ESL TEACHER-TRAINEE REFLECTIONS ON THE USE OF THE WEBQUEST: PRACTICAL OR JUST A HYPE?

Abstract

The era of computer-mediated-communication in almost all spheres of life, specifically in the teaching process will continue to grow inexorably. The popularity of the WebQuest as one of the most useful teaching tools in ESL has been clearly demonstrated by the number of hits the WebQuest homepage has received. As many as 7.5 million visitors have been recorded at the web site in the nine years from February 1998 to early February 2006. More importantly, the WebQuest activities are seen to have strong theoretical and pedagogical foundations. Lamb and Teclehaimanot (2005) have underscored the advan- tages of the WebQuest, stressing how the activity integrates the internet into the class- room with evaluation, analysis and transformation of information that propels the activity beyond a mere “hodge-podge collection of facts and opinions” to “a more meaningful and authentic learning experience” reflective of high-level student thinking. Hence, language pedagogy cannot and should not be immune to the advantages the WebQuest and the technologies it can offer with regard to information, resources and opportunities for global communication. The study elicits teachers’ views on the prac- ticability of the WebQuest; whether it is indeed feasible and useful to be used in the ESL classroom or is it merely a hype with potential limitations.