WebQuests
Rationale: WebQuests are often defined as inquiry-oriented activity in which some or all of the
information that learners interact with comes from resources on the Internet.
In the case of mathematics, these usually take the form of a guided exploration
of a topic, requiring students (or usually groups of students) to undertake
some web-based research and to generate a product of some kind (such as a
report). In recent years the term ÔwebquestÕ has become something of a
buzzword, but the idea merits consideration despite this.
Here are some examples, to
illustrate the idea; these are not yet ready directly for student use.
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This page is controlled
by Bernie Dodge, widely regarded as the main thinker behind the idea of a WebQuest, and this page
offers lots of information about such activity as well as a few examples,
many of them following his template. Select the Find WebQuests link and then
use the Curriculum x Grade Level Matrix search engine to find a few of them
listed for mathematics at a level that interests you. Most tend to be
culturally biased towards the US, unsurprisingly since this is where most of
them were constructed. |
Tom March was a student
of Bernie DodgeÕs and also has a substantial website with a lot of
well-considered information and advice about web quests. A number of
mathematical examples are included, together with information on what makes
them ÔbestÕ, including having authentic tasks that make use of information
found. The website has a matrix of examples, which illustrate the genre well.
Because they are ÔauthenticÕ, many are located in the US context and are not
directly relevant to Australian students, but the ideas are still good ones. |
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There is a large
collection of WebQuests on this site. Most seem to have been constructed by
US teachers, and so some will inevitably have an orientation to US cultural
settings. Nonetheless, this site will give a good idea of ways of using the
WebQuest idea. |
This is a nice
collection of a range of WebQuests, organised in three levels: elementary
(primary), middle school and high school, with only a few for primary
students. The WebQuest
definition link explains well the significant elements involved in webquests. |
Last
updated: 7 May 2008