Module 9
June 12, 2011
The new buzzword, both in curriculum theory as well as instruction principles and effective practices is “authenticity”. Given the changes which the new millennium is suggesting are critical for our students to learn, what are your thoughts on the relevance and applicability of WebQuests as a medium to foster and promote authentic learning?
Authentic learning is a loaded word within a loaded context. We are almost assuming that students will naturally acquire an ability to become authentic in their learning because we throw technology their way. The truth of the matter is that authenticity has been abound in education for years. It is how the materials are prepared and the expectations in which they are presented that in fact make them authentic. Do we as teachers dare tout ourselves as creating authentic tasks when in fact the authenticity lies in the process that must be driven by the student? Therefore, WebQuests are certainly one way in which students may experience authentic learning but it is not because it is in the form of a WebQuest, it lies in the journey that is guided by a skilled educator and an engaged learner.
