Thursday, January 1, 2009

Week6 - Webqust



Learning outcomes

At the end of the lesson you will be able to
  • Understand the meaning of Webquest
  • Describe the steps of WebQuset
  • Identify some of the WebQuset resources
  • Discuss how WebQuest can be used in inquiry based learning
  • Plan and develop a WebQuest to teach a lesson

What is a WebQuset?
  • webQuset is a learning activity in which students interact with resources on the internet(can also use other resources)
  • inquiry based approach

Questioning, critical thinking and problem solving

Why do we use WebQuest?
  • Involves higher levels of thinking
  • Built around a topic of interest to students = Motivation
  • Challenges students to explore the information the web
  • Team approach and project based
  • Skills are transferable across subjects
  • Simple to create
  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuZ949ZITY

Crating a WebQuest
  • You are the teacher and you are going to create a Webquest for your students
How are you going to do that?
  • A WebQuest consists of FIVE critical steps
  1. Introduction
  2. Task
  3. Process
  4. Evaluation
  5. Conclusion

Step 1: Introduction
  • Draws students attention to the topic; motivate them
  • Provides background information about the topic
  • There is normally a central question that will gulde your webquest – it should demand higher level of thinking & be a real world activity (e.g. How can we solve the problem of global warming?)

Step 2 Task
  • Provide a description of activities and what students will have to accomplish at the end of the activity:
  • Is it a product?
  • Solve a problem?

Step 3: Process
  • Describe very clearly the steps for students to accomplish the task
  • Create groups and assign roles
  • As a teacher, provides assistance (worksheets, data gathering tools, hints, etc)
  • Provide resource that students will be using web links will form the main resources

Step 4: Evaluation
  • Decide how students will assessed
  • You can use Rubrics
Step 5: Conclusion
  • Summarize the experience and promote a reflection about the process
  • Challenge the students to act upon what they student to act upon what they have achieved; whether they can use in another situation

Templates to Design WebQuests
  • Power Pont
  • Word Document
Assignment: choose one of the above

Activity [30 minutes]
  • Explore the WebQuest sites provided
  • Note down which one you visited
  • Report what you found on those sites

webQuest Sites Observations
  • WebQuest lessons are not used to teach factual information
  • Tasks in the WebQuest lessons invite creativity and problem solving with several possible solutions
  • WebQuest lessons are designed to encourage critical thinking and analytical skills

Activity [30 minutes]
  • Using the linked provided, try the webquest about webquest
  • Report to the class your experience after implementing the activity

Summery
  • Learning activity such as WcbQuset allows students to explore knowledge and skills
  • ICT facilitates students to explore the web for information


Over View:
WebQuest is a learning activity designed to engage the learners with use of internet and computer technology. WebQuest are deigned to provide inquiry- oriented activity in which students search for relevant information to learn a new topic in any of the school subject areas.
The WebQuest activities require students to work cooperatively and interaction and sharing of knowledge and skills among learners. Teaching with WebQuest is highly successful in building knowledge and understanding the topic.

A WebQuest usually consist of five critical components; Introduction, task, process, evaluation and conclusion.
Introduction: The first statement in a WebQuest draws attention of the learner. The introduction is made to motivate and create curiosity. For example: "you are an astronaut to find out the air quality in the space”.
Task: Describe clearly and concisely what the end result of the learners' activities will be. The task could be a series of questions that must be answered, problem to be solved or to make an end product.
Process: Describe step-by-step instruction on how the learners will accomplish the task. Provide guidance and individual steps to achieve the given task.
Evaluation: The process of evaluation consists of what is expected to successfully achieve the given task. These can include grading, rubric and detail account of how it will be measured.
Conclusion: The final component of a WebQuest consists of summary of the activities, how the aspects that the students learned can be transferred to real-life situation and suggestion for further exploration of the topic.

Useful Resources
http://webqust.org/index-create .php
http://teacherweb.com/TWQuests.htm
http://webquest.sdsu.edu/webquestwebquest-hum.html

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