The rapid advances of technology during the 21st Century requires an educational curriculum which provides students with the necessary skills and experience to meet the demands of this increasingly digital world. Education must now involve teaching students to use digital technology collaboratively, to critically review digitally sourced information, communicate ideas effectively and devise creative solutions where necessary.
The Australian Curriculum recognises the importance of integrating ICT into Australian schools with the inclusion of the ICT General Capabilities requirement in the syllabus (School Curriculum and Standards Authority [SCSA], 2014). The role of the teacher is to therefore create an environment which incorporates digital technology and utilises ICT tools to provide students with the best opportunity to develop their technological capability and understanding. Perhaps more crucially, teachers must now provide students with the ability to utilise these ICT skills in their future life (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA], 2016).
Webquest (2017) is an example of an inquiry-oriented teaching model which requires students to draw on information available on the internet to complete a series of tasks. This ICT tool is used by vast numbers of teachers as it requires students to interpret data, be critical and creative thinkers, and work both independently and in collaboration with others to problem solve.
Using the Australian Curriculum and SCSA as the context for our webquest, our team devised a series of four lessons targeted at a Year 7 History class. The lessons incorporate several ICT learning resources that allow opportunities for the students to accomplish interactive, collaborative, creative and analytical tasks. These ICT resources selected are detailed below:
iPad:
The primary ICT device used by students undertaking this webquest is the iPad. IPads are an excellent classroom tool that offer portability and easy access to interactive technology. They have a simple touch screen operation so can be used by students at all levels and abilities. The device supports collaboration and engagement of students as it provides a more interactive way of learning than simple textbooks. Students can access the internet with a simple touch of a button providing them with endless amounts of information. Consequently, iPads are a vital component of this webquest and will be used during every lesson to accommodate research, analysis, problem-solving and creative activities.
Quizzes & Games:
The webquest includes some gamification including Kahoot, and Crossword. These games have been included to motivate the students whilst also providing a facility to recap learning and measure the students retention of information. If used appropriately, games can offer a method of engaging students competitively while encouraging collaborative interaction, a crucial skill needed for social interactions. Kahoot offers an additional feature that allows the teacher to view student results, this is beneficial for forward planning ensuring individual learning needs are addressed. This supports student learning as teachers are made more aware of specific areas that need further explanation, without the student needing to ask for direct help. Through the creation of crosswords, students are given an opportunity to think critically and creatively through the design of it. Furthermore, it requires the student to fully understand and synthesize the information as they must think of relevant and appropriate questions.
Timelines:
These are creative tools which provide a stimulating way for students to recall events in chronological order. Timelines are useful for visual learners and help students understand the relationships between events. TimeToast is the timeline application selected for lesson 2's homework activity, it is designed to show students the development and progression of burial tombs during the ancient Egyptian period. The creation of timelines is a tool to support student learning and thinking as they begin to appreciate the importance of arranging events in the correct order for accurate historical understanding.
Brainstorming:
Particular applications have been selected to motivate the learner to recall rather than just memorise information. They are visual tools which aid in the development of critical thinking, allowing students to sort through ideas and concepts to determine what is important/relevant. Popplet is used in lesson 1 as part of an inquiry-based task with students having to research information to complete the task. Padlet (lesson 1) and Text2map (lesson 2) are being used as collaborative brainstorming tools for the purpose of facilitating information recall with ideas being shared amongst the whole class. This is a useful tool which promotes student thinking and reflection by providing them with different perspectives and new ideas. Word Clouds are used in lesson 4 as part of the final task, students are to select words or phrases relevant to their webquest and recall others which relate. Pic Collage is another type of app which can be used for brainstorming and is included in lesson 4 of this webquest. Using images instead of text as a means of brainstorming encourages student creativity and engagement by providing them with the opportunity to experiment with different layouts and designs.
Image Resources:
During a number of the tasks students are directed to use links to nominated sites to select images. These sites include: Flickr, Pixabay, and Britannica Image Quest. These image resources have been selected as they offer images which are not subject to copyright, allowing students the opportunity to research and select their own images to complete the tasks. These sites allow students to make their own selection without fear of infringement encouraging creativity and critical thinking. It also helps students to develop awareness of digital safety issues online. Including image resources in task objectives also supports visual learners.
Information Resources:
As per the image resources, links to websites and digitised online material has also been provided in the lessons allowing students to source and evaluate information to decide on its relevancy to the topic before making their own selection. Research is an integral part of the history curriculum and encourages students to think critically and evaluate and synthesise the available information. The nominated websites include: Encyclopedia Britannica, British Museum, and BBC Bitesize.
