WebQuests

Use this space to develop a definition of WebQuests.

Definition (italics are last edited): A WebQuest is an interactive online activity //developed in 1995 by Tom March and Bernie Dodge// which allows students to explore topics in innovative ways. It involves a student-centered approach to learning which emphasizes inquiry. It usually revolves around a general question or idea and gives students the opportunity to explore quality web resources surrounding the general topic. Students build a body of knowledge about the topic. Then, they engage in an activity that allows them to apply their new knowledge and create something new. It is a great way to integrate technology into core subjects while enhancing the student's depth of knowledge.

//A WebQuest generally include an introduction, a process, a task, a list of resources, a conclusion, and some sort of assessment or evaluation. The introduction presents background information. The task describes the question and activity. The process provides directions for the students. The resources provide links and other helpful sources for students. The evaluation provides some sort of assessment. The conclusion wraps up the WebQuest and possibly provides extensions.//

//There are two classifications for webquests: short term and long term. The short term WebQuest focuses on more basic knowledge acquisition and integration (less than three classes) whereas the long term WebQuest focuses on the extending an refining of previous knowledge (as short as a week and as long as a month).//

//Here are some examples of WebQuests:// - //http://garnet.acns.fsu.edu/%7Etah03j/four.htm - Science// - //http://www.lubbockisd.org/webquests/MeetImmigrants/index.htm - Social Studies// - //http://www.kn.sbc.com/wired/nonviolence/intro.htm - School Safety// - //http://webpages.charter.net/cpurser/grocery/ - Math// - //http://www.spa3.k12.sc.us/WebQuests/Anne%20Frank/index.html - History/English//

WebQuests were developed in 1995 by Tom March and Bernie Dodge. WebQuests are creative ways for students to research a particular topic. Resources are provided for students to research their topics so that they can concentrate on their activity. The acitivity presented has students apply what they are researching in a fun and engaging way. WebQuests are a great way for students to learn not only about a particular topic but also how to use the internet. WebQuests are built by including an introduction, a task, a process, resources, evaluation, conclusion. The introduction presents some background information about the topic. The task describes the question being asked about the topic and what the activity is. The process provides directions for the students about the activity, what they should be finding out, how to find their answers, and what they will be doing with their information. The resources provide links and other helpful sources for students to use to research and complete their activity. The evaluation lets students know how they will be scored on their project. The conclusion provides expansion questions about what was learned through their WebQuest. Here is a website that gives an explanation on how WebQuests can be made. http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech011.shtml ---Miriam---

A WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented activity used by technology-conscious teachers to encourage students to utilize various scholarly resources on the internet. There are at least two levels of WebQuest that should be distinguished from one another. The short term WebQuest focuses on more basic knowledge acquisition and integration whereas the long term WebQuest focuses on the extending an refining of previous knowledge.

In order for an online learning tool to be considered a WebQuest, it must posses a number of critical attributes. An introduction describing the purpose of the WebQuest must preface the task which is doable and interesting. Next a set of information sources needed to complete the task, and some guidance on how to complete the task need to be provided. Finally, an evaluation of the students' learning and a conclusion providing a recapitulation of the material covered, some closure and, perhaps, room for an extension, would be included.

WebQuest were first introduced in 1995 by Tom March and Bernie Dodge with the purpose of integrating technology with a classroom lesson. Through this method, students can spend less time searching for the relevant information online and can spend more time focusing on, and digesting, the material.

Visit "A WebQuest About WebQuests" (Elementary School) at http://webquest.sdsu.edu/webquestwebquest-es.html and an example of a Science WebQuest for grades 3 through 5 by Hayes, Sasser, and Shirey at [|http://garnet.acns.fsu.edu/~tah03j/four.htm]

by Saba

WebQuests were created in 1995 by Bernie Dodge and Tom March. WebQuests are a good activity to be used in school, because all or most of the information needed by learners are available on the web. This allows learners to focus on the information to be learned and understand, instead of spending time searching for appropriate information. WebQuests are student-centered and designed to make better use of a learners time.

There are short-term and long-term WebQuests. Short-term WebQuests are designed for only a couple class periods, and focus basically on gaining knowledge and making sense of it. Long-term WebQuests are more extensive and require more analysis and synthesis.

All WebQuests have an introduction and background information, a task, a set of sources to find information to complete the task, a clear process, guidance to point learners in the right direction, and a conclusion. Throughout this entire process, the learner should take in new information, and transform it into a new understanding. The key word here is transform. WebQuests are just for students to learn something, they must transform that knowledge into something more. WebQuests are designed to be interesting for the learner, so they are motivated to learn more and apply that knowledge in creative ways.

