By: Rheanna Painter Plemons
The WebQuest: What is it and Where did it come from?
• Bernie Dodge’s Definition: "an inquiry-oriented activity in which some or all of the information that learners interact with comes from resources on the Internet”
• Created to encourage critical thinking among student teachers
WebQuest Advantages in the Classroom:
• Provides Creative Use of Computer Technology
• Promotes Critical Reading
• Promotes Authentic Communication
• Increases Student Motivation
(Brozo & Simpson, 2003)
Parts of the WebQuest:
• Introduction
• Tasks
• Resources
• Process
• Evaluation
• Conclusion
The Introduction:
• Set the stage for the Quest
• Provide background information
• Motivate the student
The Tasks:
• Doable and Interesting!
• Higher-Order Thinking
• Engage Students
The Resources:
• Web Documents
• Emails
• Hard Copies of Text
• Real-time conferencing
• Searchable databases
The Process:
• How am I supposed to do that?
• Now what?
The Evaluation:
•Rubrics, Rubrics, Rubrics
The Conclusion:
• Summarize
• Tell them their achievement
• Encourage to extend
(Lockard & Abrams, 2003)
Examples of WebQuests:
The Modern Period and Ernest Hemingway
http://www.wku.edu/~rheanna.plemons/webquest/
Learning about Photography
http://www.wku.edu/~rheanna.plemons/photography/
A Legendary Superhero: Beowulf
http://www.wku.edu/~rheanna.plemons/beowulf/
Which Road Did You Take, Robert Frost?
http://kathyschrock.net/webquests/GILL/index.htm
Templates and Other Helpful Links:
• http://www.spa3.k12.sc.us/WebQuestTemplate/webquesttemp.htm
• http://www.macomb.k12.mi.us/wq/wqdmain.htm
Do students enjoy WebQuests?
Quotes from Cannons Elementary 5th Graders, Spartanburg, SC
Daniel: I liked the WebQuest very much. It was way more fun then textbooks.
Quatez: WebQuest(s) are fun to do. You should try it yourself.
Lacie: I loved the WebQuest. I would love to do many more. Thank you for letting us do WebQuest.
The Evolving Classroom:Plemons’ Hypothesis: If more students are allowed to communicate and learn through a computer, then we have greater chance of establishing a Global Society in the classroom.
Sources:Brozo, W.G. & Simpson, M.L. (2003). Readers, Teachers, Learners:
Expanding Literacy Across the Content Areas (4th ed.). New Jersey: Merrill Prentice Hall.
Lockard, J. & Abrams, P.D. (2004). Computers For Twenty-First Century Educators (6th ed.). Boston: Pearson.
What Do Students Say About WebQuests. (n.d.). Retrieved February 2, 2004, from http://www.spa3.k12.sc.us/wqstdts.htm
Meet Bernie Dodge -- the Frank Lloyd Wright of Learning Environments! (2000). Retrieved February 2, 2004, from http://www.education-world.com/a_tech/tech020.shtml
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