Videos and Virtual Reality 3D Tour:
These ICT resources are used as educational aids to help students engage with the subject matter more deeply to retain information. Video offers another alternative for engaging auditory and visual learners. Both TedEd Talk and Youtube are the free video streaming resources selected for lessons 1 and 3, offering informative and engaging videos on the webquest subject matter. The Virtual Reality 3D tomb tour allows students the ability to take a tour through some of the tombs of ancient Egyptian pharaohs facilitating a better understanding of the subject and providing them the options to choose the learning journey they wish to take.
QR Codes:
The inclusion of QR Codes in the webquest promotes interactive learning, engages students and caters for different learning styles. Utilising this ICT resource results in an inquiry-oriented creative opportunity for students. Kaywa is the website students will be directed to for the creation of the QR Code as this is a free (for a limited number of uses) and easy to use ICT resource allowing them the ability to select an image, text or URL hidden behind the QR Code. This also provides an opportunity for parents and other students to ‘read’ the QR code and the information collated once the webquest has been completed.
Google Docs and Share Drive:
This is an online platform which allows documents to be created, shared and stored on the web. It is a useful and efficient collaborative tool as multiple users can access, upload and edit documents at the same time. This ICT resource has the added benefit of providing teachers with the ability to control access to files and folders. Throughout this webquest, students will be required to use Google Share Drive to access documents, links and to upload their completed, thus building on their information access and management skills.
ePresentations & eBooks:
Digital presentations and books encourage higher order thinking requiring creativity, decision making and innovation as students reflect on their research to create a digital presentation that educates and engages others about their topic. Google Slides and the eBook Creator app have been selected to assist students complete their webquest. Both are available for use on iPads and are straightforward to use, they support student learning through bringing all of the separate parts from their webquest together to create an integrated whole.
References
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2016). Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability. Australian Curriculum. Retrieved from http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/generalcapabilities/information-and-communication-technology-capability/introduction/introduction
Dulin, Beth. WebQuests - "so yesterday" or 21st century learning? [online]. Science Education News, Vol. 62, No. 4, 2013: 248-252. Retrieved from <http://search.informit.com.au.ipacez.nd.edu.au/documentSummary;dn=347216603031164;res=IELHSS> ISSN: 0048-9603. [cited 27 Jan 17].
Government of Western Australia. (2014). Technologies [online]. School Curriculum and Standards Authority. Retrieved from
http://k10outline.scsa.wa.edu.au/home/p-10-curriculum/curriculum-browser/technologies/technologies-overview/rationale
WebQuest.Org (2017). What Is a WebQuest [online]. Retrieved from http://www.webquest.org/
The Australian Curriculum recognises the importance of integrating ICT into Australian schools with the inclusion of the ICT General Capabilities requirement in the syllabus (School Curriculum and Standards Authority [SCSA], 2014). The role of the teacher is to therefore create an environment which incorporates digital technology and utilises ICT tools to provide students with the best opportunity to develop their technological capability and understanding. Perhaps more crucially, teachers must now provide students with the ability to utilise these ICT skills in their future life (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA], 2016).
Webquest (2017) is an example of an inquiry-oriented teaching model which requires students to draw on information available on the internet to complete a series of tasks. This ICT tool is used by vast numbers of teachers as it requires students to interpret data, be critical and creative thinkers, and work both independently and in collaboration with others to problem solve.
Using the Australian Curriculum and SCSA as the context for our webquest, our team devised a series of four lessons targeted at a Year 7 History class. The lessons incorporate several ICT learning resources that allow opportunities for the students to accomplish interactive, collaborative, creative and analytical tasks. These ICT resources selected are detailed below:
iPad:
The primary ICT device used by students undertaking this webquest is the iPad. IPads are an excellent classroom tool that offer portability and easy access to interactive technology. They have a simple touch screen operation so can be used by students at all levels and abilities. The device supports collaboration and engagement of students as it provides a more interactive way of learning than simple textbooks. Students can access the internet with a simple touch of a button providing them with endless amounts of information. Consequently, iPads are a vital component of this webquest and will be used during every lesson to accommodate research, analysis, problem-solving and creative activities.
Quizzes & Games:
The webquest includes some gamification including Kahoot, and Crossword. These games have been included to motivate the students whilst also providing a facility to recap learning and measure the students retention of information. If used appropriately, games can offer a method of engaging students competitively while encouraging collaborative interaction, a crucial skill needed for social interactions. Kahoot offers an additional feature that allows the teacher to view student results, this is beneficial for forward planning ensuring individual learning needs are addressed. This supports student learning as teachers are made more aware of specific areas that need further explanation, without the student needing to ask for direct help. Through the creation of crosswords, students are given an opportunity to think critically and creatively through the design of it. Furthermore, it requires the student to fully understand and synthesize the information as they must think of relevant and appropriate questions.
