Introduction
Why WebQuests? WebQuests, which use the constructivist approach to learning, are a super learning tool, said Kenton Letkeman, creator of a number of excellent WebQuests. "With many research projects," Letkeman told Education World, "students feel that they are sucking up information and regurgitating it onto paper for no other reason than to get a good grade. WebQuests give students a task that allows them to use their imagination and problem-solving skills. The answers are not predefined and therefore must be discovered or created. Students must use their own creative-thinking and problem-solving skills to find solutions to problems. "WebQuests are also a wonderful way of capturing students' imagination and allowing them to explore in a guided, meaningful manner," added Letkeman, a resource-based learning consultant for the Tisdale School Division in Saskatchewan, Canada. "Communication, group work, problem solving, and critical and creative thinking skills are becoming far more important in today's world than having students memorize predetermined content." "WebQuests allow students to explore issues and find their own answers," he added. "Particularly with controversial issues -- such as pollution, gambling, and nuclear waste disposal -- students must do more than memorize information. They must process the information in meaningful ways and reach moral and ethical decisions guided by facts." The adaptive dimension, the ability to make adjustments in educational programs to accommodate students' diverse learning needs, is also an important characteristic of WebQuests, according to Letkeman. "With WebQuests, special needs students can be given predetermined roles that are very important and make them feel part of the group," he said. "Advanced students can explore further and do more than is required. The interest this type of project generates makes that a reality, rather than a fantasy!" - See more at: http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech011.shtml#sthash.SRrsuZBN… a WebQuest!
"It's simple, quick, and free. Perfect for teachers and students and no web design skills are required."
Task
The Design Process
Once you have your outline or template in hand, here are some main points to include:
The Topic. You may have already decided on a topic related to current events or to an area of the curriculum that's inadequately covered in available texts. If you're still searching for a topic, however, Tom March, who developed the first WebQuests with Bernie Dodge, suggests starting "where you're at." "If you have an area that's your specialty, something that thrills you to teach, that you know inside and out, up and down, begin there," March says. You can also explore March's Idea Machine, which provides 50 prompts designed to help begin the brainstorming process.
The Task. "The task," says Dodge, "is the single most important part of a WebQuest." His WebQuest Taskonomy: A Taxonomy of Tasks provides eleven different types of tasks, including journalistic, mystery, persuasion, and judgment tasks. If you can't find it here, you can't find it anywhere!
The Process. In this section, you'll include the roles students will assume and the steps they'll follow to complete the activity. March's Designing for Success provides not only a Designer's Checklist, but also some clickable "friendly advice" for the creatively challenged!
The Resources. Identify the online resources available on your topic by brainstorming a list of related words and using the list to search for relevant sites. As you search, create a hotlist of current, accurate, and age-appropriate sites that will engage your students' interest.
The Evaluation. As Kenton Letkeman points out, "Traditional evaluation techniques are not the best means for evaluating the results of WebQuests, since all students may not learn the same content. Individual evaluation rubrics should be developed that follow curriculum objectives and are easy for students to understand." Dodge's Rubric for Evaluating WebQuests also provides a number of criteria for evaluating students' WebQuest success.
Share It!
Finally, your WebQuest is finished -- and you're pretty proud of it! Why not click Submit a WebQuest at WebQuest.org and share it with other technology-savvy educators?
Additional Resources
Trackstar Search the keyword WebQuest for several collections of online resources about WebQuests.
Filamentality This site guides visitors through the process of creating interactive, Web-based activities, including WebQuests.
WebQuests in Our Future: The Teacher's Role in Cyberspace Kathy Schrock provides information about WebQuests and links to additional resources.
- See more at: http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech011.shtml#sthash.SRrsuZBN…
Process
How to Make a WebquestTwo Parts:Understanding the PartsMaking it GreatQuestions and AnswersA WebQuest is a computer based teaching tool that allows students to work in groups or independently. Students use the web to find information on a specific topic presented by the WebQuest. A WebQuest asks students to use higher order thinking skills and solve a problem that you put before them. It teaches them how to evaluate information and how to use the web for something other than Club Penguin and YouTube clips of turtles eating tomatoes. Get started with Step 1 below to learn how to make one yourself!