Web quests

INTRODUCTION TO WEBQUESTS

What is a WebQuest?

• inquiry-oriented lesson format in which most or all the information that students work with comes from the web.

• developed by Bernie Dodge at San Diego State University in 1995

• Basically any documets that can contain hyperlinks (online/offline/printed)

• More info at http://www.webquest.org/Webquest examples: http://questgarden.com/search/Free webquest tool: http://www.zunal.com/

• Students assume the role that allows them to investigate an issue through their view.

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• Web-based resources are much wider than offline ones2

• Free WebQuests are available online (http://webquest.org/)3

WebQuests advantages

Before you begin…

• Your WebQuest should be an enhancement or culmination of a unit of study, not the entire unit itself

• Selecting a Topic – a Hook (Introduction)1

• Formulating the essential question (Task)2

• Finding the information and guiding the student / scaffolding (Process)

3• Describing the grading method

(Evaluation)4• Summing it all up and giving

reflections (Conclusion)5

Creating WebQuest

Introducing the subject matter to the student

• Identify “roles” (e.g. “You are an archaeologist who must report to his boss about an amazing new discovery…”)

• Remember, you are addressing the student directly, so use the second person: “You will be researching the Egiptian Pyramids”

Formulating the Essential Question (TASK)

• The task is the most important part of your WebQuest

• It must be achievable with the resources the students have available

• Decide how you want your students to complete the WebQuest: Individually, in pairs, or in a small group of three to four students

• http://webquest.sdsu.edu/taskonomy.html

The Task

• With the task decided upon, write a paragraph or a bulleted list that clearly states in the second person voice what you expect the student to accomplish, create, or present.

• If the final product requires student to use any specific software, be sure to mention it in this section

Finding the Information

• The most crucial element of writing a good WebQuest is researching appropriate and helpful online resources. (use google or local search engines, wikipedia)

• As you find sites, be sure to save them or bookmark them

• Include a short description of the site so your students as well as yourself will have a synopsis of the resource.

Guiding the Student

• Outline the steps that the students will go through in order to complete the task.

• Clearly state these steps in a logical, sequential order.

• Make a list of websites you developed previously.• If the students will be working in groups, you

may want to discuss how they are to divide the responsibilities.

• Again, the student is the audience, so use the second person voice

The Final Analysis (Evaluation)

• Formulate a method for evaluating the student’s progress and performance.

• Possibly use a rubric – a scoring tool that employs a graduated point scale for each of the tasks.

• Share the rubric with the students prior to the start of the WebQuest. (http://www.schrockguide.net/assessment-and-rubrics.html)

Summing it all up

• At the end of the WebQuest, it is necessary to include a few sentences that tell what it is you hope they will have learned or demonstrated upon completion.

• To encourage further exploration, its often helpful to insert rhetorical question or two and a few mor links to websites containing extension materials.