Mar 01 2008
Learning about the stucture of webquests
Ref. Brown, P. (2004). Webquests- technology and the thinking curriculum. Interaction. 32 (4). pp.45-50.
Brown’s (2004) article is very helpful for learning about the intimate structure of webquests, unlike many other articles that I have read. It is also written in a very teacher friendly manner. Therefore, due to its structure and language, it makes it easier for a teacher to utilise it content and apply it when developing their own webquest. In addition to this, Brown also uses the example of a famous webquest called ‘The Desert Animal Webquest’ to further enhance her explanations. However, Brown also consults the literature, making for a more thorough view of the structure of a webquest.
In the article, Brown (2004) makes some really interesting points. Firstly, Brown (2004) comments that the “resources that are recommended do not only have to be web-based resources” (p.46). This is a very interesting point because the original creator of the webquest design (Dodge, 1995) intended for it to be mostly carried out solely using computers and the internet. However, as Brown (2004) comments, “the provision of non-electronic resources encourages continued use of books etc., as well as helping to cater for situations where technology may not be available, for example if Internet access is not available or there is limited computer access” (p.47).
As well as this, Brown also suggests an excellent way in which students can organise the information that they collect in the form of a chart. This chart has not been mentioned in previous articles that I have read and I believe it is a fantastic way for students to organise their information and thus structure their thinking. As well as this, Brown (2004) adds that it “should help to prevent students from simply copying and pasting from the internet” (p.47).
The article also shows ways in which webquests can develop higher order thinking skills. This is done through structuring the webquest through the use of De Bono’s Thinking Hats as well as through Bloom’s Taxonomy.
Therefore, the article is extremely helpful and useful when learning about webquests.
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