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. The model was developed in early 1995 at San Diego State University by Bernie Dodge with Tom March, and was outlined then in Some Thoughts About WebQuests.
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Do you really need to create a WebQuest from scratch? Read http://webquest.sdsu.edu/adapting/index.html to learn about adapting existing WebQuests. 1.
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| 2. Study: http://webquest.sdsu.edu/designpatterns/all.htm Select a design that will fit your topic. Download the student and teacher templates for the design you chose. Open them up in your favorite web editor (Dreamweaver, Composer, FrontPage, etc.). 3. Write up the Task in the student template and the Standards and Learners in the teacher template. |
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| 4. Read: http://webquest.sdsu.edu/rubrics/weblessons.htm and http://webquest.sdsu.edu/rubrics/rubrics.html Complete the Evaluation section in the student template. Duplicate it in the teacher template and add any extra information needed by teachers. |
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| 5. Read: http://webquest.sdsu.edu/searching/fournets.htm and http://webquest.sdsu.edu/searching/specialized.html Flesh out the Process section by finding a focused set of resources to provide the information needed by learners. If you have any doubts about the legitimacy of a site,
check it out with Fagan's URLInfo tool. |
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the Introduction, Conclusion and
Credits section and all other parts of the teacher
template. Add graphics where appropriate. Read: http://webquest.sdsu.edu/finepoints/ Have someone else evaluate your draft: http://webquest.sdsu.edu/webquestrubric.html |
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| The process isn't always as linear as this, of course. As you work your way through the steps, you may need to go back and modify the work done in previous steps. By the time you get to the bottom, you're done! The most difficult part is choosing a design and task. The most time-consuming part is designing the process. | |
The Process Checklist (LOVE LOVE LOVE this..)
This checklist is to help you look at the Process section and focus on the small details that can make or break a project. You can use it to look at your own project or you can ask someone else to provide you with a peer review. Any line that doesn't have Yes checked suggests an aspect of your Process that should be looked at closely.
To qualify as a design pattern, the lesson should be easily modified to cover different content while using the same basic structure. Each pattern is distinct from the others in terms of the kinds of content it can be used for, and the organization of the Introduction, Task, Process and Evaluation sections. With templates that are specific to each design pattern, it should be easier to hit the ground running when starting to create a new WebQuest.
Check out these INSTRUCTIONALLY SOLID WEBQUEST DESIGN PATTERNS
Adapting and Enhancing Existing WebQuests
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nChoose a standard or topic
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nSearch for existing WebQuests
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nDetermine if you can use one “as is”
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nSelect those with high potential
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nIdentify changes needed
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nGet author permission
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nDownload the WebQuest
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nModify and enhance
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nEvaluate and Revise as needed
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nPublish and share
Look around, enjoy, and let the ideas start to flow. You will notice that all the WebQuests work with the same pattern: Introduction - Task - Process - Evaluation.
- Fun with Fables
- Will Technology Elevate Higher Education?
- Business Education WebQuests
- Computer Science WebQuest
- Social Studies
- A Lesson From September 11th
- http://bestwebquests.com/
Using Rubrics to Evaluate Learning
How often have you attempted to grade your students' work only to find that the assessment criteria were vague and the performance behavior was overly subjective? Would you be able to justify the assessment or grade if you had to defend it? The Rubric is an authentic assessment tool which is particularly useful in assessing criteria which are complex and subjective.
Authentic assessment is geared toward assessment methods which correspond as closely as possible to real world experience. It was originally developed in the arts and apprenticeship systems, where assessment has always been based on performance. The instructor observes the student in the process of working on something real, provides feedback, monitors the student's use of the feedback, and adjusts instruction and evaluation accordingly. Authentic assessment takes this principle of evaluating real work into all areas of the curriculum.
The rubric is one authentic assessment tool which is designed to simulate real life activity where students are engaged in solving real-life problems. It is a formative type of assessment because it becomes an ongoing part of the whole teaching and learning process. Students themselves are involved in the assessment process through both peer and self-assessment. As students become familiar with rubrics, they can assist in the rubric design process. This involvement empowers the students and as a result, their learning becomes more focused and self-directed. Authentic assessment, therefore, blurs the lines between teaching, learning, and assessment.
The advantages of using rubrics in assessment are that they:
- allow assessment to be more objective and consistent
- focus the teacher to clarify his/her criteria in specific terms
- clearly show the student how their work will be evaluated and what is expected
- promote student awareness of about the criteria to use in assessing peer performance
- provide useful feedback regarding the effectiveness of the instruction
- provide benchmarks against which to measure and document progress
Rubrics can be created in a variety of forms and levels of complexity, however, they all contain common features which:
- focus on measuring a stated objective (performance, behavior, or quality)
- use a range to rate performance
- contain specific performance characteristics arranged in levels indicating the degree to which a standard has been met
Rubrics are an effective assessment tool in evaluating student performance in areas which are complex and vague. By involving students in the creation of the rubric, the students take more responsibility for their own learning, are empowered by being involved in the teaching/learning process, and have a clearer idea of what is expected in terms of specific performance. Stakeholders are given clear information about student assessment and instructional objectives. Teachers clarify their goals, expectations, and focus, and even find that their paperwork is reduced because students are a part of the process of assessment development. There is, however, one drawback to the use of rubrics according to Harry Tuttle, a subject area technology integration teacher for the Ithaca City School District; "the students will want to have rubrics for everything they learn!"
Are you wondering whether the Web Quest is really instructionally sound? Use this rubric to EVALUATE the WebQuest: A Rubric For Evaluating Web Quests.
Source: http://webquest.sdsu.edu/ (This is WebQuest Nirvana...)
If you want to put your WebQuest on the Web, review these FrontPage lessons and go for it. If you use Microsoft Word, you can use FrontPage -- it's like Word on steroids!!
UWEC FrontPage Documentation (FABULOUS)
If Dreamweaver is more your thing, check out these lessons:
UWEC Dreamweaver Documentation (Equally FABULOUS)
Once you start designing your site, check out FINE POINT - 14 Little Things that Can Make or Break Your Web Site. You will find lots of great, simple tips for good Web design.
You will need to upload your WebQuest to the Internet. Try out TRIPOD. It's easy, works GREAT with FrontPage, and you can get 20MB for free.
