WEBQUEST RESOURCES FROM ONLINE CLASS
 
 

Module 1: What Are Web Quests?

§ Definition

§ History and Benefits

§ Examples

§ Basic Structure

Definition

WebQuests provide a goal and focus for web searching. They aren't just a retelling of information, but require the student to transform information into a new form.

WebQuests are powerfully motivating inquiry oriented learning opportunity for students. Some are commercially available to be joined either free or for a fee such as MayaQuest <http://quest.classroom.com> Others are teacher created. .

Read Bernie Dodge's WebQuest Page http://webquest.sdsu.edu/webquest.html and Tom March’s WebQuest Page

http://ozline.com/webquests/intro.html

The basic WebQuest structure is:

· Introduction

· The Task

· Process

· Evaluation

· Conclusion

· Credits

· Teacher Page

History and Benefits

The two most well known authorities on Web Quests are Bernie Dodge at San Diego State University and Hal March. You can get more information on how to create and WebQuests on their Web sites and on some of the other WebQuest sites listed here:

· WebQuests (Bernie Dodge, San Diego State University):http://webquest.sdsu.edu/webquest.html

· Some Thoughts About WebQuests (Bernie Dodge):http://webquest.sdsu.edu/about_webquests.html

· Tom March's Ozline WebQuest site:

http://www.ozline.com/learning/index.htm

Examples

· WebQuest Examples:

http://webquest.org/

· Spartanburg County SC School District's WebQuest Page: http://www.spa3.k12.sc.us/WebQuests.html

NEW QuestGarden http://webquest.org/questgarden/author/

Basic Structure of a WebQuest

You can use the Template http://webquest.sdsu.edu/designpatterns/all.htm on Bernie Dodge's WebQuest site. I suggest you also read the Anatomy of the WebQuest Templates as well.

1. Read A Road Map for Designing WebQuests by Bernie Dodge:

http://webquest.sdsu.edu/materials.htm

The task is the most important part of a WebQuest. This is the part of the WebQuests that makes the connection with the curriculum

2. Take a look at the Task Examples on Bernie Dodge’s web site: http://webquest.sdsu.edu/processchecker.html

According to Bernie Dodge the there are six types of WebQuest tasks. They are:

· JOURNALISTIC TASK Learners are asked to act like reporters covering the event. To do this they must gather facts and organize them into a news article or feature story.. To evaluate a journalistic task, the teacher assesses the accuracy of information in the article

· DESIGN TASK Learners create a product or plan of action

· CREATIVE PRODUCT TASKS Learners are asked to act like engineers, designers, creative or artists. They work within the constraints of their particular genre. Learners produce something using a particular format or medium (e.g. painting, play, skit, poster, game, simulated diary or song) Creative product tasks are much more open-ended and unpredictable than design tasks.

· CONSENSUS BUILDING TASKS Learners explore and articulate differing viewpoints on a topic.

· PERSUASION TASKS Learners develop a convincing case based on what they’ve learned from their WebQuest research. They they present their information in the form of a mock city council hearing or a trial, a letter to the editor, editorial or press release, a poster or video taped ad designed to change opinions.

· ANALYTICAL TASKS Learners look closely at one or more things and find the similarities and differences. They then analyze the implications of the similarities and difference and/or the cause and effect for those similarities and differences.

 

Exploring WebQuests

If you enter the word WebQuest into a search engine such as:

Yahoo

Google

AltaVista

You will get individual WebQuests, collections of WebQuests and commercial sites that use the name WebQuest. To narrow your search combine the word WebQuest with another word to narrow your search such as: classroom, education, teach, or student.

· WebQuest + education

· WebQuest + classroom

· WebQuest + teach

· WebQuest + student

If you use this kind of Boolean search method you are more likely to find WebQuests. Look for sites that have collections of WebQuests categorized by subject and grade level.

You can also explore the following WebQuests sites to find WebQuests that are appropriate for you students.

Evaluating WebQuests

Choose one of the WebQuests you’ve explored and evaluate it. This will help you create a better WebQuest.

Bernie Dodge has created a rubric for evaluating WebQuests. For each topic, there are three levels of evaluation. (

Dr. Dodge considers the following criteria in his rubric:

· Clarity of evaluation criteria Review the following sites:

A Road Map for Designing WebQuests

Five Rules for Writing a Great WebQuest

Creating a WebQuest: It's Easier than You Think!

REFLECT:

Score each of your chosen topics using Bernie Dodge’s critieria. (1=lowest score)

The topic can be clearly tied to state or local curriculum standards.

1-------------5------------10-----------15

The topic is something you’ve had trouble teaching in the past to your own satisfaction.

1-------------5-------------10

Information on the topic appropriate for your learners is available on the Web.

1--------------5--------------10-------------15---------------20

There is useful information on the topic that is unlikely to be available in a school without access to the Web.

1-------------5-------------10

Information on the topic changes frequently.

1-------------5------------10-----------15
The task requires looking at information from multiple perspectives or in multiple formats.

1--------------5--------------10-------------15---------------20

The task requires synthesizing information, transforming it into a new form different from what the learners looked at. 30

1--------------5--------------10-------------15---------------20--------------30

The task is akin to the work that adults do, as opposed to the kinds of activities that take place only in schools.

1--------------5--------------10-------------15---------------20

Total Score out of 140 for each topic:

Topic 1 __________ Topic 2 __________

EXPLORE:

Next visit the WebQuest Matrix and look for a WebQuest that might meet your curriculum needs for this topic.

Module 4:Finishing YourWebQuest:

In this module you will complete your WebQuest. You might want to consider using the template availabe at WebQuest Training Materials on Bernie Dodge's site. The templates are in bin.hex (Mac) or zipped (pc) form. You will need Stuff It on the Mac or WinZip on a PC to open these files. Both can be downloaded for free from download.com. You can also find the same template online by clicking on the http://webquest.sdsu.edu/designpatterns/all.htm link. If you are not comfortable with doing this the template is not critical. It is only another "help" available to you. You can follow the guide given in this course. You've already written your Introduction and Task sections.

Resources

Make a list of the Web Resources you will use in you WebQuest.

Process Section

Think about the steps your learners will go through? Your process section will allow your learners to access the on-line resources that you've identifed. Think of this as the activities or "events of instruction." This is where you will provide guidance on how your students should organize the information they gather. This is where you will provide the scaffolding for your WebQuest. Explore the process section of (Empty Reference!)Building Blocks of a WebQuest . Be extremely clear and organized about the specific steps you want your students to follow. Include any "how to" instrucdtions in this instructions. Describe what your students will do first, second, third, etc. What web sites will they visit and what will they do there. What will they do with the information they collect there.

Evaluation Section

Clearly lay out your student's performance will be evaluated. Will you give a group grade and/or an indivual grade. Will you use a rubric. If so what will that rubric look like? You use a rubric template or try RubiStar. Rubrics provide the scaffolding for your WebQuest and should tie directly to your measurable objectives.

Conclusion

This is where yu will summarize what the learners will have accomplished or learned by completingthe WebQuest. This is a good place to add some essential questsion based on the higher order thinking skills of anaylsis, synthesis, and evaluation. You can find an a good list of good verbs to use in Learning Skills Program - Bloom's Taxonomy.

Teacher Page

The teacher page is where you include information that will help other teachers implement your Webquest. You should include: