic content; a sense of ownership by the learner; active participation, collaboration and social interaction; opportunities for creation of artifacts in a variety of ways; and publication, reflection and feedback (p. 750). Teachers also 1558 Developing Digital Literacy Skills with WebQuests and Web Inquiry Projects need to recognize that the four classroom walls no longer bind learning. “When children collaborate, they can and do scaffold each others’ thinking” (Ferdig, 2006, p. 751). Every classroom has the potential to be a global learning environment. In this way, computer technologies can help to bridge the gap between the artificial world of school and the outside lives of young people by engaging then in projects that investigate real world issues, that draw on multiple perspectives and that encourage collaboration with experts and other students from around the world. Such global collaborative activities with peers in classrooms around the world can help to promote understanding and appreciation of multiple perspectives and encourage students to become global thinkers (Boss & Krauss, 2007). Thus, constructivist uses of computer technologies need to provide learning opportunities that are based on authentic tasks and environments and include opportunities for exploring and doing as well as for feedback and reflection. These learning environments should be learning spaces in which students have control over the learning activities and are able to use a variety of information resources and tools to solve problems. The inquiry should begin with students’ prior background knowledge and experience, and engage them in creatively applying the resultant new knowledge. This learning environment should represent as much as possible the complex real world of problem solving, however, students need to be taught the skills to work in such environments. This is where a more structured type of learning environment such as problem based learning can provide initial assistance in developing the requisite skills by providing a guided process. What is problem based learning and how it is an example of a learning environment based on constructivist learning principles? In order to prepare students for today’s’ complex world, some schools engage students in problem- based learning trying to hone the students’ skills in applying what they learn to the kinds of problems they are likely to face. (Sternberg, 2008, p. 14) Problem-based learning (PBL) is an instructional model that exemplifies constructivist learning principles (Ochoa & Robinson, 2005). One of the main characteristics of problem-based learning is situating the learning in the examination of authentic, real-life problems and questions of relevance to the learner in order to engage them in the learning. Rather than ‘teaching’ the student in the sense of presenting or even assigning information, the goal is encourage student driven inquiry in which they activate their prior knowledge and investigate the problem from a number of different perspectives in order to develop equally viable alternative solutions to the problem (Ochoa & Robinson, 2005). “Teachers who value thinking and habits of mind would ensure that students confront the problem with a question- ing attitude, arm themselves with attendant data, explore alternatives to the status quo, and predict the consequences of each of those alternatives” (Costa, 2008, p. 21). Learning abstract ideas in this way becomes more concrete and realistic for students (Frazier & Sterling, 2008). Effective PBL environments also involve communication and collaboration that require students to articulate their ideas in ways that strengthen and assist the knowledge construction process as well as activities that encourage the learners to reflect on their learning. Organizing content around significant questions or problems can also assist students in developing higher order thinking skills, flexible understanding and lifelong skills (Ruiz, 2008). The teacher in PBL does not teach the students what they should do or know and when they should do it or go about learning it. Rather the teacher is there to support the students in developing their critical thinking skills, self-directed learning skills, and content knowledge in relation to the problem. The teacher should acknowledge and support the students’ thinking rather than impose structure on [...]... Boyd, F (20 07) Web- based inquiry learning: Facilitating thoughtful literacy with WebQuests The Reading Teacher, 60 (7) , 644–654 doi:10.1598/RT.60 .7. 