WebQuests

The WB introduction aim is to promote learners engagement by presenting a fun Learning Activity. It should be composed by:

1)Background information on the topic to be approached

2)Motivational Scenario set-up so learners are given a role to play – this aims to promote engagement and interest. 

3)Overview of the Learning goals and what learners need to accomplish

As a way to guide the WebQuest, one can:

→ Define the Guiding Question

(also known as Essential Question or Big Question)

Learners should be able to answer this question at the end of the WQ.

Developing the task or the main research question is the most difficult and creative aspect of creating a WQ. It should be:

1)Clear and well defined

2)Visually appealing

3)Enjoyable to learners

4)Relevant to the topic 

5)Inform about the Evaluation Process

The Task will guide the rest of the WQ and so the Learning Goals should be well-defined:

• Define the Guiding question, also known as Essential Question or Big Question.

 For example, the instructor might set the scene by stating that the students are now researchers looking to find the main culprit of greenhouse gas emissions.

To develop the Task, one should:

1)Find relevant resources on the Web, about the defined topic.

2)Devise an activity so that learners incorporate the information they leaclerned from the resources you gathered

Tasks ex: sumarize an article or vídeo, create a presentation or a art project, etc.

Be mindfull that the resources and task itself must be age appropriate so we can reach the learning goals.

C- Currency: is the source up to date?

R –Relevance: Is the source relevant to your topic?

A – Authority: Where is the source published? Who is the author? Are they considered reputable and trustworthy in their field?

A – Accuracy: Is the source supported by evidence? Are the claims cited correctly?

P – Purpose: What is the reason behind publishing this source? Are they experts in the field?

Web Sources are widely used to creat WQ due to their accessibility and usually simple information output.

However, they are the most challenging to evaluate credibility since they are not subjected to rigors peer-review and careful editing, for instance: Wikipedia – can be edited by anyone at any time.

Other useful sources: Blue-ribbon jornal articles, Encyclopedias, Books, News Articles

Tips to determine the WebSources credibility:

1.Look at the URL:

a)Educational resources: .edu – most trustworthy.

b)Governament-affiliate websites: .gov – they are often credible.

c)NGOs or advocacy websites: .org – they are often credible but be sure the information is unbiased.

d)Comercial aspect and others: .com – be cautious

This section aims to describe the steps that learners should take to complete the activity.

1)Clear instructions

2)Answering the Guiding Question – by using the provided resources to get the necessary information

This section serves to inform the learners about their performance whilst completing the WQ.

They are usually simple or tables that educators can use to fairly scorubricsre the learners and gather the strong and weak points of the used WQ.

Ex: https://sites.google.com/site/studentwebquesttemplate/evaluation

This section can provide learners:

1)a Summary with the Key Takeaways.

2)Congratulations on completing the task.

This is a great way to consolidate knowledge and keep learners motivated to learn.