Purpose – University students, especially at the
freshman level, oftentimes experience challenging difficulties while accessing,
analyzing, and evaluating internet information for research purposes. WebQuest
provides students with an organized digital tool that allows them to develop a
goal-oriented process of online search. Yet, empirical research on this subject
is absent from the educational literature of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).
This study addresses this gap in the literature towards the goal of enriching
the discourse of WebQuest value on advancing university students’ higher-order
critical thinking skills within the context of the KSA. The overall aim of the
study is twofold: First, it examines the impact of an interdisciplinary
WebQuest, as an inquiry-based activity in a social constructivist and scafolded
learning environment, on advancing students’ lifelong learning competences and
their affiliated skills while developing their business plans and projects.
Second, the study uses the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as a conceptual
guide to explore the relationship between the perceived usefulness and
perceived ease of use of the tool on the one hand and students’ attitude
towards WebQuest on the other hand.
Design/methodology/approach – Two guiding principles derive the overall
design of the study: (1) The implementation of a social-constructivist teaching
and assessment approach to learning; (2) Exploring the validity of the
Technology Acceptance Model within the context of Saudi Arabia. Towards this
goal, a mixed methods case study approach is used with a Likert scale
questionnaire that ends with three open-ended questions to collect qualitative
data for validating findings from the survey.
Findings - The
findings suggest that (1) students perceived WebQuest as a well-organized
digital tool that facilitates the process of collecting reliable information
and sources for their research projects, and (2) there is a statistically
significant impact of integrating WebQuest on advancing students’ teamwork,
research, and technology and leadership skills. The findings also indicate that
the correlation is statistically significant. In addition, it is evident that
there are other factors such as faculty feedback, technical support, and providing
exemplary models and templates of Web Quest that maximized the successful
implementation of the tool in an engaging, active and constructivist-oriented
learning environment.
WebQuest Technology Acceptance Model Constructivist approach competency-based learning
Birincil Dil | İngilizce |
---|---|
Bölüm | Makaleler |
Yazarlar | |
Yayımlanma Tarihi | 30 Nisan 2018 |
Gönderilme Tarihi | 14 Mart 2018 |
Yayımlandığı Sayı | Yıl 2018Cilt: 4 Sayı: 10 |
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