Webquests

This week we learned about Webquests in my grad class. I remember learning about them and creating one in my undergrad technology in education class. I believe they are a great way to keep students focused and on task while using technology. It also helps to ensure that the information they are using is valid (hopefully the creator makes sure it is!). The weakness of the Webquest is that students aren't able to sift through internet sites themselves to determine what is credible information and what is just junk out there. This is a skill that students need to develop and teachers may feel that its too time consuming! Another weakness is that like anything created by us teachers it may have bias. Depending on the topic the bias may be very clear or it may be hidden. This is a problem because as teachers we want our students to develop their own thoughts and opinions based on what they learn and experience not because its what their parents, teachers, or friends believe.

http://questgarden.com/133/79/7/111022141423/index.htm

Above is the link I found for a Webquest on Climate and Weather for 7th grade.

1. Introduction. Strength is that the Intro is clear and simple. Weakness is that the webquest teaches the students a larger objective and not just how to compare and contrast weather and climate. This may cause students to discount the other information that is being presented.
   

2. A task that is doable and interesting. I think students would be interested in being a reported and videographer. The weakness is that there is a discrepancy between the Intro and the task. The Intro. says the students will travel into the future and the task speaks of traveling back in time. This is important because climate is more about the atmospheric conditions or weather over time therefor you need to look at the past to determine what the future may hold.
   

3. A process (do learners know what to do and when?). The learners know what process they are supposed to complete and what they need to do before they can move onto the next step. The only weakness is that Process 1 fails to mention the need to apply the information to the state which they selected and where to find that information. The process has a lot of different types of information for the learners to interact with.
   

4. Evaluation. Students have a rubric and questions to follow to make sure that they have included everything. The weakness is that items that are not associated with the subject matter receive more points than the science content!
   

5. A conclusion that brings closure to the quest, reminds the learners about what they've learned...Overall thoughts. The conclusion seems to tell the answers to the Intro. The weakness with this is that students could simply click ahead and use that information in their project instead of viewing the videos, songs, and reading the articles that go more in depth about the information. Having a hard time finding a strength in this part, but I suppose it would be that it takes the standard taught and makes it simple to understand.
   

6. And, lastly:

7. Is this a webquest you think you could use without modification in your classroom (not for the project in this class -- that should be your own creation)? What might you have to change? No I would not be able to use this webquest without modification. There are some areas that need some more attention to detail so that students get the most out of the project. It's a great idea and has good resources but the students are supposed to transfer this information they learn and apply to a state of their choice. I don't see a whole lot of guidance for the students with that transition. Some students could jump that gap but other students would have great difficulty trying to apply the new information themselves.
   

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