Natalia Katasonova
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the session you will be able to:
explain what a webquest is; analyze the structure of a webquest; recognize pedagogocal value of using webquests
in the EL classroom; search the web for available webquests; create your own webquest.
What is a Webquest?
DefinitionsA WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented activity in which some or all of the information that learners interact with comes from resources on the internet. (Bernie Dodge) A WebQuest is a scaffolded learning structure that uses links to essential resources on the World Wide Web and an authentic task to motivate students' investigation of an open-ended question, development of individual expertise, and participation in a group process that transforms newly acquired information into a more sophisticated understanding. The best WebQuests inspire students to see richer thematic relationships, to contribute to the real world of learning, and to reflect on their own metacognitive processes. (Tom March)
Types of Webquests
Short Term
knowledge acquisition and integration making sense of large amounts of information typically completed in one to three class periods
Long Term
extending and refining knowledge analyzing a body of knowledge thoroughly and transforming it creating a product that others can respond to typically completed in one week to a month
Why Use Webquests?
Student Motivation & Authenticity Cooperative Developing Learning Thinking Skills Problem-Based Project-Based Learning Learning Technology Integration
Webquest StructureIntroduction
Task
Process
Evaluation
Searching for Webquests
http://webquest.org/search/http://www.theconsultants-e.com/webquests/ http://bestwebquests.com/ http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/bluewebn/search.cfm
Sample WebquestsA trip to London
London is a large, vibrant, multicultural city, rich in history and with many beautiful and interesting places to visit. The purpose of this WebQuest is to plan a visit to London , where you will stay for one month studying English at a language school and, above all, having fun! Suitable for teenage and adult learners of general English, of low intermediate level or higher.
Who Made My Trainers? How To Be A Responsible Consumer
In this WebQuest you will investigate the way your favourite brands - of clothes, fast food, cosmetics, etc - are produced and marketed, with a view to becoming better informed and therefore a more discriminating consumer.
Task
1. Explore the webquests in pairs or groups.2. Evaluate the webquests using a rubric in
your worksheets.3. What are the strong and weak points of the
webquests?4. Would you use these webquests with your
students? Why or why not?
Producing a Webquest Word processing SKILLS Research Analytical http://bestwebquests.com/bwq/matrix.asphttp://webquest.sdsu.edu/webquestrubric.htmlhttp://www.tommarch.com/learning/prewrite.php
Online Webquest Generators
QuestGarden zWebQuestFilamentality Teach-nology Web Quest Generator
Round-Up
Take this Webquest Quiz to find out what you've learnt today.
Useful Resources1. Dudeney, G. (2000). The Internet and the Language Classroom.
Cambridge University Press. 2. http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/think/articles/webquests 3. http://webquest.sdsu.edu/webquestwebquest.html 4. http://webquest.org5. http://www.mapacourse.com/webquesthtml/6. http://webquest.sdsu.edu/about_webquests.html7. http://webquest.sdsu.edu/webquestrubric.html 8. http://bestwebquests.com/9. http://tommarch.com/learning/
10. http://tommarch.com/writings/wq_design.php11. http://www.tommarch.com/learning/prewrite.php 12. A series of short videos
Part 1: What is a WebQuest? Part 2: How to Make a WebQuest Part 3: Intro to QuestGarden Part 4: Designing the Process
Thank You!Any Questions?