Internet for Teachers!
 

WebQuest
50 points
 

Note: This assignment should be completed as a web page titled "webquest.html" and put on your web site.

Create a WebQuest
Please read this entire page before beginning this project!
 

One of the goals of this course is to help you integrate the Internet into the curriculum in a meaningful manner.  This involves more than having students use the Internet as an "electronic" worksheet where students search for information.

Your mission is to create a "WebQuest" that will be a resource for you and your students.

WebQuests are meaningful web-based activities designed to challenge the learner's problem-solving and higher-order thinking skills.  WebQuests have become popular with teachers because they help them integrate the Internet into the curriculum through a 6-step model that has been field tested and proved successful through a wide range of grade levels and subjects.   An effective WebQuest should be on a web site with the appropriate "live links" that are an integral part of WebQuests.  The mission of this assignment is for you to construct a WebQuest for your future use.  Consequently, you will be familiar with the notion of WebQuests and how they can be used to take students beyond the basic classroom activities that use the Internet as a search tool.

IMPORTANT!!!:

An effective WebQuest...

• Engages the student's higher-order thinking skills

• Uses the Internet for information that cannot be easily obtained from other sources

• Takes advantage of the Internet in terms of its dynamic nature (information that changes by the minute, hour, and day)

• Takes advantage of the Internet in terms of its communicative nature (communication with other students, teachers, and experts).

• Utilizes other resources such as printed materials and speakers but the main focus is from resources on the Internet.

• Usually involves collaboration through groupwork

Keep these characteristics in mind as you plan your WebQuest!

***

Following are the steps that you should follow in completing this project:

STEP ONE
Visit other WebQuests and gather information for ideas.

First, you should explore the sites below.  Do not take shortcuts on this because most of the work involved in creating a WebQuest is in the planning stage.  You will get many ideas for creating a WebQuest after visiting these sites.

The WebQuest Portal
http://webquest.org
Click on search, top, middling, or new to explore Webquests in many areas.  "Top" represents WebQuests that have been evaluated and found to be good examples of the WebQuest model.  This is the best site for viewing WebQuests! You can also view other Webquests by searching for them through search engines.

Link to Learn's Information on Webquests
http://pd.l2l.org/linktuts/inteweb.htm
Although this site has not been updated recently, the information pertaining to WebQuests will give you a good background on WebQuests

The Webquest Page
http://webquest.sdsu.edu/webquest.html
This is the original WebQuest site.  You should explore all areas of this site. This is the best site for WebQuest information!

STEP TWO
Decide on a topic and search for web site resources.

You should list a minimum of 5 web sites.  This does not mean that your students are limited to these 5 sites.  These sites may lead to other sites that the students also explore as they gather information for their project. 

Some guidelines about choosing web site resources:

• You sites should be specific to the nature of your WebQuests. 
• Be sure that the source of information for your web site is credible and recognized or well-accepted as an authority. This is not a problem with web sites associated with organizations like The Discovery Channel but be careful of self-proclaimed authorities as resources for students.
• Include one or more web sites that provide good graphics and/or pictures on your topic.
• Include one or more web sites that provide activities for your topic.

You may also list more than 5 sites, depending on the grade level and extensiveness of your WebQuest.  WebQuests usually take several days to several weeks for implementation.

All web site names & addresses should be listed in the following 3-part format (NAME, LIVE LINK ADDRESS, AND A SHORT ONE-SENTENCE DESCRIPTION):

Technology & Learning
http://www.techlearning.com
An excellent publication which addresses technology-based products and activities that help young people learn.

STEP THREE
Make an outline of the six stages of WebQuest as described below!

 

Following is a suggested outline for your WebQuest activity:

• Introduction

• Task

• Process

• Resources

• Evaluation

• Conclusion

Although these stages are explained below, you should visit the "Building Blocks of a WebQuest" http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/staffdev/buildingblocks/p-index.htm that was listed above:
 

Important:  Each of the following stages should be addressed TO THE STUDENTS!

Introduction

Write a short paragraph to:

• introduce students to the WebQuest

• set the stage or provide background for the upcoming activity

• motivate students and capture their interest

You should also present the GENERAL questions that will be explored during the WebQuest.

Task

Write a short paragraph or outline of expected results.  The task is the end result of student efforts... not the steps involved in getting there. You may also present SPECIFIC questions in this section.

Process

Describe how the groups will be assigned and the role of each member.

List the steps that the students will need to follow in order to complete the activity.

Resources

List any materials and resources that the student will need for the activity.  In particular, you need to list web sites in this section.  The requirement for the 3-part listing of web sites was given above.

Evaluation

Traditional forms of assessment usually don't fit into the WebQuest model.  One popular form of assessment is a rubric for evaluating WebQuests.

Construct a rubric that has at least four categories across and 5 categories down.  The rubric should have a scoring system and an overall score.   You can do this by inserting a table or copying a rubric using on of the following web sites:

Creating A Rubric for a Given Task
http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/staffdev/tpss99/rubrics/rubrics.html

For a rubric template that you could use for this assignment, visit:
http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/staffdev/tpss99/rubrics/rubric-template.html

You can also visit http://rubistar.4teachers.org/ to make a rubric using online tools.

Note:  If you use one of the online rubrics, you will have to copy and paste it into your document.

Conclusion

You should summarize what the students should have learned by completing their WebQuests.  You should also encourage the students to form their own conclusions and provide them with additional information, activities, or links that will enable them to explore information beyond your WebQuest.

STEP FOUR
Create your final WebQuest using FrontPage (or another web editor).

I will explain this in Q&A format:

How long should it take for students to complete a WebQuest?
Although some WebQuests can be completed in several hours, the requirement for this course is for you to plan a WebQuest that will take students from a minimum of several days to a maximum of several weeks to complete.   You will be the final judge of the length of time but please keep your planned WebQuest within these parameters.

How will you grade this project?
The WebQuest will evaluated using the rubric at http://teacherworld.com/webquestrubric.html
You will receive 40 points for the rubric and 10 points for following the format of the assignment.

What other information needs to be on the WebQuest?
You need to identify yourself, your position, your school (if your are teaching), the grade level and subject matter of the WebQuest, and how the WebQuest will be used in your curriculum.  You do not have to put your email address or any other information about yourself since this page will be designed for students.

What about the title of the WebQuest?
The title of the WebQuest should be short but also interesting!

IN SUMMARY, YOUR WEBQUEST SHOULD BE SAVED IN THE FOLLOWING FORMAT:

Your main page should be titled webquest.html and have the following information:

• Title of WebQuest

• Your name, your position, your school (if your are teaching), the grade level and subject matter of the WebQuest, and how the WebQuest will be used in your curriculum.

• Links to the pages below

Introduction wqintro.hml

Task wqtask.html

Process wqprocess.html

Resources wqresources.html

Evaluation wqeval.html

Conclusion wqconcl.html