Purpose:

This Webquest was designed to help students learn science and health content while improving their communication, collaboration, and technology skills.

Audience:

Designed for high school students but it could work with grades 6-8 as well with minor modifications. It was presented to the iMET2 cohort and was submitted to Bernie Dodge's Webquest site: http://www.webquest.org/.

Evidence:

Feedback from iMET2 cohort:

-This is a great instructional design

-Kids are solving an authentic "ripped from the headlines" problem

-Great use of cooperative learning structures

-Lots of student scaffolding with the instructions and information laid out on the web page

-You've thought of everything right down to assessment and teacher support

-The science/health content is completely integrated with the technology skills

-Some menu links need fixing

-Time concerns, this is a long time to spend on this topic

Feedback from Dr. Mike Menchaca:

1)Great description on the teacher resource page about how you would facilitate collaboration. I think it could serve as a model for others.

2) Wow! A direct link to standards. You might want to update this at a later time to include California as well as ISTE Nets standards. Nets standards addressed include using the web, using a presentation application, using word processing, etc. This isn't a priority; only something that could augment what you already have.

3) A more thorough description of how you will approach the debriefing (I think it will be more of a synthesis of their knowledge and is the strength of your problem-solving approach) would be a great addition.

4) What prior knowledge is required (i.e., what do students already know about the material and/or technology they will need to be successful)?

Overall, great lesson and nice design. You've provided a great model for problem-solving.

Other Feedback:

Bernie Dodge selected this Webquest to be featured on his exemplars page. It was also selected for inclusion in a college-level textbook about teaching physical education. Google shows that it is linked from many web sites including numerous school district curriculum sites.

Reflection:

This webquest is built around the concepts I cherish most in instructional design: authenticity, cooperative learning, respect for multiple intelligences, technology skills in context. I think that this design works well. Using the Spencer Kagan "jigsaw" strategy, students collaborate to acquire information in their area of specialty, then return to their design team to share their expertise. They must apply their knowledge to solve a problem and create a useful product for the real world.

It is cool to see that the project is actually getting used and has actually become part of the curriculum in some places. Looking back, I'd like to add more scaffolding to assist students and teachers who don't have a strong background in desktop publishing and information acquisition/evaluation. I'd also like to fix the page width issue; it really bugs me now.