Presentation given at Pebblegogy Book Launch 2011 (Melbourne, Australia) Just in Time Resources: Introducing digital & academic literacies using WebQuests Looking at how Pebblepad webfolios are used to present webquests to distance students in order to scaffold their digital skills and academic literacies as they study via distance education.

1. JIT Resources: Introducing digital &
academic literacies using
WebQuests
Trisha Poole
Charles Sturt University

2. Web-a-What?
• WebQuest: Consider it quest from the
medieval ages modernised to use webbased content...

3. Contextualisation

4. Learner Needs
• Deconstruction
– Academic
– Practical
• Joint construction
• Independent
construction

5. Considerations
• Learners
– Age
– Tech happiness
– Language ability
• Institutional
– Delivery mode
• Instructor
– Capacity for support
– Tech happiness

6. WebQuests
EML508 Policy WQ
EML508 ELLs in Society WQ

7. Responses
• Learners
– Conservative  Gimmemore!
– Hesitant  More confidence
• Instructors
– Better assignments
– Easy to manage
• Limitations
– Doesn’t guarantee skill development, but gives a
good reference point to refer

8. Learner Feedback
• “Well structured.”
• “A lot of work for 5%.”
• “Easy to do the assignment, but if I change
my topic, it’s not good.”
• “Helpful for understanding articles.”

9. Future Directions
• More WQs and similar items embedded
within DE subjects
• More WQs that respond to learner needs as
subjects are taught