Webquests
Posted by Alyson on May 28, 2008
The attributes of a short term WebQuest are:
- knowledge acquisition and integration
- making sense of large amounts of information
- typically completed in one to three class periods.
The attributes of a long term WebQuest are:
- extending and refining knowledge
- analyzing a body of knowledge thoroughly and transforming it
- creating a product that others can respond to
- typically completed in one week to a month. Elements of a WebQuest WebQuests are different from “scavenger hunts,” a much simpler approach that is as old as the Web itself. In a typical scavenger hunt, students are given a list of items they must find (answers to questions, for example, or instances of data) and are set loose on the Web. WebQuests are much more structured and focus heavily on collaboration.
Components of a WebQuest
Every WebQuest has six basic components:
- Introduction. This is an overview (often a simple one) of what is to come. Many WebQuests take place within a story setting; in these instances, the Introduction is where the plot and characters are introduced.
- Task. This page details the assignment that is to come. Tasks are often comprised of numbered lists of items that must be accomplished to complete the quest.
- Process. The Process is the meat of the quest — it is here that students work together, develop plans of action, and find ways to solve the presented problem. Often, quest processes may involve role-playing and other off-line methods.
- Evaluation. The evaluation phase centers on a “rubric,” a carefully designed chart listing goals for the quest and the standards by which performance will be measured. This can be thought of as a great widening of the typical letter grade usually given to classroom assignments. Rubrics are highly annotated “grades” with extensive annotation detailing many aspects of the project.
- Conclusion. This is a brief summary, usually congratulatory in tone, that wraps up the project.
- Teacher Page. Instructors are provided with their own subsection of the WebQuest site, with instructions for each of the above sections. Teachers who develop WebQuests often fill this section with information to help other educators adapt the quest to their own class.
The Benefits of WebQuests
Using WebQuests in our classrooms can help build a solid foundation that prepares them for the future. The First WebQuests In 1995, San Diego State University’s Bernie Dodge and Tom March developed a type of lesson plan—what they termed a “WebQuest”—that incorporated links to, from, and along the World Wide Web. Students were presented a scenario and a task, usually a problem to solve or a project to complete. The students were given Internet resources and asked to analyze and synthesize the information and come up with their own creative solutions. Over the next three years, teachers wrote their own WebQuests, and instructors began to teach WebQuests in their workshops and classes.Fortunately, this proliferation of curricular materials convinced many teachers that it was all right to publish their own WebQuests for others. Most teachers have included their e-mail addresses, which allow a WebQuest user to contact the teacher and discuss quest results. Additionally, WebQuest sites have sprung up and continue to grow on the Internet.
Before starting to create an account, you need to decide on your Topic, Subject and the Grade Level of your WebQuest. Once we determine these three items, the rest will be easier.You will need to answer the following questions:
- How do you choose an effective topic for a WebQuest? Start with your standards. Ask yourself the following questions to help you identify a topic. What do you (or plan to) teach? Remember, not all topics are appropriate for WebQuests. Since WebQuest development is time-consuming, it’s a good idea to carefully identify a topic and matching standards that will benefit from an inquiry-based, technology-rich project. Choose content and standards that invite creativity, that have multiple layers, can have multiple interpretations or be seen from multiple perspectives. In short, pick material that requires students to transform what they seen into something different.
- Brainstorm some topics for your final product.
- As you develop your lesson topic, consider what goals and standards you would like the final lesson to address.
- What are the Big Question(s) you’d like your students to answer as a result of doing this activity?
- You will need to consider what roles you will have your students play. Three to four roles is usually a good number.
- Once the topic selected, decide on the subject and the grade level. Your options are
- Subject (You can select multiple):
Art Music, Business/Economics, English/Language, Foreign Language, Health/PE, Life Skills/Careers, Mathematics, Professional Skills, Science, Social Studies, Technology - Grade Level (You can select multiple):
K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, College / Adult
- Subject (You can select multiple):
Planning Components of a WebQuest
- Introduction — Provide an engaging first statement that sets the stage for the entire Webquest. Use your creativity to immediately “hook” students. Include the essential or guiding question around which the WebQuest revolves and provide necessary background information. (Note: the essential question and background information may also be listed as separate elements of your quest, or they may be included as part of the Task.)
- Task — Describe the end result of the work students will do. It may be a performance, a multimedia presentation, or some other type of product. You may have everyone complete the same task, such as creating a PowerPoint presentation, or you may offer your students a variety of tasks from which to choose.
- Process — Clearly describe the step-by-step process students will go through to accomplish the task and define any roles they will be playing. You may also want to give students advice and guidance about how to approach each of the individual steps of the process. Taking the time to carefully explain the process up front will head off many potential problems and help to avoid frustration and confusion. Information Sources— Identify the online and offline resources students may use. It’s common to embed links to Internet resources in the WebQuest itself. However, you may choose to provide a list of resources in a separate document. All students may not use all of the resources, especially if students play different roles.
- Evaluation — Measure student results periodically during the WebQuest as well as at the end. Ongoing feedback will help keep students motivated and on target with their research. There are many rubrics available online or you may create your own.
- Conclusion — Make a final statement that brings closure to the WebQuest and gives students an opportunity to reflect on what they’ve learned. Many quests conclude by encouraging students to extend their learning.
- Teacher Page — List objectives, standards, materials and credit etc.
May 29th, 2008 at 7:33 am
Nice summary!
May 30th, 2008 at 12:51 am
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