First-year students' experience of a WebQuest to explore the University's online resources and virtual learning environment

Authors

Abstract

First-year students present with diverse digital literacy skills. Orientation to online tools and resources via a WebQuest was introduced
as a novel modality to allow students to work at their own pace. Occupational therapy and physiotherapy students (N=383) over three
consecutive academic years completed the WebQuest. A descriptive survey design was used to investigate the students' electronic
media preferences and their perceptions of the WebQuest. The students (n=250) reported preference for personal computing and
home-based internet, and rated their electronic media proficiency as very good. The WebQuest was seen as beneficial to their learning
and the difficulty level of the WebQuest was "just right". The majority of the students felt that the WebQuest made the learning
process more interesting, but were more ambivalent regarding their enjoyment of the WebQuest, possibly due to technical issues and
experiencing it as being time consuming. Overall the WebQuest was a successful modality for orientating the students to the online
tools and resources of the University

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Author Biographies

  • Paula Monique Barnard-Ashton, University of the Witwatersrand

    Qualifiactions: BSc OT (Wits), MSc OT (Wits) 

    Position: Lecturer and Manager of eFundanathi - Learn with Us, School of Therapetiuc Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand

    Affiliated to the Department of Occupational Therapy

  • Janine van der Linde, University of the Witwatersrand

    Qualification: B OT (UFS); MSc OT (Wits)

    Position: Lecturer and Instructional Designer eFundanathi – Learn with Us; School of Therapeutic Sciences; Faculty of Health Sciences; University of the Witwatersrand.

    Affiliated to the Department of Occupational Therapy.

  • Alan Rothberg, University of the Witwatersrand

    Qualifications: MBBCh (Wits); FCPaed (SA), PhD (Wits)

    Position: Associate Professor; School of Therapeutic Sciences; Faculty of Health Sciences; University of the Witwatersrand

  • Patricia McInerney, University of the Witwatersrand

    Qualifications: BSc Nursing (Wits); Dip N Ed (Wits); MSc Nursing (Wits); PhD (Wits)

    Position: Associate Professor; Centre for Health Science Education; Faculty of Health Sciences; University of the Witwatersrand

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Additional Files

Published

08-08-2018

Issue

Vol. 48 No. 2 (2018): The South African Journal of Occupational Therapy

Section

Research Articles

How to Cite

First-year students’ experience of a WebQuest to explore the University’s online resources and virtual learning environment. (2018). South African Journal of Occupational Therapy, 48(2), 3-11. https://journals.assaf.org.za/index.php/sajot/article/view/19556
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