Teaching and learning activities in higher education institutions (HEIs) have been subject to unique challenges brought on by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Although conversations surrounding inequality in learning during this period focused on the digital divide between and within countries, university administrators and classroom teachers were also concerned about ensuring equity in online assessment and evaluation for learners. The chapter offers an analysis of the theoretical underpinnings of Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) and equity principles by elaborating on the process and its appropriateness as an assessment method for teacher education courses within the contextualized Emirati experience. In this chapter, the author reflects on the implementation of a model of a teacher education program in higher education where performance assessment is conducted through IBL and WebQuest. The importance of equity in assessment during online learning is highlighted, as well as the principles of an equitable online assessment.
Abu-Elwan, R. (2007). The Use of Webquest to Enhance the Mathematical Problem-Posing Skills of Pre-Service Teachers. International Journal for Technology in Mathematics Education, 14, 31-39.
Acar, O. A., & Tuncdogan, A. (2019). Using the Inquiry-Based Learning Approach to Enhance Student Innovativeness: A Conceptual Model. Teaching in Higher Education, 24, 895-909. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2018.1516636
Al Jahromi, D. (2019). The Impact of Online Discussions on the Accuracy of the Written Output of Bahraini L2 University Students: Multiple Perspectives. In S. Hidri (Ed.), English Language Teaching Research in the Middle East and North Africa (pp. 637-665). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98533-6_28
AlShamsi, A. (2016). The Effect of WebQuests on Grade 11 Reading Comprehension and Student perceptions Of WebQuests. American International Journal of Contemporary Research, 6, 132-143.
AlShamsi, A. (2021). Cognitive and Metacognitive Skills on Elementary School Students: Mixed Methods Study. TESOL International Journal, 61, 7-36.
AlShamsi, A. (2022). Equity in Online Assessment: A Qualitative Case Study. NeuroQuantology, 20, 6478-6491.
AlShamsi, A. (2023). Perspective Chapter: Performance-Based Assessment through Inquiry-Based Learning. In L. Waller, & S. K. Waller (Eds.), Higher Education—Reflections from the Field. IntechOpen. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.109217
AlShamsi, A. S., & Alsheikh, N. O. (2020). Sociocultural Integration of Bilingualism and Biliteracy of Emiratis: Exploratory Study in a Group of Fifth-Grade Students. 3L: Language, Linguistics, Literature: The Southeast Asian Journal of English Language Studies, 26, 66-80. https://doi.org/10.17576/3L-2020-2603-06
AlShamsi, A. S., Alshamsi, A. K., & AlKetbi, A. N. (2022). Training Teachers Using Action Research for Innovation in Early Childhood Education Literacy. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 21, 54-72. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.21.11.4
AlShamsi, A., & Alsheikh, N. (2022). Reconnoitering the Influence of Linguistic Aspects on Emirati Fifth Grade Students’ Bilingualism Practices: A Mixed Method Study. Journal of Positive Psychology and Wellbeing, 6, 1214-1231.
AlShamsi, A., & Quirke, P. (2023). Stakeholders’ Perspectives of Early Childhood Education Language and Literacy Laboratories in the United Arab Emirates. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 22, 104-121. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.22.7.6
Anderson, J. R. (1998). The Role of Hope in Appraisal, Goal-Setting, Expectancy about Future Success, and Coping. Doctoral Dissertation, University of Kansas.
Archer, E. (2017). The Assessment Purpose Triangle: Balancing the Purposes of Educational Assessment. Frontiers in Education, 2, Article 41. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2017.00041
Ashong, C. Y., & Commander, N. E. (2012). Ethnicity, Gender, and Perceptions of Online Learning in Higher Education. MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 8, 98-110.
Awada, G., Burston, J., & Ghannage, R. (2020). Effect of Student Team Achievement Division through WebQuest on EFL Students’ Argumentative Writing Skills and Their Instructors’ Perceptions. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 33, 275-300. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2018.1558254
Aydin, S. (2016). WebQuests as Language-Learning Tools. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 29, 765-778. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2015.1061019
Barnes, M. (2015). Assessment 3.0: Throw Out Your Gradebook and Inspire Learning. Corwin. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781483386904
Barron, B., & Darling-Hammond, L. (2010). Prospects and Challenges for Inquiry-Based Approaches to Learning. In H. Dumont, D. Istance, & F. Benavides (Eds.), The Nature of Learning: Using Research to Inspire Practice (pp. 199-225). OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264086487-11-en
Biggs, J., & Tang, C. (2011). Teaching for Quality Learning at University. McGraw-Hill Education.
