Ziegler_WikiSpaces+is+Great+for+Webquests!

= WebQuests and WikiSpaces =

By Rosie Ziegler
= Description = WebQuests have been around for awhile (since 1995!), yet there are still folks out there who are unaware of their potential as a problem/project based mode of instruction. Contrary to what some might think, it is not an unstructured snipe-hunt across the internet. WebQuests are a structured form of Inquiry-based learning. In a WebQuest, students are given a scenario with a problem they must solve or project they must create. They are typically collaborative in nature, but do not have to be. WebQuests are very engaging for students and encourage higher-level thinking all in the context of an authentic project. The teacher can take a facilitator's role rather than the sage on the stage. In the past, one needed to have the skills to create a website in order to make a WebQuest. Now, there are a variety of options to use. The purpose of this presentation is to show how a wiki, specifically WikiSpaces, can be used as a medium to easily create WebQuests and use the features that are part of the wiki as a way to get even more out of the WebQuest.

= Content = WebQuests can truly be used across all grade levels and content areas, even if students have difficulty reading, audio media and clickable links can be included. Using the backward design process to create them can help educators to keep their instruction focused. The resources and learning materials included in a WebQuest are limited only by the educator's imagination. Any online content can be embedded or linked in. Even paper and pencil activities are fair game under the "process" section of a WebQuest. Check out the video for examples used in Math, Science, and Social Studies as well as the resources for even more.

media type="youtube" key="AqSdzs4RjgU" height="315" width="560"
 * Make sure you turn all of your available volumes up if the video is not loud enough. It seems a little quiet on my cheap speakers at home.

One more thing that I neglected to mention in the video is that content copies easily into WikiSpaces. For example, you find a WebQuest online that you would like to use parts of. Usually, the links and even the formatting will paste into WikiSpaces. THis feature can be helpful for rubrics as well. A rubric or other document made in a word processing program will copy/paste well. Don't forget to give credit where it is due should you borrow, but we have all come across materials online before that would be just perfect for our own use if not for a little tweaking. The WikiSpaces medium makes this possible.

= Pedagogical Considerations = WebQuests are typically a collaborative learning activity for students, but can certainly be used individually. They also entail project/problem based learning which may not be applicable for each student at all times. They are student-lead, which allows the teacher to take a facilitative role. This requires a different type of classroom management than a traditional lesson, but students are typically very engaged in the process. An instructional advantage of using a WebQuest is that a variety of differentiated materials can be included for the content that the students must learn. Text, video, and interactive activities are all possible. This can help students with differing needs reach the material. Using WikiSpaces to create a WebQuest makes it even more interactive and encourages students to participate and learn digital skills more so that simply viewing on a website or printed paper. The digital, collaborative, and problem-solving skills that students learn can easily transfer to other content areas and serve them in other areas of their lives as well. WikiSpaces is also a web-based software which is totally free. Because it is web-based, it will run within a browser and not need to be installed. It also works well on older computers which is a plus in many schools.

ISTE NETS-T Standards
and innovative thinking and inventiveness
 * **Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning**
 * and Creativity** || **Design and Develop Digital Age Learning**
 * Experiences and Assessments** || **Model Digital Age Work and Learning** || **Promote and Model Digital Citizenship**
 * and Responsibility** ||
 * a. Promote, support, and model creative

b. Engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources

c. Promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes || a. Design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity

c. Customize and personalize learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources

d. Provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching || a. Demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations

b. Collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation

c. Communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital age media and formats

d. Model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information resources to support research and learning || b. Address the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources

c. Promote and model digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information ||

= Where to Purchase or Acquire/Resources =

WebQuest Resources:
 * A WebQuest About WebQuests
 * Like this and want to share? There are other versions here.
 * Bernie Dodge WebQuest Site
 * QuestGarden (Free to browse and "borrow," pay to use as a creation tool.)
 * Don't forget, links and all will copy into WikiSpaces. Be sure to give credit where needed.
 * Backward Design Resource
 * Rubistar
 * You can copy paste a rubric right in!

WikiSpaces Resources
 * Create a free account at WikiSpaces
 * Utilize the "help" function in WikiSpaces