Congratulations!
You've designed a WebQuest that you and others can use to engage students in web-based learning of your and others' content areas.
As you think about possibly revising this WebQuest or creating new WebQuests in the future, here are some questions to keep in mind:
As you think about possibly revising this WebQuest or creating new WebQuests in the future, here are some questions to keep in mind:
- Is your WebQuest problem not only "sexy" (does it get your students' attention), but is it also academically significant and meaningful? Will it open new points of view and new ways of thinking about and approaching your content, or does it only superficially play on the coolest or most topical aspects of your discipline? And, ask yourself: Is the problem truly new and fresh or does its appeal come from a topic that is a bit cliche (e.g., is it about the "rainforest?"--a very common topic in elementary schools; or does it focus on a standard text like The Great Gatsby or To Kill a Mockingbird in a very typical way). In addition, does the problem provide opportunities for response that are open-ended and that truly require the weighing of multiple viable options?
- Is your task "fresh" and in particular, does it ask students to find NEW information about your topic and process that information in ways that are "higher order"--that is, in ways that ask them to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information from multiple sources? (A WebQuest should NEVER be about finding facts for the sake of facts or for providing yes/no responses to lists of questions). In addition, the task itself should require every student in a group to take responsibility for completion of the whole task, and should require the students to collaborate and engage in collaborative problem solving and discussion in order to complete the task.
- Are your procedures and guidelines clear and understandable? Do students have a clear sense of the parameters of the task and how to go about performing it, without simply being given a list of things to do?
- Are the resources you've provided multiple and diverse enough to provide students with ample resources to complete the task? Is there sufficient complexity in their range to require students to have to evaluate and choose among options and information?
- Are your concluding questions to the students phrased in such a way that they are encouraged to engage in critical self-evaluation of their work?