Chong, P. W. (2018). The Finnish “Recipe” towards Inclusion: Concocting Educational Equity, Policy Rigour, and Proactive Support Structures. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 62, 501-518. https://doi.org/10.1080/00313831.2016.1258668
Chung, H. M., & Behan, K. J. (2010). Peer Sharing Facilitates the Effect of Inquiry-Based Projects on Science Learning. The American Biology Teacher, 72, 24-29. https://doi.org/10.1525/abt.2010.72.1.7
Coldwell, J., Goold, A., Craig, A., & Mustard, J. (2007). Gender and Equity in e-Learning. Australasian Journal of Information Systems, 15, 9-24. https://doi.org/10.3127/ajis.v15i1.476
Cole, M. (1985). The Zone of Proximal Development: Where Culture and Cognition Create Each Other. In J. V. Wertsch (Ed.), Culture, Communication, and Cognition: Vygotskian Perspectives (pp. 146-161). Cambridge University Press.
Cole, M. (1985). The Zone of Proximal Development: Where Culture and Cognition Create Each Other. In J. V. Wertsch (Ed.), Culture, Communication, and Cognition: Vygotskian Perspectives (pp. 146-161). Cambridge University Press.
Create a WebQuest (2004). ECE Inquiry. https://www.createwebquest.com/ece-inquiry
Dennick, R. (2016). Constructivism: Reflections on Twenty Five Years Teaching the Constructivist Approach in Medical Education. International Journal of Medical Education, 7, 200-205. https://doi.org/10.5116/ijme.5763.de11
Devlin, M., & McKay, J. (2019). A “Critical Factor”: Facilitating the Success of Students from Low Socioeconomic Status Backgrounds at Australian Regional Universities through Technology. In J. Hoffman, P. Blessinger, & M. Makhanya (Eds.), Strategies for Facilitating Inclusive Campuses in Higher Education (pp. 131-144). Emerald Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2055-364120190000017010
Fleming, D. (1998). Autonomy and Agency in Curriculum Decision-Making: A Study of Instructors in a Canadian Adult Settlement ESL Program. TESL Canada Journal, 16, 19-35. https://doi.org/10.18806/tesl.v16i1.708
Forman, E. A. (1996). Beyond ‘Individual’ and ‘Social’ Perspectives on Learning: The Zone of Proximal Development as an Iconic Example. Human Development, 39, 250-256. https://doi.org/10.1159/000278475
Friesen, S., & Scott, D. (2013). Inquiry-Based Learning: A Review of the Research Literature. Alberta Ministry of Education.
Gee, J. P. (2008). Social Linguistics and Literacies: Ideology in Discourses. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203944806
Gillies, R. M. (2020). Dialogic Teaching during Cooperative Inquiry-Based Science: A Case Study of a Year 6 Classroom. Education Sciences, 10, Article 328. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci10110328
Guangul, F. M., Suhail, A. H., Khalit, M. I., & Khidhir, B. A. (2020). Challenges of Remote Assessment in Higher Education in the Context of COVID-19: A Case Study of Middle East College. Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability, 32, 519-535. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11092-020-09340-w
Halaweh, M. (2021). Are Universities Using the Right Assessment Tools during the Pandemic and Crisis Times? Higher Learning Research Communications, 11, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.18870/hlrc.v11i0.1184
Hanover Research. (2015). Best Practices in K-12 Online and Hybrid Courses. Hanover Research.