The great thing about WebQuests is that they can be used for all grades and all subjects. WebQuests can, and should, be integrated into all classrooms.

The WebQuest Portal has a ton of example WebQuests for all grades and subjects. Just type in what you want to see, and tons of results show up. The URL for the portal is: http://webquest.org/

~Theresa~

A webquest is a great way for students to learn to use the internet as a resource. It is a website that focuses on a specific subject, say cookies, and then includes many links about that subject to other sites For example, a webquest about cookies would include links to sites that would teach students about the different types of cookies, such as chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, etc. as well as who created cookies and when. Anything a student would want to know about the specific subject, in this case cookies, could be found through the webquest. Some examples of strong webquests include http://www.spa3.k12.sc.us/WebQuests/Anne%20Frank/index.html - about children in the holocaust, and http://www.spa3.k12.sc.us/WebQuests/mozart/Mozartquest.html - a very creative way to explore the life of Mozart. Other fantastic webquests can be found at [|www.bestwebquests.com]. Webquests are a great way for teachers to challenge students, and generally include an introduction, a process, a task, a list of resources, a conclusion, and some sort of assessment or evaluation. [|Http://www.spa3.k12.sc.us/WebQuests.HTM] has a great diagram on how to create a webquest. Webquests force the student to focus only on the subject at hand, and allow students to use the internet in a safe way. The idea was developed in 1995 by Tom March and his mentor, Bernie Dodge. A short term webquest allows students to grasp a lot of new information within a short period of time, i.e. three class periods, while a long term webquest has students really delve into the material so much so that they could actually teach the information to someone else. Long term webquests take as short as a week or as long as a month to complete. ~Bethany

Webquests, created by Bernie Doge and Tom March, are a web-based activity that is designed to use information rather than look for it. Teachers use webquests to focus students thinking on analysis, synthesis and evaluation. Critical attributes of webquests include an introduction, a task, a set of information sources, a description of the process to accomplish the task, guidance on how to organize the information, and a conclusion. Students can be evaluated by a formally or informally. Webquests may be group activities, designed with either a single discipline approach or interdisciplinary. There are at least two types of webquests – short term and long term. Short term webquests focus on knowledge acquisition and integration, while longer term webquests seek to translate knowledge into a demonstration that others can respond to. The main point of webquests is to take information and make something more, something new, out of it. Webquests are evaluated according to their overall aesthetics, as well as the relevance and clarity of all the parts (introduction, task, etc). Here are a few examples of webquests: http://www.lubbockisd.org/webquests/MeetImmigrants/index.htm , http://www.manteno.k12.il.us/WebQuest/elementary/elementary.htm --Rachel

Webquests were created by Bernie Dodge and Tom March to offer an interactive and technology based supplement to learning that allows kids to utilize their inquiry and exploration skills. There are two types of webquests: short-term and long-term. Short-term quests are great for introducing students to a particular subject, and long-term quests are better suited for delving into a subject matter and exploring all relevant issues. One example of a short-term webquest can be found at http://webquest.sdsu.edu/WebQuest1.html. An example of a long-term quest can be found at http://www.kn.sbc.com/wired/nonviolence/intro.htm. Although the range and subjects of different webquests can vary, they all share some critical attributes in common. The 6 essential components of any good webquest are the following: introduction, task, information sources, process, guidance, and conclusion. In addition to these essential attribute, many webquests include group activities, motivational elements, and either single discipline or interdisciplinary as part of their design. In general, webquests have been developed to create a safe environment for students' exploration of the web and refine their skills of using technology. Students will learn about the resources available on the internet that can help them throughout their entire academic career. Resources that can help teachers guide their students through the creation of webquests can be found at http://www.spa3.k12.sc.us/WebQuestTemplate/webquesttemp.htm and http://www.spa3.k12.sc.us/WebQuests.HTM. ~Samantha~

A WebQuest is a question oriented activity where learners are expected to get the majority or even all of the infomation from the Web.The idea was developed by Bernie Dodge and Tom March in 1995 as a part of the education school at the University of San Diego. The men developed two kinds of WebQuests: Short Term WebQuests and Longer Term WebQuests. Short Term WebQuests are used in three class periods and are designed to help students understand a large amount of information in a short period of time. Longer Term WebQuests are designed to get students to not only understand the subject material, but to analyze, modify and demostrate comprehension of the material. They are typically done in one month or several weeks of classes. All WebQuests include an introduction, a task, a source of information, a description of the process, a little bit of guidance, and a conclusion. Longer term WebQuests typically include a multitude of thiking skills as a part of the learning. Some of these skills are comparing, classifying, and analyzing. Most WebQuests are designed as a group project where students access the internet to create a final product that is further enhanced by techonology. They should motivate students' learning and use scaffolding to produce the best results in the students. WebQuests don't have to simply be on one subject either, many WebQuests are interdisciplinary. Some examples of interdisiciplinary WebQuests can be found here: http://bestwebquests.com/bwq/listarea.asp?wqcatid=12&edid=. -Kathleen

A WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented activity located on the web that encourages students to explore new topics of interest, use information found on the web, and analyze, synthesize, and evaluate the information in order to apply it to a given task. WebQuests were created by Bernie Dodge and Tom March at San Diego University in 1995. There are two types of WebQuests; short term and long term. Short term WebQuests can be completed in a few hours and have the goal of knowledge acquisition and integration. Long term WebQuests focus on extending and refining knowledge. WebQuests have a basic format that is easy to follow. There is a small introduction providing background information about the quest, the definition and explanation of the task, provision of information sources, the detailed process, helpful guidance, and the conclusion. This process is easy to follow and can therefore be completely independent. WebQuests are very useful for integrating academic and vocational areas and for exploring interdisciplinary studies. WebQuests provide a fun way to incorporate every day aspects of life, not in the SOLs into the students’ education. WebQuests cover all areas, such as arts and music, business and economics, languages, math, and science. They can be as specific as the history of the radio and puppets. WebQuests create independence among the students and integrate technology into the classroom. This is a great site that lists links to hundreds of exciting WebQuests in all different areas, including Careers, Field Trips, and Health and PE: http://www.techtrekers.com/webquests/#Science. - Kate

Bernie Dodge described his 1995 creation as "an inquiry-oriented activity in which some or all of the information that learners interact with comes from resources on the internet, optionally supplemented with videoconferencing." WebQuests are often used in education as guides for students to use the interent and other technology to conduct research on a particular topic in any subject area. WebQuests allow teachers to choose which sites students use in their investigations which ensures more efficient and safer internet searches. WebQuests aren't only for students. There are WebQuests created just for teachers as well. Here is an example of a WebQuest for teacher explaining how to use WebQuests: http://www.west.asu.edu/achristie/548/02WQ/kelly/Wonderin.htm

Most WebQuests follow a similar format: Introduction, Task, Process, Evaluation, Conclusion, and Teacher's Page. Students often complete WebQuests in groups and take on different "roles" in the research process. WebQuests often take a research topic and give students a purpose for studying it. Here is an example of a WebQuests that gives students the "job" of figuring out which animals should go in the class's newly aquired zoo: [|http://php.ucs.indiana.edu/~ijackson/introduction.html]

There are so many different creative ways that WebQuests can be created to get students interested in a particular subject. WebQuests also integrate technology in the classroom and encourage collaberative working. WebQuests are becoming more and more popular and more advanced with the innovations and accessibility increases in technology. There are many websites on the internet with databases of WebQuests depending on the grade, subject area, or topic you would like to have a WebQuest on. Here are a few: http://www.west.asu.edu/achristie/wqmatrix.html http://www.indiana.edu/%7Ew210/previouswq.htmlhttp://www.davison.k12.mi.us/dhs/staff/hewitt/hewitt14.htm ~Diana

Webquests are creative enterprises in which most of the information that is provided for the learner comes from internet resources. The student is encouraged to use inquiry and exploration to creatively research a particular topic. A webquest must have an introduction and background information, a learning task, sources to find information in order to complete the task, a procedure, guidance for the learners and a conclusion. The sites are designed so that learners gain knowledge and transform that information into something more. The goal of a webquest is to intrigue learners so that they are motivated to continuing learning and creatively apply knowledge. Here is a helpful webquest about webquest to help teachers design them for their classes: http://webquest.sdsu.edu/webquestwebquest-es.html I also really like this site because it takes teachers step by step to help them create a webquest: http://webquest.sdsu.edu/designsteps/index.html I also really like this webquest that was designed by a third grade teacher. The site has a tool bar on the left that breaks the webquest down into the different parts (ie introduction, task, evaluation, etc.). One of the tabs is labeled Teacher. This link provides information for other teachers who want to use the webquest in their own class. This explanation includes what Science and language arts standards are being met by the webquest- a helpful reference in a time where standards are the focal point of education in most schools. http://www.rockwood.k12.mo.us/itech/webquests/su2003elem/colbert/skyarial/index.html

- Meredith

A WebQuest is an inquiry-based online activity where most or all of the information used by the learners is found and used from the web. Resources are found on the internet and then used to complete the WebQuest task. The WebQuest model was developed in early 1995 at San Diego State University by Bernie Dodge and Tom March. Webquests can be interdisciplinary or single disciplinary and can be done alone or with a cooperative group. A WebQuest is made up of 6 critical attributes: an introduction, a clearly defined task or goal, information sources that point to information on the web related to the task, a description of the process of which the learners are doing, guidance on how to complete the task and organize the information they find, and a conclusion that reminds the learners what they have learned and extends their learning. WebQuests can be used to compare and contrast, classify, induce, deduce, construct, and analyze information.

