WebQuests
Presented byFrank H. Osborne, Ph. D.
© 2005
Bio 2900Computer Applications in Biology
What is a WebQuest?
• WebQuests bring a set of effective instructional practices into a single integrated activity.– Strategies for increased student motivation– Develop thinking skills– Cooperative learning processes
What is a WebQuest?
• A WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented activity in which some or all of the information that learners interact with comes from resources on the Internet.
• WebQuests were developed by Bernie Dodge and Tom March at San Diego State University in 1995.
Types of WebQuests
• A Short-Term WebQuest is designed to be completed in the space of one to three class periods.
• A Long-Term WebQuest is designed to last between one week and one month.
Short-Term WebQuests
• The instructional goal is the acquisition of knowledge and integration.
• The learner deals with a large volume of new information and has to make sense out of it.
Long-Term WebQuests
• The instructional goal is the extension and refining of knowledge.
• The analyzes a body of knowledge in depth and transforms it finally demonstrating understanding by presenting it in some way.
Attributes of WebQuests
• WebQuests are designed to make the best use of the student's time.
• Surfing the net without a clear task in mind is of questionable educational value.
• Student connect time should be strictly rationed.
• WebQuests should contain the following six Critical Attributes.
Critical Attributes of WebQuests
1. Introduction
• The introduction sets the stage and provides background information on the project.
• It is intended to orient the student toward what to expect.
• It also is used to raise student interest.
Critical Attributes of WebQuests
2. The Task
• The objective of the task includes a description of what the student will have completed at the end of the project.
• It should be interesting and doable.
• The student is expected to make a written or oral presentation.
Critical Attributes of WebQuests
3. Information Sources
• Students are provided with a set of resources necessary to complete the project.
• These are incorporated as links in the statement of the task. The links lead to pertinent Internet resources (web documents, searchable databases, books)
Critical Attributes of WebQuests
4. The Process
• This is a description of the process that students should go through in accomplishing the task.
• The process is broken out in clear steps.
Critical Attributes of WebQuests
5. Guidance
• Teachers guide students in the acquisition of information.
• Can use– timelines– concept maps– cause and effect diagrams
Critical Attributes of WebQuests
6. Conclusion
• The conclusion brings the WebQuest to a close.
• It reminds the students what they have learned.
• It encourages to extend their new knowledge and information into new areas.
Non-Critical Attributes of WebQuests
• WebQuests are often group activities.
• Students may be encouraged using motivational elements such as role playing.
• WebQuests can be within a single discipline or can be interdisciplinary.
Evaluation of WebQuests
• It is necessary to measure the results of the WebQuest.
• Teacher-designed rubrics are the most authentic means of assessment.
Design Steps for WebQuests
• Become familiar with online resources.
• Organize the resources into categories.
• Identify online materials that fit into the curriculum.
• Link the WebQuest clearly to prior and future activities.
Thinking Skills for WebQuests
• Comparing– Identifying and specifying similarities and
differences between things.
• Classifying– Grouping things into categories based on their
properties.
• Inducing– Inferring generalizations or principles from
observations or analysis of data.
Thinking Skills for WebQuests
• Deducing– Inferring consequences and conditions from
given principles and generalizations.
• Analyzing errors– Identifying and stating errors in your own
thinking or that of others.
• Constructing support– Developing a system of support or proof for
an assertion.
Thinking Skills for WebQuests
• Abstraction– Identifying and articulating the underlying
theme or general pattern of information.
• Analyzing perspectives– Identifying and articulating personal
perspectives about issues.
Ideas for WebQuests
• A searchable database where the categories in each field were created by the students.
• A microworld that users can navigate through that represents physical space.
• An interactive story or case study created by the students.
Ideas for WebQuests
• A document that describes an analysis of a controversial situation, takes a stand, and invites users to add or disagree with that stand.
• A simulated person who can be interviewed online. The questions and answers would be generated by students who have thoroughly studied the person being simulated.
References
• Some thoughts about WebQuests by Bernie Dodge.
webquest.stsu.edu/about_webquests.html
• WebQuests for Learning by Tom March.
www.ozline.com/webquests.intro.html
• Kathy Schrock's Slide Show
kathyschrock.net/slideshows/webquests/
The End