Longer-Term WebQuest
The instructional goal of a Longer-term WebQuest is
extending and refining knowledge. After completing a Longer-termWebQuest, a student would have analyzed a body of knowledge deeply,
transformed it in some way, and demonstrated an understanding of thematerial by creating something that others can respond to - on-line or
off-line. A longer term WebQuest will typically take between one week and amonth in a classroom setting.
Adapted from San Diego State University's
Webquest Place ,
which includes an overview, training materials, and examples
Critical attributes of a webquest
According to colleagues at the
University
of Malta:
"There is questionable educational benefit in having
students 'surf the net' without a clear task in mind. To achieve thatefficiency and clarity of purpose, WebQuests should contain at least the
following parts:
- An introduction that sets the stage and provides some background
information.
- A task that is doable and interesting.
- A set of information sources needed to complete the task.
(Information sources might include web documents, experts availablevia e-mail or realtime conferencing, searchable databases on the net,
and books and other documents physically available in the learner'ssetting.)
- A description of the
process the students should go through in
accomplishing the task. The process should be broken out into clearlydescribed steps.
- Some guidance on how to
organize the information acquired.
- A conclusion that brings closure to the quest, reminds the students
about what they've learned, and perhaps encourages them to extend theexperience into other domains.
WebQuests might be enhanced by wrapping motivational
elements around the basic structure by giving the students a role play (e.g.scientist, reporter, detective), and a scenario to work within (e.g., You
have been asked by the local government to brief him on the suitability ofincinerators).
Apart from single discipline (single subject)
WebQuests, teachers can also work in teams to produce interdisciplinaryones, for example the Biology and Home Economics teachers may decide to
create a WebQuest on smoking to be used during both lessons."
- WebQuests can be done individually or in groups.
- WebQuests might be enhanced by wrapping motivational elements
around the basic structure by giving the student a role to play (e.g.,scientist, detective, reporter), simulated personae to interact
with via e-mail, and a scenario to work within (e.g., you've been askedby the Secretary General of the UN to brief him on what's happening in
sub-Saharan Africa this week.)
- Longer-term WebQuests can be thought about in at least two ways: (a)
What thinking process is required to create them (b) What form they takeonce created
- Thinking skills that a Longer-term WebQuest activity might require
include these (from Marzano, 1992):
-
Comparing - Identifying and articulating
similarities and differences Classifying - Grouping thingsinto definable categories based on attributes.
-
Inducing - Inferring unknown
generalizations from observations. Deducing - Inferringunstated consequences and conditions from given principles
and generalizations.
-
Analyzing errors - Identifying errors in
one's own or others' thinking. Constructing support -Constructing a system of support or proof for an assertion.
Abstraction - Identifying the theme or general pattern ofinformation. Analyzing perspectives - Identifying
personal perspectives about issues.
Imaginative webquest projects
As mentioned earlier, "After completing a
Longer-term WebQuest, a student would have analyzed a body of knowledgedeeply,
transformed it in some way, and d
emonstrated an understanding of the material by creating
something that others can respond to - on-line oroff-line. "
The forms that a longer term WebQuest might take are
open to the imagination. Some ideas include:
- An interactive story or case-study created by students.
- A document that describes an analysis of a controversial situation,
takes a stand, and invites users to add to or disagree with that stand.
- A searchable database in which the categories in each field are
created bythe students.
- A micro-world that users can navigate through that represents a
physical space.
- A simulated person who can be interviewed on-line. The questions and
answers would be generated by students who have deeply studied theperson being simulated.
Benefits
Putting the results of their thinking-process back
out onto the Internet:
- Focuses students on a tangible and hi-tech task.
- Gives them an audience to create for.
- Opens up the possibility of getting feedback from that distant
audience via an embedded e-mail form.
Assignment 9: sharing your webquest gift
To do this assignment, click on the Word icon below.
When it appears, press "Save" so that you can work on this assignment"off-line."
Assignment 9: Sharing Your WebQuest
Gift
- Work with you students to design a l
onger-term WebQuest that results in a gift
back to your local community or to our global community. You mightbrainstorm with your students as to useful topics to explore on the
Internet and what final product might be helpful to the community.Share some of the ideas from the "Imaginative Webquest Projects"
section and think about what form the final "gift to the community"might take. An idea might be to think about how this WebQuest "product"
could be used in association with the service learning projects youexplored in Module 2. You might even begin by contacting the people in
the organization(s) you worked with and ask them what they need - whatwould be useful to them.
- Write 3-4 paragraphs about your conversation with your students and
ideas they generated.
- Share the ideas with your learning circle and show their feedback.
- What help or resources might you need to complete this Longer-term
WebQuest project?
- Write about or post on the Internet the final product of the WebQuest -
your gift to the community.
