Download Audrey C & Margaret M webquest

WebQuests
Presented
by
Audrey Chouri & Margaret Moloney
What is a WebQuest?
• “ 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” (Dodge, 1997).
• Dr. Bernie Dodge, a professor of Educational
Technology, developed and implemented the
WebQuest model at San Diego State University
• Most distinguishing characteristics of a
WebQuest are, the project is set on the web and
the activities that students have to provide for the
project need to be inquiry-oriented or examples
of real world activity.
• Most of the time resources for the project are
either pre-selected by the instructor or the person
who put the WebQuest together. Students can
interact using the internet as a resource of
information and knowledge.
Types of WebQuests
Short-term
In a short-term WebQuest, the instructional goal is
simply knowledge acquisition and integration.
Each student obtains and processes a significant
amount of new information from the Web and inschool materials. Short term WebQuests are
designed to be completed in one to three class
periods (Hampton 2009).
Long-term
In a long-term WebQuest, the instructional
goal increases one level, challenging students
to extend and refine the knowledge they find
online and in the real world. Each student
deeply analyzes a body of knowledge,
transforms it and demonstrates understanding
by presenting it in someway. Long-term
WebQuests can take between one week and
one month to complete (Hampton 2009).
Educational theory
WebQuests are based on Constructivist Learning theory.
Constructivism suggests that the learner is more actively involve in
creating new meanings.
Constructivism states that learning is an active, contextualized process
of constructing knowledge rather than acquiring it. Knowledge is
constructed based on personal experiences and hypotheses of the
environment. Each person has a different interpretation and views the
situation with different perspectives. The learner brings past
experiences and cultural factors to a situation.
Introduction, Task, Process, Resources, Evaluation, and Conclusion are the six components
of a WebQuest. Each component has its own page. The six different pages are linked
together. A click of a button will link to the respective component on the WebQuest. It is
like creating your own website.
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Introduction:
Task:
Process:
Resources:
•
Evaluation:
•
Conclusion:
What the learner is going to learn?
What the learner is going to research and present?
The steps the learner need to follow to accomplish the task.
A list of resources the instructor has provided to help the learner
accomplish the task
Evaluation rubric designed by the instructor to assess the
learner’s work.
What the learner have learned from the finished product?
Application of WebQuest to teaching situations
• To teach nurses how to design a teaching project.
• To teach nursing students anatomy, pathophysiology, nursing process for providing
individualized care or nursing implications of medications administration.
• To develop critical pathways.
• For promotion and maintenance of healthy behaviors in the community.
• To do group projects or research projects from home.
• Students can use WebQuest to do their presentations.
• For patients with limited reading ability a WebQuest with pictures or images can be created to
help them understand their diagnosis or how to adhere to their medication regime.
Settings to use WebQuest
A WebQuest can be used in multiple settings as long as an individual has access to a computer
and the internet.
It can be used in classrooms because students can incorporate technology in their learning
activity.
It can be used in health care settings, by patients to explore the health system and by medical
professionals for inquiry-oriented activities or to make connections to the “real-world”.
It can be used by health agencies, businesses, and professional groups to present their ideas and
also to get the audience involve in discussions and activities.
Pros of WebQuest
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Narrows and Directs students’ Web searches.
Assists teachers with integrating technology into the classroom.
WebQuests promote a safe internet environment.
WebQuests are structured, organized, time efficient tools used by educators to make
available to students a wide array of internet information that can inspire critical
thinking skills.
• WebQuests challenge student intellectual and academic ability rather than web based
searching skills.
Cons of WebQuest
• WebQuests do not take the developmental nature into consideration.
• Many WebQuests are written exactly the same way.
• WebQuests make little allowances for individual differences of any
kind (i.e learning styles or preferences).
• WebQuests tend to promote social isolation among students.
• WebQuests assume that critical thinking skills can only be taught
through group activity and consensus building
Ways to adapt the strategy
The teacher can design the WebQuest to meet the needs of a particular
learning environment or group of students.
WebQuests can be modified to assess the students’ comprehension of a
particular topic.
WebQuests can be adapted to a particular time frame. (i.e. over a
number of days or placement of the WebQuest in the curriculum)
Effectiveness of the WebQuest
Completion of the assigned task(s) submitted to the teacher.
A peer review by other groups.
A grading rubric to assess the completion, quality and comprehension of the
assigned task.
A student survey of the pros and cons of the WebQuest.