Webquests

I've noticed a wealth of technology being discussed, but very little with regard to Webquest design. Do you use Webquests? Have you created your own? Perhaps we could create a database and share. I facilitate Webquest design workshops and am passionate about instructional technologies. Just looking for feedback.

0 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Zach Vander Veen on November 19, 2007 at 2:06pm

Hi EB,

For me, I've found other technologies to serve in place of webquests. I primarily use Moodle for my class. Its structure, not to mention its online interactive features, allow the students to take full advantage of the internet (assuming that's your goal).

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Nancy Bosch on November 19, 2007 at 5:13pm

I wonder if the shift from WebQuest to Web 2.0 (if there is one) is that the webquests were a "forced" collaboration using limited resources (picked out by the teacher). Don't get me wrong there are some wonderful webquests but is the collaboration of the webquest becoming the social networking option of today?

In my opinion the best aspect of the best webquests was looking at an issue from different perspectives. Too few webquest authors understood this. Have you seen Tom Oz's Best of the Webquests site? I don't know if he is still updating it but he, in my humble opinion, is the best webquest writer ever. (He and Bernie Dodge originally worked together to develop the webquest model) I'd be glad to share what I think are some of the best webquests, I included them in my Best Practices workshops some years ago---I still have the handouts from those workshops and I'd be glad to send them to you. Let me know if you can't find Tom Oz's stuff.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jack Phelps on November 20, 2007 at 8:44pm

Hi EB Maney~

I thought it might be good to connect. My company has built a product called ChitChat that's an "educational network" -- it provides a space for teachers to post course content they can share with other teachers on ChitChat, and use as an interactive class website. Unlike posting your own WebQuest in some random place on the net, content posted on ChitChat is in a standardized format so you can add other teachers' creations to your page very easily, and your students can respond to it online; there's an intro video that explains in-depth at http://ChitCh.at. I'd be *thrilled* if you'd check out the site. Here's the catch: we're just rolling ChitChat out now, so there's not much content on it yet! But for teachers who sign up by December 7th, we're giving away a free XO laptop (one of those funny green "$100" laptops from the One Laptop Per Child foundation) to one teacher at random.

Anyway, while I'm out searching classroom 2.0 for interested teachers, I'm particularly interested in connecting with teachers who use WebQuests. I think our technology acts as a great complement to WebQuests and QuestGarden (if you put a WebQuest on ChitChat, it would still be very easy to post on QuestGarden), and I know they tend to be some of the most forward-thinking teachers out there. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask! http://ChitCh.at.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Donna Hebert on November 21, 2007 at 8:30am

I used webquest for my middle school French students when we are learning about food, dining and cooking. They're a great way to bring them to authentic texts in real time. Here is a link to the one I am currently using.

http://mmeh.wikispaces.com/Les+Menus

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Hans Feldmeier on November 21, 2007 at 8:54am

Hi, as to WebQuests:
Firstly I think WebQuests are Web 1.0 mostly!
Look at my webquests in Geography (German language) with service instantprojects. Secondly, the results are Web 2.0 like using mind mapping, online presentations, e-journals and more.
I like to ask my students producing WebQuests in all subjects.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Kelley Irish on November 21, 2007 at 11:23am

I used Moodle and Wiki's now. I like to create my own media rich lessons. I create a wiki page for each lesson topic. I add an intro video, the assignment ,links to support the assignment. Links for sites to take notes like bull'us ect, and then Project support sites. That way Iknow all my linlks work and the lesson is made for my instructional benchmarks. I guess they are kind of like combination of a web quest and lesson plan. They work well for me. Plus having them on a wiki the classroom teacher I collaborate with can add, change and update the site as needed.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Tom March on November 21, 2007 at 12:22pm

Hi all,

Thanks for the nice comments about WebQuests and my work. I haven't added to BestWebQuests in a while as I've been stretched with other commitments. Also, the pattern kept repeating itself - lots of good activities that fell just short of being true WebQuests because they didn't take the necessary step of getting students to transform information into understanding. The reason I checked out this site is a trackback to an article I just had published titled Revisiting WebQuests in a Web 2.0 World. Coincidence? Cool symmetry? I'd appreciate input.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Nancy Bosch on November 21, 2007 at 3:46pm

Tom--a brain near retirement called you Tom Oz, oops! I'm anxious to read your latest article, isn't it scary how much things have changed in technology since the mid nineties. Things that made me go "wow" fifteen years ago now seem "ho-hum". Makes me wonder what the future will bring for kids in the classroom---I wish with all this new stuff there were more "real" changes in the classroom. Sigh!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Ian Grove-Stephensen on November 27, 2007 at 12:11am

Tom, I have to say I see nothing at all Web 1.0 about Web Quests. OK, all the ones I have seen are on static sites, but moving them to an interactive platform would enhance them without in any way undermining the original concept. The idea "use the web to teach critical thinking" is needed more than ever now that unaware teachers are in a position to deluge their young charges with masses of badly-filtered (both over- and under- ) content.

I would love to experiment with hosting some on Yacapaca. It is not quite the perfect platform yet, but some entirely do-able modifications to our 'ePortfolio' task type would make it ideal. My problem is lack of good-quality content to kick-start interest. Could you point me to source of quests under an appropriate copyright license (e.g. Creative Commons Sharealike), or an experienced web quest author who might be willing to help?

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Terry Smith on November 24, 2007 at 12:19pm

Hi EB,

I really like the webquest structure at Bernie Dodge's site:

http://questgarden.com/

There is also a huge database of webquests done by other teachers. I don't buy the statement that these are "web 1.0" in that they offer a meaningful structure for elementary students to learn about resources, teamwork, rubrics, acknowledgment of sources, and the atmosphere of a well designed web quest offers a lot of independence to kids in how they respond to what they learn.