Timelines:
These are creative tools which provide a stimulating way for students to recall events in chronological order. Timelines are useful for visual learners and help students understand the relationships between events. TimeToast is the timeline application selected for lesson 2's homework activity, it is designed to show students the development and progression of burial tombs during the ancient Egyptian period. The creation of timelines is a tool to support student learning and thinking as they begin to appreciate the importance of arranging events in the correct order for accurate historical understanding.
Brainstorming:
Particular applications have been selected to motivate the learner to recall rather than just memorise information. They are visual tools which aid in the development of critical thinking, allowing students to sort through ideas and concepts to determine what is important/relevant. Popplet is used in lesson 1 as part of an inquiry-based task with students having to research information to complete the task. Padlet (lesson 1) and Text2map (lesson 2) are being used as collaborative brainstorming tools for the purpose of facilitating information recall with ideas being shared amongst the whole class. This is a useful tool which promotes student thinking and reflection by providing them with different perspectives and new ideas. Word Clouds are used in lesson 4 as part of the final task, students are to select words or phrases relevant to their webquest and recall others which relate. Pic Collage is another type of app which can be used for brainstorming and is included in lesson 4 of this webquest. Using images instead of text as a means of brainstorming encourages student creativity and engagement by providing them with the opportunity to experiment with different layouts and designs.
Image Resources:
During a number of the tasks students are directed to use links to nominated sites to select images. These sites include: Flickr, Pixabay, and Britannica Image Quest. These image resources have been selected as they offer images which are not subject to copyright, allowing students the opportunity to research and select their own images to complete the tasks. These sites allow students to make their own selection without fear of infringement encouraging creativity and critical thinking. It also helps students to develop awareness of digital safety issues online. Including image resources in task objectives also supports visual learners.
Information Resources:
As per the image resources, links to websites and digitised online material has also been provided in the lessons allowing students to source and evaluate information to decide on its relevancy to the topic before making their own selection. Research is an integral part of the history curriculum and encourages students to think critically and evaluate and synthesise the available information. The nominated websites include: Encyclopedia Britannica, British Museum, and BBC Bitesize.
Videos and Virtual Reality 3D Tour:
These ICT resources are used as educational aids to help students engage with the subject matter more deeply to retain information. Video offers another alternative for engaging auditory and visual learners. Both TedEd Talk and Youtube are the free video streaming resources selected for lessons 1 and 3, offering informative and engaging videos on the webquest subject matter. The Virtual Reality 3D tomb tour allows students the ability to take a tour through some of the tombs of ancient Egyptian pharaohs facilitating a better understanding of the subject and providing them the options to choose the learning journey they wish to take.
QR Codes:
The inclusion of QR Codes in the webquest promotes interactive learning, engages students and caters for different learning styles. Utilising this ICT resource results in an inquiry-oriented creative opportunity for students. Kaywa is the website students will be directed to for the creation of the QR Code as this is a free (for a limited number of uses) and easy to use ICT resource allowing them the ability to select an image, text or URL hidden behind the QR Code. This also provides an opportunity for parents and other students to ‘read’ the QR code and the information collated once the webquest has been completed.
Google Docs and Share Drive:
This is an online platform which allows documents to be created, shared and stored on the web. It is a useful and efficient collaborative tool as multiple users can access, upload and edit documents at the same time. This ICT resource has the added benefit of providing teachers with the ability to control access to files and folders. Throughout this webquest, students will be required to use Google Share Drive to access documents, links and to upload their completed, thus building on their information access and management skills.
ePresentations & eBooks:
Digital presentations and books encourage higher order thinking requiring creativity, decision making and innovation as students reflect on their research to create a digital presentation that educates and engages others about their topic. Google Slides and the eBook Creator app have been selected to assist students complete their webquest. Both are available for use on iPads and are straightforward to use, they support student learning through bringing all of the separate parts from their webquest together to create an integrated whole.
References
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2016). Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability. Australian Curriculum. Retrieved from http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/generalcapabilities/information-and-communication-technology-capability/introduction/introduction
Dulin, Beth. WebQuests - "so yesterday" or 21st century learning? [online]. Science Education News, Vol. 62, No. 4, 2013: 248-252. Retrieved from <http://search.informit.com.au.ipacez.nd.edu.au/documentSummary;dn=347216603031164;res=IELHSS> ISSN: 0048-9603. [cited 27 Jan 17].
Government of Western Australia. (2014). Technologies [online]. School Curriculum and Standards Authority. Retrieved from
http://k10outline.scsa.wa.edu.au/home/p-10-curriculum/curriculum-browser/technologies/technologies-overview/rationale
WebQuest.Org (2017). What Is a WebQuest [online]. Retrieved from http://www.webquest.org/
Author: Jane Golding