This week I learned a lot about something I knew very little about - WebQuests. I had mistakenly assumed that a WebQuest is an activity that your students do on the Web which consists of whatever it is that you may want them to do. I was very much mistaken.
A WebQuest is a very structured endeavor that consists of seven parts: introduction, task, process, evaluation, conclusion, credits, and teacher page. Lets break these parts down and explain each of them.
The introduction functions as a "hook" which gets the student's interest. It introduces the topic and it is a good idea to make it relevant to the student.
The task provides a brief description of what the students are going to accomplish with the WebQuest.
The process breaks it down for the student and guides them in what they are to do to accomplish the task. Remember that, ultimately, the student should be able to guide himself so the outcome is only going to be as effective as your process directions are.
The evaluation part of the WebQuest is where you put a guide or a rubric that shows the student exactly what it takes to accomplish the task completely and correctly.
The conclusion is the place where the student may be given questions to reflect on concerning what he/she learned while working with the WebQuest.
The credit section is where you give credit to any resource that you have used in creating your WebQuest. Remember your ethics. It doesn't hurt to give a nod to anyone who introduced you to the process, as well.
The teacher page is self-explanatory. This is where your information is directed toward the teacher who may want to use your WebQuest. This is where you give the process for the teacher and give hints or helps for best use of your WebQuest.
Some of the same principles that apply to PowerPoint apply to the WebQuest. It is a good idea to for the WebQuest to be visually attractive with complimentary colors and images, as well as the PowerPoint. The rule of less is more applies to both WebQuest and PowerPoint. Avoid any overcluttering of fonts and images.
There were some challenges that I had to overcome while creating this WebQuest. First and foremost, it is very lengthy process if it is to be accomplished with quality. I was also surprised at how much weeding through resources that I had to do before I found exactly what I needed - appropriate for age and relevant. I also had a difficult time finding visual images that were royalty free. Sheesh. But when all was said and done, I was satisfied with what I produced.
Yes, producing a quality WebQuest is very time-consuming and takes some patience, but when you are finished you have a fantastic higher-level learning experience for your students and a resource that you can use over and over again!
No comments:
Post a Comment