Haruehansawasin, S., & Kiattikomol, P. (2018). Scaffolding in Problem-Based Learning for Low-Achieving Learners. The Journal of Educational Research, 111, 363-370. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220671.2017.1287045
Hewson, C. (2012). Can Online Course-Based Assessment Methods Be Fair and Equitable? Relationships between Students’ Preferences and Performance within Online and Offline Assessments. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 28, 488-498. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2729.2011.00473.x
Hmelo-Silver, C. E., Duncan, R. G., & Chinn, C. A. (2007). Scaffolding and Achievement in Problem-Based and Inquiry Learning: A Response to Kirschner, Sweller, and Clark (2006). Educational Psychologist, 42, 99-107. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520701263368
Jeschke, C., Kuhn, C., Lindmeier, A., Zlatkin-Troitschanskaia, O., Saas, H., & Heinze, A. (2019). Performance Assessment to Investigate the Domain Specificity of Instructional Skills among Pre-Service and In-Service Teachers of Mathematics and Economics. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 89, 538-550. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12277
Johnson, D. (2005). Miss Rumphius as a Role Model for Preservice Teachers. In R. Karchmer, M. Mallette, J. Kara-Soteriou, & D. Leu (Eds.), Innovative Approaches to Literacy Education: Using the Internet to Support New Literacies. International Reading Association.
Kaur, S., & Amit, K. (2018). Impact of Webquest on Student Engagement. Indian Journal of Public Health, 9, 1665-1669.
Khan, B. (2012). Relationship between Assessment and Students’ Learning. International Journal of Social Sciences and Education, 2, 576-588.
King, M., Newmann, F., & Carmichael, D. (2009). Authentic Intellectual Work: Common Standards for Teaching Social Studies. Social Education, 73, 43-49.
Lam, T. (1995). Fairness in Performance Assessment. ERIC Digest, 1-6.
Lazonder, A. W., & Harmsen, R. (2016). Meta-Analysis of Inquiry-Based Learning: Effects of Guidance. Review of Educational Research, 86, 681-718. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654315627366
Liang, W., & Fung, D. (2020). Development and Evaluation of a WebQuest-Based Teaching Programme: Students’ Use of Exploratory Talk to Exercise Critical Thinking. International Journal of Educational Research, 104, Article 101652. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2020.101652
Linn, R., & Miller, M. (2005). Measurement and Assessment in Teaching (9th ed.). Merrill-Prentice Hall.
Lowenthal, P., Dunlap, J., & Snelson, C. (2017). Live Synchronous Web Meetings in Asynchronous Online Courses: Reconceptualizing Virtual Office Hours. Online Learning Journal, 21, 177-194. https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v21i4.1285
March, T. (2004). The Learning Power of WebQuests. Educational Leadership, 61, 42-47.
Meyer, A. J., Innes, S. I., Stomski, N. J., & Armson, A. J. (2016). Student Performance on Practical Gross Anatomy Examinations Is Not Affected by Assessment Modality. Anatomical Sciences Education, 9, 111-120. https://doi.org/10.1002/ase.1542
Mieg, H. A. (2019). Introduction: Inquiry-Based Learning—Initial Assessment. In H. A. Mieg (Ed.), Inquiry-Based Learning—Undergraduate Research (pp. 1-16). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-14223-0_1
Mullen, G. E., & Tallent-Runnels, M. K. (2006). Student Outcomes and Perceptions of Instructors’ Demands and Support in Online and Traditional Classrooms. The Internet and Higher Education, 9, 257-266. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2006.08.005
Mullen, G. E., & Tallent-Runnels, M. K. (2006). Student Outcomes and Perceptions of Instructors’ Demands and Support in Online and Traditional Classrooms. Internet and Higher Education, 9, 257-266. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2006.08.005
National Research Council (2000). Inquiry and the National Science Education Standards: A Guide for Teaching and Learning. The National Academies Press.
National Research Council (2000). Inquiry and the National Science Education Standards: A Guide for Teaching and Learning. National Academies Press.
Noordin, N., Samad, A. A., & Razali, A. B. (2017). ESL Teacher-Trainee Reflections on the Use of the Webquest: Practical or Just a Hype? The English Teacher, XXXVI, 66-80.
