Taming the Wild, Wild Web:

WebQuests

Pam Kuck, Instructional Technology Director

Kaye Lietz, TRITON Directorpkuck@cesa8.k12.wi.us

lietz@cesa8.k12.wi.us

Overview of a WebQuest

• Definition: An inquiry-oriented activity in which some or all of the information that learners interact with comes from resources on the Internet.

• Developed by Bernie Dodge, Professor of Eductional Technology, San Diego State University

• Useful for teaching any subject at any grade level

• Learners surf the Internet with a clear task in mind

Short-Term WebQuests

• Students will:– Acquire knowledge– Integrate knowledge– Grapple with a significant amount of material

and make sense of it

• One to three class periods to complete

Long-Term WebQuests

• Students will:– Extend their knowledge– Refine their knowledge– Analyze a body of knowledge deeply,

transform it in some way, and demonstrate an understanding of it by creating something

• One week to one month to complete

Critical Attributes of a WebQuest

• Successful WebQuests always include six main components:– Introduction– Task– Process– Resources– Evaluation/Assessment– Conclusion

Introduction

• Orients the learner to what’s coming

• Sets the stage for the learning activity

• Provides background to the topic

• Engages the learner through a variety of means– relevant to past experience– relevant to future goals– attractive and visually interesting– significant on a global scale– fun due to role-playing

Task

• Describes learner expectations• Is completable or doable• Interesting and engaging• May take the form of:

– Presentation (HyperStudio, PowerPoint, etc.)– Classroom presentation (speech, play, etc.)– Written report– Classroom demonstration

Process• Clearly describes steps to complete task• Divides tasks into subtasks • Describes roles to be played or perspectives to be taken by

each learner• Provides learning advice in the form of guided questions and

directions– timelines– concept maps– cause-and-effect diagrams– other organizational frameworks

• Lists resources to help the learner accomplish the task– websites– online experts– searchable databases– books and other documents– personal interviews– videoconferencing

• Pre-selects sites to discourage aimless “surfing”• Directs the learning experience

Resources

Evaluation/Assessment

• Newest addition to the WebQuest model

• Justifies expense of using the Web for learning

• Measures knowledge gained by learner

• Examines student product and establishes benchmarks

• Often takes the form of a rubric

Conclusion

• Summarizes the experience

• Reminds the learner what they have learned

• Encourages reflection about the process

• Extends and generalizes learning

• Brings closure to the quest

• May suggest questions for follow-up class discussion

• Usually a group activity

• May be a solo quest (distance learning, library settings, or independent study)

• May include role-playing (scientist, detective, reporter, etc.)

• May suggest a scenario (“You’ve been assigned to create a new exhibit at the zoo” OR “Visit Japan, study crime statistics, and report back to the CIA”)

• May be based on a single discipline or cross curricular

Optional Components of a WebQuest

Designing a WebQuest

• Identify your topic (curriculum-oriented with sufficient online resources)

• Browse and search for resources• Organize one’s knowledge and resources

– websites (online resources)– reference materials (offline resources)– people resources (online experts, local experts, etc.)

• Follow the design template

To find WebQuests:

• Matrix of Example WebQuests http://edweb.sdsu.edu/webquest/matrix.html

• Teacher-Created WebQuests http://students.itec.sfsu.edu/edt628/projects.html http://topcat.bridgew.edu/~kschrock/#classwork http://www-education.nmsu.edu:8001/webquest/examples.html http://www.memphis-schools.k12.tn.us/ admin/tlapages/web_que.htm http://itdc.sbcss.k12.ca.us/curriculum/webquest.html http://www.plainfield.k12.in.us/hschool/webquest.htm

To find out more about WebQuests…

• The WebQuest Page http://edweb.sdsu.edu/webquest/webquest.html

• Kathy Shrock’s slide show on WebQuests http://www.capecod.net/schrockguide/webquest/wqsl1.htm

• Building Blocks for WebQuests http://edweb.sdsu.edu/people/bdodge/webquest/buildingblocks. html

• The WebQuest Design Process http://edweb.sdsu.edu/webquest/Process/WebQuestDesignProcess.html

• A Rubric for Evaluating WebQuests http://edweb.sdsu.edu/webquest/webquestrubric.html

• A WebQuest Design Template http://edweb.sdsu.edu/edweb_folder/Courses/EDTEC596/WebQuest_ Template1.html

Follow your quest...