Based on Rogers’ (1969) concept of personally relevant learning as well as Heider’s (1958)common sense psychology, Snelbecker (1993) proposes the concept of functional relevance. Functional relevance basically focuses on the extent to which intended learners actually perceive instruction as being relevant for, and fit with, the way(s) that they function in their work, studies, personal lives, and so forth. According to Snelbecker et al. (2006) functional relevance basically focuses on the extent to which intended learners actually perceive instruction as being relevant for, and fit with, the way(s) that they function in their work, studies, personal lives, and so forth. Effective instruction is defined as enabling the learner to act in accordance with his or her own present perceptions about the situation, and less in automatic compliance with what instructors say that the learners should feel or perceive. Thus it is essential not only that instruction be designed so that it is relevant for how learners function but also that intended learners recognize how and why it is important for them. The concept of functional relevance is applicable in situations that focus on applying theories and innovations to improve learning and training.
Published in Chapter:
Understanding the Underlying Constructs of WebQuests
Robert Zheng (University of Utah, USA)
Copyright: © 2008
|Pages: 16
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-59904-865-9.ch054
Abstract
One of the challenges in integrating the Internet into classroom instruction is to identify factors that are critical to online teaching and functionally relevant to student learning (Snelbecker, Miller, & Zheng, 2006; Zheng, Stucky, McAlack, Menchaca, & Stoddort, 2005). This study focused on learner and teacher perceptions of WebQuest learning and identified three constructs - constructivist problem solving, social interaction and scaffolded learning - that were perceived by students and teachers as critical to the design and development of WebQuests. The constructs provide a theoretical framework that is not only instrumental to the design and development of WebQuests but also important for the design of effective web-based instruction.