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A WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented activity in which most or all of the information used by learners is drawn from the Web. WebQuests are designed to use learners' time well, to focus on using information rather than looking for it, and to support learners' thinking at the levels of analysis, synthesis and evaluation.
WebQuests were created in 1995 by Bernie Dodge with Tom March of San Diego State University. We will be using his resources extensively through this seminar. The WebQuest Page, his creation, is the best place to get started.
Activity #1
Complete Bernie's A WebQuest About WebQuests. This will help you better understand WebQuests.
Select the grade level you teach for the best fit.
Let's discuss our findings about the WebQuests we viewed...
During the past five years, WebQuests have become an increasingly popular method of integrating the Internet into the classroom. There are thousands of WebQuests currently available online. The vast majority were created by full-time teachers to be used by their students.
Activity #2
Browse through model WebQuests using the links below.
- The WebQuest Page's Matrix of Examples - Bernie Dodge's collection, indexed by grade level, content area, and critical tasks.
- WebQuest Collections - Various university and school district collections of model WebQuests.
- 1200 WebQuests - A grade level and subject area indexed collection of great model WebQuests.
- EdHelper's WebQuests - A large subject area indexed collection of WebQuests.
Activity #3
WebQuest's are comprised of six components. Visit Bernie's Building Blocks of a WebQuest page. Review each one of the six components and visit one of the sites provided as an example.
- Introduction - What do you think the author was trying to do in the introduction in each case?
- Task - Which of these tasks do you think would interest your class?
- Process - What do you think is most important in creating a sound process.
- Resources - Why are resources pre-selected?
- Evaluation - Why is this new piece so very important?
- Conclusion - What is the purpose of the conclusion?
Activity #4
- Sketch an outline of your ideas following the six components.
- Pre-select good web content for your Quest (this will take some time)
I suggest using the following sites to get started:
- Yahooligans - Kid-friendly index of the best sites on the 'net.
- Schrockguide - Super sites selected by well-known media specialist, Kathy Schrock.
- Google - A user-friendly meta-search engine.
- Create a WebQuest Web Page. Publishing your WebQuest to the World Wide Web will decrease various classroom management problems like -- kids not typing the web addresses correctly, students wandering around the Internet aimlessly, and other off-task types of behavior.
---These two resources can help you design your own WebQuest WebPage.
Filamentality - Use This site to create and post your own WebQuest page right to the Internet. This is the best choice for folks who do not know how to create or upload web pages. Find "Start a New Topic" to begin creating.
WebQuest Templates - Created by Bernie Dodge. These templates can be downloaded and customized. They can be printed and distributed to your class, or they can be uploaded to the Internet - but, you will have to know.
If you decide not to post your WebQuest to the Web, I highly suggest creating a set of bookmarks for your students on the computers they will be using. This will at least help prevent the mistypes and other keyboard confusions.
Activity #5
This is a do-it-yourself activity that can be done at home on your own time, or during our seminar if their is enough time. How does your WebQuest stack up? Visit A Draft for Evaluating WebQuests and evaluate your own WebQuest.
This page was created by Diane Lauer, Conrad Ball Middle School, Thompson School District. It was uploaded on June 11, 2001.
Permission is granted to use for educational purposes.