There are 2 levels of WebQuests—short term and long term. In short term WebQuests, learners work with new information and make sense of it in 1-3 class periods. In long term WebQuests, learners analyze knowledge more deeply and demonstrate an understanding of the material by creating something that other learners can respond to. It typically takes a week or more. I think WebQuests are a great way to get kids to learn all about 21st century skills and how to use technology. It gets them involved in what they are doing and they are able to do everything for themselves. They can answer their own questions by searching for them on the web. Internet and websites are such a crucial part of life in general nowadays that it is very important for students to be able to use the internet without any problems or questions. WebQuests enable students to be able to work with the internet with a specified task and so they learn how to search for information on a specific topic.

On this page, there are several topics for WebQuests and how they are set up to teach that particular topic: http://www.teachersfirst.com/webquest.htm. Also, here is a teacher tutorial on how to set up a WebQuest. It is called WebQuest 101 and takes you through a series of steps to set up you very own WebQuest! http://www.teachersfirst.com/summer/webquest/quest-a.shtml.

~*Amelia*~

Webquests, Kayla: WebQuests are activities which encourage learners to use the internet to gather information to complete an activity. It is intended to teach effective web skills and bring learners to a more complex level of thought on the topic or activity being explored. The first model of these WebQuests was developed just over 10 years ago at San Diego State University by Bernie Dodge and Tom March and since has become a widely used tool for all types of learners. The creators suggest that a good WebQuest should include an introduction, a task, information sources, description of process, guidance, and a conclusion. The nice thing about these designs is that they can be used so widely. They are appropriate for individuals or groups as well as concentrations or interdisciplinary study, and in addition to teaching the learner about the subject at hand, they teach and reinforce vital technology skills. They can easily be adjusted to support a variety of ages, learning types, and units (long-term or short-term). Many examples of good WebQuests can be found online, and some are already listed on this page.

WebQuests, Claire: WebQuests were created by Bernie Dodge and Tom March from San Diego University in 1995. WebQuests are activities that use the Internet as their main resource. They are intended as a creative way for students to do a “project” from start to finish; students can refer to the webquest page for instructions, links to research sites, requirements for completion of the project, etc. There are short term and long term WebQuests. In a short term WebQuest, students have a class period to 3 or 4 class periods to complete the assignment. Short term WebQuests can focus more on the knowledge and comprehension levels of student learning because they usually incorporate a good deal of information and require students to show that they understand this information. Long term WebQuests focus on the learner’s levels of analysis and synthesis in that they normally take at least a week to complete and may even take months; the typical assignment might include the student’s own work demonstrating to others the knowledge they’ve obtained (i.e. their own webpage with an analysis of the research they’ve acquired). WebQuests are set up so that the students will use their time in an orderly and efficient manner. A WebQuest usually includes an introduction, a task, a set of information sources, a description of the process students should go through, guidance tips on how to organize their acquired information, and a conclusion that wraps up the quest. WebQuests can easily be turned into group learning activities and can also easily incorporate more than one discipline, like the 3-5 grade grocery store quest, which incorporates social studies, math, and writing skills.

[|grocery store webquest] [|butterfly webquest] _Claire

Developed by Bernie Dodge and Tom March in 1995, Webquests are a way for teachers to design online lessons and activities to enhance student’s knowledge. Presentations of the topic matter are addressed usually through varying categories including an overview, introduction, questions, activities, resources, evaluation, and a conclusion. These online Webquests are an innovative way for teachers to share materials and ideas with one another as well as incorporate technology into the classroom. The purpose of a Webquest is to expand knowledge and teach new material in a way that will excite students to learn. No longer do teachers want their students to memorize facts. Instead, the new pedagogical approach is to immerse students in the specific topic matter at hand. This online approach requires an exploration of web resources and introductory material in order to later apply this newly acquired knowledge to the activities and tasks. There are two types of Webquests that may be utilized. The short-term Webquest provides a more basic knowledge while the long-term Webquest delves deeper into the comprehensive understanding the student can gain from the material presented. The Webquests are evaluated based on categories such as their overall presentation of material and graphics, clarity, content, and oral presentation. An example Webquest on Ecosystems for Fourth Graders: http://eprentice.sdsu.edu/S04X/mevensen/wq/index.htm An example Webquest on Ladybugs for Grades K-2: http://www.yorkville.k12.il.us/webquests/webqfrey/webqsfrey.html ~Catie