The effect of webquests on the writing and reading performance of university students

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Technical and Agrobiological Specialities National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine

THE EFFECT OF WEBQUESTS ON THE WRITING AND READING PERFORMANCE OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Kateryna H. Yakushko

Statement of the problem. Computer Assisted Language Learning has attracted the attention of many researchers in order to support teaching and learning a foreign language [2; 3; 6; 7; 11]. According to O. Ivanova, “as we move forward through the information age, the implementation of information and communication technologies into education has become an imperative” [11, p.155]. Many educational institutions use new technology as part of a language classroom. Due to computers students access a large number of authentic learning resources, read on different topics, analyze and synthesize information,evaluate and select relevant content, construct the meaning.WebQuests have been around for more than twenty years and received popularity among many teachers; WebQuests are also increasingly becoming popular in teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) since they provide learners with authentic and collaborative tasks. As G. Stoks argues, “WebQuests offer good internet-based language learning opportunities because they provide learners with exposure to authentic material, meaningful content and possibilities for real communication in the target language” [5]. While doing the WebQuest tasks, students search for the information, develop integrated language skills such as reading, writing and speaking in order to complete the task. According to T. March, “a real WebQuest is a scaffolded learning structure that uses links to essential resources on the World Wide Web and an authentic task to motivate students' investigation of an open-ended question, development of individual expertise, and participation in a group process that transforms newly acquired information into a more sophisticated understanding” [9]. The use of WebQuests motivates students to use higher thinking and task management skills, to see deeper thematic relationships, to reflect on their own learning.However, little studies have been done on using WebQuests in teaching and learning EFL to show its potential in boosting language skills in the Ukrainian context [7; 10]. This study attempts to shed light on the effect of the WebQuest technology on the development of students' reading and writing skills in theEFLcontext at a university level.

Analysis of recent studies and publications. Language teachers are constantly seeking innovative ways to engage their students in inquiry activities. One of such approaches is using WebQuest to have students seek out information about a topic. WebQuests are Internet-based technological applications that allow students to use the Internet to acquire new knowledge and apply it by following steps to complete a task on a specific subject or multi-disciplinary subject.

WebQuests are considered to have the following attributes: a clear structure that promotes effective use of time; the use of authentic material and the development of tasks connected with reality that motivates students; a collaborative and cooperative structure that encourages students to attain interdependence and responsibility; and a structure that promotes higher order thinking processes (analysis, synthesis, evaluation, etc.) [6].Many studies have found that using WebQuest enhances cooperation among students [6]. When working cooperatively, language learnersdevelop their speaking skills due tolanguage interaction with the other students. When working in groups,students can discussthe task and thereby exchange vocabulary. According to P. Torres, the use of WebQuest can promote collaboration and cooperation among learnersand help them use the target language more extensively.Suchcooperationcreates more meaningful learning environment and fosters independent learning [6]. As D. Murray and P. McPherson claim, WebQuests are more applicable to real life and promote authenticity by accessing the real language and authentic materials [2; 3]. G. Dudeney recognizes WebQuests as a powerful learning tool by pointing out the following advantages: “providing a relatively easy way to incorporate the Internet into the language classroom, encouraging critical thinking, leading to more communication and interaction through group activities, and eliciting greater learner motivation through interdisciplinary studies as well as “real-life” tasks” [4].

Peterson et al. state that WebQuests provide opportunities for students to be introduced to a great variety of authentic materialson the Internet and thus enhance reading performance [1]. A number of research findings suggest that the use of WebQuests is also useful in promoting students' writing skills and providing an engaging positive learning atmosphere. Thus, Chuo studiedthe effects of the WebQuest Writing Instruction on EFL students' writing performance, apprehension, and perception. The findings revealed that the WebQuest Writing Instruction showed more improvement in students' writing performance compared to the traditional writing instruction. The students also revealed positive perception of the WebQuests, demonstrating more pluses than minuses of learning a foreign language through this technology [8].

However, in the Ukrainian context very little research has been conducted on the use of WebQuestsin the EFL classroom. There are a number of studies on general use of Web recourses but only a few ones dedicated to WebQuests as a language learning tool [7; 10]. Thus, the aimof this studyis to explore whether using WebQuests is effective in enhancing writing and reading performance of EFL students at a university level in Ukraine.

METHODS OF THE STUDY

The study employed a number of general scientific and specific methods - analysis, synthesis, comparison, generalization, observation, pedagogical experiment and statistical methods.The participants of the study consisted of 3 groups of first-year students who were enrolled in the “English for Specific Purposes” course in the autumn semester of the academic year 2017-2018 at the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine. The total number of students engaged in this study was72. Each group of students was further divided into an experimental and control group.

THE FINDINGS OF THE STUDY

A WebQuest is an inquiry-based activity in which the information that learners interact with comes from Web resources. Surfing the web, skimming websites, scanning web documents for relevant information, trying to decode the meaning, possibly making use of translation programs on the web is exceptionally good for language learning. According to G. Stoks,WebQuests consist of five main componentsas presented in Table 1 [5].

Table 1 WebQuest Components