Webquest as Technology of Differentiated Esp Instruction at University Level

Abstract

The current study aims to find out teachers’ attitudes to the WebQuest learning and analyze the specifics of WebQuests and possibilities of their use in differentiated ESP instruction of information technology (IT) students. A qualitative type of research was used. The participants of the study were 31 ESP teachers (28 females and 3 males) of the Department of English for Engineering of National Technical University of Ukraine “Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute”. The ESP teachers participated in the study voluntarily in 2019-2020. An anonymous questionnaire was used to collect the data. The questioning of the ESP teachers has shown that most of them appreciate the idea of using the WebQuest learning. The analysis of the WebQuest specifics allowed suggesting a classification of WebQuests based on ten criteria. The structure of a WebQuest is described with a focus on IT students’ language learning styles and foreign language proficiency levels. Approaches to the WebQuest learning used by ESP teachers in the differentiated instruction were analyzed. It was concluded that the use of different types of WebQuests with a focus on learners’ differentiation helps to diversify ESP learning at technical university and facilitates the development of professional communicative skills.

Effect of the Use of WebQuest in a Chinese for Tourism Course at a Thai University: An Exploratory Study

“…The students have to be self-directed, active and autonomous when it comes to searching for information before referring to the instructor who acts as the facilitator. This solves the problem of over-dependence on the instructors to deliver knowledge and to identify problems (Synekop, 2020). It has been proven that the students improved their self-esteem and self-confidence by taking part in a more participative course.…”

“…Researchers claim that the WebQuest technology, as an interactive method, can be successfully implemented in the field of teaching foreign languages. They believe that after the implementation of WebQuest and other learning methods such as collaborative projects, problem-based classrooms or flipped classrooms in the field of language acquisition, the learners' language competency performance will be significantly improved (Awada & Dihab, 2018;Berezova et al, 2018;Adanan et al, 2020;Synekop, 2020). Awada and Dihab (2018) investigated student's academic writing performance after integrating Student Team Achievement Division (STAD) and WebQuest into their learning process.…”

Digital Reflective Journal in the Translation Classroom: Does the Format Change the Game?

“…It should be acknowledged that reflection practices are gaining momentum in various aspects of contemporary foreign language teaching (Fakazli & Gönen, 2017;Pham, 2022;Salih & Omar, 2022;Susanti, 2023;Synekop, 2020), as well as in teachers' professional development (Ardi, Widyaningsih & Widiati, 2023;Dayal & Alpana, 2020;Dumlao & Pinatacan, 2019;Fraser, Wotring, Green & Eady, 2022;Ningsih & Lengkanawati, 2023;Nuraeni & Heryatun, 2021), and medical staff training (Olmos-Ochoa et al, 2021). These practices are gradually being adopted by translation and interpretation training as well.…”

Students’ Views on Quizlet as a Learning Medium to Enhance Legal English Vocabulary Acquisition

“…Nevertheless, due to its distinctive features, learners have met obstacles in memorizing and understanding legal terminology. Synekop (2020) denotes that an effective way to enhance positive changes in learning ESP vocabulary is to take into consideration the students' differentiation in English language proficiency and learning styles as well as to utilize digital tools in the learning process. In such situation, it is assumed that utilizing Quizlet application in particular is considered to be one of the most appropriate measures to effectively support learners in acquiring legal English vocabulary.…”