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Teacher's Net

Lesson 5: Instructional Design2, Part One

Focus on WebQuests

Definitions

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, preferrably integrating with a project-based outcome. The two main distinctions between WebQuest types are:

Short Term WebQuests

The instructional goal of a short term WebQuest is knowledge acquisition and integration. At the end of a short term WebQuest, a learner will have grappled with a significant amount of new information and made sense of it. A short-term WebQuest is designed to be completed in one to three class periods, and generally ends with the completion of a small project.

Longer Term WebQuest
The instructional goal of a longer term WebQuest is the extension and refining of knowledge. After completing a longer term WebQuest, a learner would have analyzed a body of knowledge deeply, transformed it in some way, and demonstrated an understanding of the material by creating something that others can respond to, on-line or off. A longer term WebQuest will typically take between one week and a month in a classroom setting, and generally integrates the final project into each step of the Quest

Critical Attributes

Whether they're short or longer in duration, WebQuests are specifically designed to maximize the student's time. Since we obviously don't benefit much from aimless wanderings of the Internet, and most schools have to ration student's computer time in the first place, this is an important goal. With all this in mind, WebQuests should contain the following elements:

An introduction that "sets the stage" and provides background information, noting the project outcome.
A task and project integration that is do-able and interesting.
A set of information sources needed to complete the task. Many (though not necessarily all) of the resources are embedded in the WebQuest document itself as anchors pointing to information on the World Wide Web. Information sources might include web documents, experts available via e-mail or realtime conferencing, searchable databases on the net, and books and other documents physically available in the learner's setting. Because pointers to resources are included, the learner is not left to wander through webspace completely adrift.
A description of the process the learners should go through in accomplishing the task. The process should be broken out into clearly described steps, which the student should be able to follow explicity in the successful completion of the Quest.
Some guidance on how to organize the information acquired. This can take the form of guiding questions, or directions to complete organizational frameworks such as timelines, concept maps, or cause-and-effect diagrams.
A conclusion that brings closure to the Quest, reminds the learners about what they've learned, and perhaps encourages them to extend the experience into other subjects which the students themselves might be more interested in.
"Role Playing" is often included to give the student a personal investment in the goals. The role might be a scientist, detective, or reporter asked by the Secretary General of the UN to brief him on what happening in Sub-Saharan Africa this week.
Many WebQuests are interdisciplinary, combining two or more curriculum components into a single purpose.

Examples

There are a ton of WebQuests currently online, some much better than others. Use this WebQuest evaluation form to assess the qualities of the following WebQuests, and take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the layout of each different Quest.

http://www.iwebquest.com/egypt/ancientegypt.htm

http://www.macomb.k12.mi.us/wq/WebQ97/LAURALES.HTM

http://www.plainfield.k12.in.us/hschool/webq/webq8/jjquest.htm