22 Module title: : Challenge-Based Learning in the Classroom Evaluating WebQuests There are two areas teachers should consider when evaluating a WebQuest. The first area is pedagogy. Pedagogy refers to whether or not the WebQuest is developmentally appropriate for the intended age group. Specific elements to look for included absence of threat, student choice, adequate time to complete tasks, collaboration, and meaningful content, to name a few. The second area is scholarship. Kennedy (2004) defined scholarship as „whether the content is factually accurate and presents different points of view for the young learners to consider”. The WebQuest should be authoritative (hosted by a credible source), objective, accurate, current, helpful, and attractive. Overcoming Barriers to Successful Integration Allowing students, the opportunity to use WebQuests activities to develop inquiry skills, learn content, and build technology skills is an endeavour not without obstacles. Lack of time for teachers to create and use their own WebQuests may be the most difficult obstacle to overcome. One alternative is to use what is already out there. Many Internet sites include collections of teacher-created WebQuests. For those teachers who want to create their own WebQuest catered to the needs of their students, the best advice is to start simple, designing and creating shortterm WebQuests at first and moving toward more complex, longer-termed activities. Using Web page development software may be too time-consuming for some teachers, due to the time needed to become truly comfortable with the software. Web pages can easily be developed using Microsoft Word and Microsoft Power Point, software programs with which many teachers are familiar. It is as simple as saving the document as a Web page. The high-stakes testing trend seems to be gaining momentum, and teacher autonomy is not likely to increase in the near future. It is crucial for teachers, administrators, students, and parents to understand that WebQuests are not designed just because they are “fun.” While engaged in a WebQuest activity, students are not only learning factual information but, they are classifying, evaluating, synthesizing, forming and testing hypotheses, making decisions, forming opinions, and participating in many other higher level thinking activities. State and national standards can and should be incorporated into all technology-based learning activities. The best way to prepare students for success on state mandated tests is to focus learning on the state curriculum through exciting and meaningful instruction. WebQuests do just that. Teachers and students who have never used computers or cooperative learning in the classroom should not expect smooth sailing at first.
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