During
this weeks lesson we learned how to implement WebQuest in the classroom.
WebQuest are great for incorporating educational content in an online format in
a way that is familiar with students. What students do in a WebQuest is
entirely dependent on the teacher and there effective use creates a deeper
understanding of content. Students do research about a topic, learn about the
material on their own and finalize their understanding of the topic. WebQuest’s
are great instructional tools and can be used in a variety of different
subjects/grades.
There
are many different aspects to a WebQuest other than the research portion of the
activity. Students must be given a task to do, such as write a paper that is
based on their research. It is up to the teacher to decide what they want the
students to research for. For example a teacher may ask students to infer about
the various tools used in Native American societies and how they are
distinguished between tribes. The teacher can instruct the students to write a
paper, make a PowerPoint presentation or even a combination of both. The
WebQuest can be implemented in a group activity or for individual work as well.
The
construction of the WebQuest is the most important aspect of the activity
because it is what guides students in their acquisition of knowledge and the
completion of the task. The current model of WebQuest includes an introduction,
task, process, evaluation, conclusion, credits and a teacher page. The area
that is of most concern with the teacher is the task, process and the
evaluation of the project. The reason why is that these areas discuss what is
asked of the students. It must be clear, attainable for the grade level and
must be assessed in a way that is both beneficial to the students and the
teacher. The process is the part of the quest that students perform their research
and is how they come to a conclusion for the task.
I
did have some problems in the implementation of my own WebQuest using the quest
garden site. The overall use of the site is easy but it proved difficult for me
to figure out what to say on the credits page and the teacher page. It is hard
to explain how you did it so that other teachers could understand how to do it
as well. The credits page was difficult because the site wanted you to list
things other than just a list of sites. I really enjoyed using the site though
and I think it is easier to use this and construct a WebQuest instead of using
a PowerPoint for example. The reason why is that everything is laid out for you
to complete step by step on quest garden. The site for the WebQuest creation site
is- http://questgarden.com/index.php
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