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Creating a WebQuest: Guidelines:

1)Remember:

We use WebQuests when we want to go beyond learning facts and want toget into grayer, more challenging aspects of a topic

A WebQuest presents student groups with a challenging, authentictask/QUEST, scenario, or problem to solve. It's best to choose aspects of a

topic that are under dispute or that at least offer a couple different

perspectives. Current events, controversial social and environmental topics

work well. Feel free to choose topic that you like

Logistically, all students begin by learning some common backgroundknowledge.

Then they divide into groups. In the groups, each student or pair of studentshave a particular role, task, or perspective to master. They effectively

become experts on one aspect of a topic.

When the roles come together, students must synthesize their learning bycompleting a summarizing act such as e-mailing congressional representatives

or presenting their interpretation to real world experts on the topic.

WebQuests take time to develop and require careful consideration in orderto be effective.

Aim for a short term WQ (one or two weeks time)

2)The WebQuest should contain the following 7 elements:

An introduction that sets the stage and provides some backgroundinformation.

The introduction draws the reader into the lesson by relating to the learner's

interests or goals and/or engagingly describing a compelling question or

problem. It builds on learner's prior knowledge and effectively prepares the

learner by foreshadowing what the lesson is about

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A task that is doable and interesting. The task clearly reflects theprinciples of constructivism in all aspects of the WebQuest. It is engaging,

and elicits thinking that goes beyond memorization. The task requires

synthesis of multiple sources of information, and/or taking a position, and/or

going beyond the data given and making a generalization or creative product

A set of information sources needed to complete the task (web documents,experts available via e-mail or real time conferencing, searchable databases

on the net, and books and other documents physically available in the

learner's setting. There is a clear and meaningful connection between all the

resources and the information needed for students to accomplish the task.

Every resource carries its weight

-guidance is provided for the learner not to wander through web-space

A description of the process the learners should go through inaccomplishing the task. The process should be broken out into clearly

described steps. Every step is clearly stated. Most students would know

exactly where they are at each step of the process and know what to do

next. The process provides students coming in at different entry levels with

strategies and organizational tools to access and gain the knowledge needed

to complete the task. Activities are clearly related and designed to take the

students from basic knowledge to higher level thinking.

- Some guidance on how to organize the information acquired (This can take

the form of guiding questions, or directions to complete organizational

frameworks such as timelines, concept maps, or cause-and-effect diagrams)

Evaluation: Criteria for success are clearly stated in the form of a rubric.The evaluation instrument clearly measures what students must know and be

able to do to accomplish the task

A conclusion that brings closure to the quest, reminds the learners aboutwhat they've learned, and perhaps encourages them to extend the

experience into other domains.