WebQuest Guide

What is a WebQuest?

What is a WebQuest? The Wikipedia defines a WebQuest as:

A research activity in which students collect information, where most of the information comes from the World Wide Web. It was first invented by Bernie Dodge in 1995.

According to the original paper by Dodge (found at http://webquest.sdsu.edu/about_webquests.html), a WebQuest is "an inquiry-oriented activity in which some or all of the information that learners interact with comes from resources on the internet, optionally supplemented with videoconferencing." Usually, the quest is divided in the following sections: Introduction, Task, Process, Evaluation, Conclusion, and Teacher Page. Students typically complete WebQuests in groups. Each student in each group typically has a "role," or specific area to research. WebQuests often take the form of role-playing scenarios, where students take on the personas of professional researchers or historical figures.

The WebQuest is valued as a highly constructivist teaching method, meaning that students are "turned loose" to find, synthesize, and analyze information in a hands-on, but guided, fashion, actively constructing their own understanding of the material. WebQuests focus on group work which also makes them popular examples of cooperative learning. (Available from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Webquest)

1) Locate information about WebQuests:

• Introduction to WebQuests
• WebQuest Examples
• Other WebQuest links for you to explore:
  • The WebQuest Page (Check out the Portal, Training Materials, and the Overview links)

2) You will use QuestGarden to build your WebQuest:

• Select a topic of your choosing, collect relevant web sites and decide upon a task. You may want to download a PDF planning tool to help you compose your WebQuest.
• Go to QuestGarden and log in using the username: cfigg and the password: webquest (Use this account so you do not have to purchase a subscription to QuestGarden).
• Click the link to "Create a New WebQuest" and be sure to title the WebQuest with YOUR name.
• Follow each of the steps to complete your WebQuest
• Notify Dr. F that you have completed a WebQuest.

2) Your WebQuest will be graded for completeness and clarity of the following components ONLY. You may wish to view the traditional WebQuest rubric that will also be used to provide feedback. Completely fill out the following items ONLY:

• Goals & Context (Topic, Title/Authors, Standards, Learners)
• Task & Assessment (Design Pattern, Task, and Evaluation)
• Process (Process 1, Process 2, Process 3)
• Final Details (Conclusion, Introduction, Credits)
• Polish & Publish (Add Images, Appearance, Preview--You will NOT publish this WebQuest.)