Thursday, August 6, 2009

WebQuests.

A WebQuest is an inquiry-based unit of work, in which students use (mostly) internet resources to work through authentic tasks. Web Quests were developed in 1995 by Bernie Dodge at San Diego State University. Dodge worked with a graduate student, Tom March, to further the design. This is how March describes a Web Quest:

'A real 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.'

Using the Short-cut WebQuest Authoring Tool (SWAT), the process of developing a WebQuest was made easy. SWAT provides the driver with a template and easy to understand and follow instructions on how to create a WebQuest. I have developed a WebQuest to suit a Year 3 class around recycling. This unit was developed and submitted as part of my SOSE assessment task. I was fortunate enough to present it to a Year 3 class I was placed with at the time and it was received with enthusiasm and interest. Overall the implementation of the WebQuest on recycling was successful.
References
WebQuest Direct. (2009). Short-cut webquest authoring tool (SWAT). Retrieved August 6, 2009, from http://www.webquestdirect.com.au/swat/

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