Webquest 101
Designing for limitations
Before you begin designing your webquest, you should also consider the operating constraints under which the quest will be used. If you ignore this practical, nuts and bolts stuff now, your quest may not come off in the way you want it to. For example, consider the following:
- If you want students to work on the webquests in class, will you have enough computers? Should you have students work in teams rather than individually?
- If you’ll be using a computer lab, will the webquest instructions be compatible with lab rules about talking, etc.?
- If you’re allowing young students to work on a webquest at home, do you have some assurance that parents will be on hand to support and supervise the activity?
- Do most/all of your students have Internet access at home? If not, when could you offer them time in the computer lab or classroom to work?
- What modifications can you make to differentiate for your gifted, ESL/ELL, and/or learning support students?
These are just examples of the factors you may want to consider before you start developing your webquest. Remember Murphy’s Law, and anticipate the unexpected!