5 Ferdig, R (2006) Assessing technologies for teaching and learning: understanding the importance of technological pedagogical content knowledge British Journal of Educational Technology, 37( 5), 74 9 76 0 doi:10.1111/j.14 678 535.2006.00559.x ISTE (20 07) National... Using WebQuests in the middle school classroom Clearing House (Menasha, Wis.), 76 (3), 152–155 15 67 Developing Digital Literacy Skills with WebQuests and Web Inquiry Projects Mackenzie, J (2005) Singular displeasure: Technology, literacy and semantic power plays From Now On: The Educational Technology Journal 14(5) Retrieved from http://fno.org/jun05/ singular.html Maddux, C., & Cummings, R (20 07) WebQuests:... http://fno.org/jun05/ singular.html Maddux, C., & Cummings, R (20 07) WebQuests: Are they developmentally appropriate? The Educational Forum, 71 (2), 1 17 1 27 doi:10.1080/0013 172 070 8984925 March, T (2004) The learning power of WebQuests Educational Leadership, December / January, 42– 47 Marlow, B., & Page, M (2005) Creating and sustaining a constructivist classroom, (2nd Ed) Thousand Oaks California: Corwin Press... AACE 1568 Molebash, P., & Dodge, B (2003) Kickstarting inquiry with WebQuests and Web Inquiry Projects Social Education, 67( 3), 158–162 Molebash, P., Dodge, B., Bell, R., Mason, C., & Irving, K (n.d.) Promoting student inquiry: WebQuests to Web inquiry projects (WIPs) Retrieved from http://edWeb.sdsu.edu/wip/overview.htm Murry, R (2006) WebQuests celebrate 10 years: Have they delivered? Action Research... standard Web browser Unlike most Websites, there’s no need to edit a file, upload it to a Web server, then reload the original to check it This work was previously published in Encyclopedia of Information Communication Technology, edited by A Cartelli; M Palma, pp 195-201, copyright 2009 by Information Science Reference (an imprint of IGI Global) 1 577 1 578 Chapter 5.22 Modeling Best Practices in Web- Based... Literacy Skills with WebQuests and Web Inquiry Projects WHAT ARE WEB INQUIRY PROjECTS? In order to promote higher levels of inquiry in the classroom, less specific guidance can be given to students Web Inquiry Projects (WIPs) are one example of a way to extend the WebQuest idea beyond structured inquiry to more open inquiry that promotes higher levels of thinking and student engagement Web Inquiry Projects... public way Longer-term WebQuests can take anywhere from a week to a month (Norton & Wiburg, 2003) Throughout the WebQuest, the teacher acts as the facilitator checking to see that students understand the role that they are to take and that they stay on task WHERE CAN WEBQUESTS BE FOUND? A WebQuest can be chosen from a series of pre-designed WebQuest collections [see ... among the terms in that vocabulary Semantic Web: The Semantic Web is an extension of the current Web in which information is given a well-defined meaning, better enabling computers and people to work in cooperation The mix of content on the Web has been shifting from exclusively human-oriented content to more and more data content The Semantic Web brings to the Web the idea of having data defined and linked... Literacy Skills with WebQuests and Web Inquiry Projects Berson, 2003, p 480) When students engage in creating their own WebQuests, it can also enhance the development of their critical, creative and higher level thinking skills The two Websites noted previously provide templates that students can use for creating their own quests WHAT ARE SOME OF THE LIMITATIONS OF WEBQUESTS? The WebQuest approach is... php?option=com_content&task=view&id=254 &Itemid=120 Developing Digital Literacy Skills with WebQuests and Web Inquiry Projects Ruiz, E (2008) Problem-based learning: A pedagogical strategy for active learning Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 32(3), 251–2 57 doi:10.1080/1066892 070 1836349 Sterling, D (20 07, December) Modeling problem-based instruction Science and Children, 4, 50–53 Sternberg, . http://fno.org/jun05/ singular.html Maddux, C., & Cummings, R. (20 07) . Web- Quests: Are they developmentally appropriate? The Educational Forum, 71 (2), 1 17 1 27. doi:10.1080/0013 172 070 8984925 March, T. (2004). The learning. 511–535. doi:10.23 07/ 35 877 41 Warschauer, M. (2006). The paradoxical future of digital learning. Learning Inquiry, 1, 41–49. doi:10.10 07/ s11519-0 07- 0001-5 Warschauer, M. (20 07, November). Information. number of Websites that provide rubrics for determining the quality of WebQuests. [See for example, <http://bestWebquests.com/ bwq/matrix.asp> and <http://Webquest.sdsu.edu/ Webquestrubric.html