Parahoo, S. K., Harvey, H. L., & Tamim, R. M. (2013). Factors Influencing Student Satisfaction in Universities in the Gulf Region: Does Gender of Students Matter? Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, 23, 135-154. https://doi.org/10.1080/08841241.2013.860940
Pedaste, M., Maeots, M., Siiman, L. A., De Jong, T., Van Riesen, S. A., Kamp, E. T. et al. (2015). Phases of Inquiry-Based Learning: Definitions and the Inquiry Cycle. Educational Research Review, 14, 47-61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2015.02.003
Phillips, C., & Colton, J. S. (2021). A New Normal in Inclusive, Usable Online Learning Experiences. In T. N. Thurston, K. Lundstrom, & C. González (Eds.), Resilient Pedagogy: Practical Teaching Strategies to Overcome Distance, Disruption, and Distraction (pp. 169-186). Utah State University.
Purwasi, L. A. (2019). The Development of Higher-Order Thinking Skills on Junior High School Students through Guided Inquiry-Based Learning Approach. Jurnal Pendidikan Matematika dan IPA, 11, 311-322. https://doi.org/10.26418/jpmipa.v11i2.40859
Quirke, P., & AlShamsi, A. S. (2023). Perspective Chapter: Peer Observation of Teaching in Phygital Communities of Inquiry. In L. Waller, & S. K. Waller (Eds.), Higher Education—Reflections from the Field. IntechOpen. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.109380
Rogoff, B., Mistry, J., Goncü, A., & Mosier, C. (1993). Guided Participation in Cultural Activity by Toddlers and Caregivers. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 58, i+iii+v-vi+1-179. https://doi.org/10.2307/1166109
Salmi, J. (2021). Impact of COVID-19 on Higher Education from an Equity Perspective. International Higher Education, 105, 5-7.
Savery, J. R. (2015). Overview of Problem-Based Learning: Definitions and Distinctions. In W. Andrew, L. Heather, C. Hmelo-Silver, & P. Ertmer (Eds.), Essential Readings in Problem-Based Learning: Exploring and Extending the Legacy of Howard S. Barrows (pp. 5-15). Purdue University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt6wq6fh.6
Shavelson, R. J., Zlatkin-Troitschanskaia, O., Beck, K., Schmidt, S., & Marino, J. P. (2019). Assessment of University Students’ Critical Thinking: Next Generation Performance Assessment. International Journal of Testing, 19, 337-362. https://doi.org/10.1080/15305058.2018.1543309
Shelton, L. G. (2018). The Bronfenbrenner Primer: A Guide to Develecology. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315136066
Siegel, M. A. (2007). Striving for Equitable Classroom Assessments for Linguistic Minorities: Strategies for and Effects of Revising Life Science Items. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 44, 864-841. https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.20176
Siegel, M. A. (2014). Developing Preservice Teachers’ Expertise in Equitable Assessment for English Learners. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 25, 289-308. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10972-013-9365-9
Slade, C., Lawrie, G., Taptamat, N., Browne, E., Sheppard, K., & Matthews, K. E. (2022). Insights into How Academics Reframed Their Assessment during a Pandemic: Disciplinary Variation and Assessment as Afterthought. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 47, 588-605. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2021.1933379
Stone, C. (2017). Opportunity through Online Learning: Improving Student Access, Participation and Success in Higher Education. National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education.
Suskie, L. (2018). Assessing Student Learning: A Common Sense Guide. John Wiley & Sons.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Harvard University Press.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1981). The Genesis of Higher Mental Functions. In J. V. Wertsch (Ed.), The Concept of Activity in Soviet Psychology (pp. 144-188). M.E. Sharpe.
Wertsch, J. V., & Toma, C. (1995). Discourse and Learning in the Classroom: A Sociocultural Approach. In L. P. Steffe, & J. Gale (Eds.), Constructivism in Education (pp. 159-174). Lawrence Erlbaum.
Willems, J., Farley, H., & Campbell, C. (2019). The Increasing Significance of Digital Equity in Higher Education: An Introduction to the Digital Equity Special Issue. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 35, 1-8.
Willms. J. D, Friesen, S., & Milton, P. (2009). What Did You Do in School Today? First National Report. Toronto, Ontario: Canadian Education Association.
Xie, J., Basham, J. D., Marino, M. T., & Rice, M. F. (2018). Reviewing Research on Mobile Learning in K-12 Educational Settings: Implications for Students with Disabilities. Journal of Special Education Technology, 33, 27-39.