I really like the idea of using a WebQuest to present information that may otherwise be boring or difficult to teach. I selected a WebQuest where students are required to “become experts” on Spanish-speaking countries to later present the necessary components to the class.
Visually
I’ll start with the design of this WebQuest since that is the first thing anyone with eyes would notice because the “MagicEye” background plays cruel tricks on your mind as you try to peruse the page. The design and color scheme make it difficult to see clearly and actually affect your mood as you review the site. Next, almost all of the information is on a single page and bunched together. This makes it even more difficult to focus on specific components of the project. The maps add to the excitement of the optical illusion because they seem to have been “hung” on the “wall” with little to no effort or design. This is ironic because students can lose five points for a presentation whose design is not “effective or visually appealing.”
The Task
I prefaced this post with the endorsement of WebQuests that are used to “teach” difficult or boring material. This Quest takes one of my all-time favorite topics (cultural presentations) and turns them into a drawn-out unnecessary project. This is also the point where I realized that students are working individually and are required only to gather information to regurgitate to their classmates.
The Process
Students are required to select a country from a pool and sift through the attached website to pick out the ten components discussed in this section. All of this information is going to be put into a PowerPoint presentation. I am running through some logistic issues as I wrap my mind around this educational process. Assuming students can gather all of the information they need in two to three class periods, how long will it take for each of the, let’s say, 25 students to present ten slides? This project would probably take two to three weeks in a high school. Here the teacher also reiterates that students are supposed to work on their own.
Resources
It's great that students don't have to "travel" to far to find information about their countries - great for students who do not want to put in the work to use reference materials in their library. I thought another point to WebQuests was to use web resources to find information that may not be readily available in books. Students can easily find all of the information they need without even touching a computer. Furthermore, I don't know how reliable a website "LonelyPlanet" is or if students should be encouraged to use sites that allow for anyone to post comments, pictures and reviews.
Changes
If students worked together to compare different aspects of their countries or were required to go through some sort of process to debate the most important information to include in a group presentation or paper, this project would be much more beneficial to everyone involved. Students need to feel engaged and challenged while they are learning. If they care about what they are doing, they will likely want to do it. I can see opportunities to teach lessons in addition to learning information about “Spanish Speaking Countries” by requiring students to use higher order thinking and teamwork to produce a final product. I will be sure to focus on incorporating these changes in my own WebQuest.
This seems like a really interesting web quest. I love how Hunter used a catchy title to engage blog readers, and then wrote a detailed review of both the positive and negative aspects of the web quest. I particularly liked how he pointed how both content and aesthetic issues. He addressed problems concerning the students ability to conceptualize the given information and content, and he pointed out how the little details such as the web quest's background can have a profound effect on comprehension. Lastly I loved how he dedicated a section to his response to the changes he would make if he were to use this web quest in his classroom. This was very useful as it pointed reiterated how teachers, like students, each have their own unique way of interpreting and presenting information. I really enjoyed reading Hunter's comments concerning this web quest.
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