Step Three: Building Your Own WebQuest, Preparatory Work

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WebQuests | Preparatory Work

Step Three: Building Your Own WebQuest, Preparatory Work

This first phase to building your own WebQuest is probably the most important. Although you want your students to tap into the expansive resources of the World Wide Web, it is important to clearly identify and incorporate only those resources that align with your educational objectives. Undefined goals may lead students astray from your original intentions. So, the first step in building a WebQuest is to familiarize yourself with the resources that are out there.

Search for information about your subject matter or a specific topic of interest. Keep a list of the resources you find that may be useful.

Organize the list of resources you have identified by sorting them into categories so that you can locate needed resources easily. Some examples of categories are: Reference Material, Interactive Elements, or Databases.

Each of these categories can be broken into subcategories. For example, there are different kinds of reference material�background information, books, articles, visual elements, etc. Also, there are different kinds of interactive elements, such as, graphing tools, virtual simulations, maps, etc. The labels you choose for your categories may depend on your subject matter.

Write the introduction to the WebQuest. The introduction sets the stage for the Quest and hooks the student into the project. It should provide the context of the task, an overview of the process and any necessary background information.

Describe the task you want students to complete. For example, you may want students to solve a mystery, develop an opinion and defend it, design a product, analyze a situation or summarize a body of information.


			Canter and Associates is pleased to provide the content for this chapter.

			WebQuests \| Preparatory Work
		Step Three: Building Your Own WebQuest, Preparatory Work This first phase to building your own WebQuest is probably the most important. Although you want your students to tap into the expansive resources of the World Wide Web, it is important to clearly identify and incorporate only those resources that align with your educational objectives. Undefined goals may lead students astray from your original intentions. So, the first step in building a WebQuest is to familiarize yourself with the resources that are out there. Search for information about your subject matter or a specific topic of interest. Keep a list of the resources you find that may be useful. Organize the list of resources you have identified by sorting them into categories so that you can locate needed resources easily. Some examples of categories are: Reference Material, Interactive Elements, or Databases. Each of these categories can be broken into subcategories. For example, there are different kinds of reference material�background information, books, articles, visual elements, etc. Also, there are different kinds of interactive elements, such as, graphing tools, virtual simulations, maps, etc. The labels you choose for your categories may depend on your subject matter. Write the introduction to the WebQuest. The introduction sets the stage for the Quest and hooks the student into the project. It should provide the context of the task, an overview of the process and any necessary background information. Describe the task you want students to complete. For example, you may want students to solve a mystery, develop an opinion and defend it, design a product, analyze a situation or summarize a body of information.