What WebQuests are (…really!) By Tom March A group of students work together as a team to research a topic. They gather their data for their role and combine it with the data from the rest of their team to create a multimedia presentation. Is this a true WebQuest Activity? Why or why not?

What is the main critical attribute of a WebQuest? Pose questions that will prompt students to think and reason, enabling them to answer a critical, main question that the webquest poses. Be sure that the students understand that there are no right or wrong answers, however each student will need to form their own opinion and give reasons for their view. Students assume roles and research the internet to get answers that they must reason through. Then, they are given an opportunity to present and discuss their viewpoint with their group. Next, they must work with their team to come up with a group consensus, using this information to produce a product that will educate others. er/index.html

Scaffolding! What does it mean? Prompting learners to perform beyond their current cognitive skills. What are some examples of Scaffolding? Activities that help students develop the right mindset Engaging students with the problem. Dividing activities into manageable tasks. Directing students’ attention to the essential aspects of the learning goals.

= WebQuests should link only to essential resources. Resources that are interactive, media-rich, grade level equivalent, and zero in on vital research. What is a quick question you can ask to resolve whether a WebQuest is worth using? Could this learning be achieved just as effectively without the internet?

Open-ended questions (cognitive dissonance) within a WebQuest prompt students to..... Investigate and assimilate more robust understanding.

What do the individual roles in a WebQuest prompt students to develop? Expertise in the subject from within a situated learning environment. Students actually get to assume a role and obtain knowledge from within that context.

When working with the final “Group Process” of a WebQuest what are the two questions that need to be asked to assure that a student’s newly acquired information is being transformed into a more sophisticated understanding? Could the answer be copied and pasted? 2. Does the task require that students make something new out of what they have learned? Key= The “something new must be substantively new.

When Tom March uses the term “Tag Team PowerPoint” what is he referring to? Students presenting what they have gathered from research without ever pooling the team’s knowledge base or processing new insights. Key = Tweaking the final group task to engage students in a pursuit that requires them to use the acquired information and expertise in a new way, thus constructing a deeper understanding.

What are the three R’s of WebQuests? Is it Real, Rich, & Relevant Key = As educators writing WebQuests, our main contribution is contextualizing the topic with what makes it worth learning.

Let the WebQuests Begin! C.C.P.S. Summer Institute 2004 Trainers: Lori Hartman & Grace Vaknin