The best way to understand what WebQuests are is to examine several of them
closely. You will see that they come in all shapes and sizes, as well as a huge
range of quality!
Working in pairs, and using the Evaluation Forms given to you in class, examine
at least three WebQuests in some detail. Some WebQuests take a considerable
length of time to work through, so don't actually try to complete all the tasks
that are described yourself -- just get a sense of what the tasks demand of
students, and move on.
To begin,, choose one of the following "recommended" WebQuests.
The first two were suggested by a teacher colleague in Coquitlam who runs inservices
on WebQuests. (Apologies for the US-centric nature of these.) The last one I
happened to like. What all three have in common is that the "task"
hits the nail on the head.
Then, choose two or more other WebQuests to examine.This matrix
of examples on Dr. Bernie Dodge's web site is helpful for locating WebQuests
prepared for children of particular ages, and in particular subject-matter areas.
When you are done, take a close look at Assignment
#4, in which you will be preparing your own WebQuest. After reading this
you will want to start thinking about topics that might interest you for your
WebQuest, finding web resources related to these, and pondering some challenging
tasks...
|