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WebQuests: Tools for Differentiation Heidi Schweizer and Ben Kossow The Net-Generation has arrived! . . . Eighty can be a painful exercise of recitation—go to the ency- million strong, the youngest of these kids are clopedia, write down the relevant facts, and organize the still in diapers, and the eldest are just turning facts into a paper—or memorization—listen, take notes, twenty. . . . What makes this generation different and retrieve the information for an end of the unit test. from all others before it? It is the first to grow up sur- Although note-taking, research, and writing are highly rel- rounded by digital media. Computers can be found evant skills, gifted students excel at pushing those bound- in the home, school, factory, and office and digital aries and attacking learning from a different angle. technologies such as cameras, video games, and CD- Enter the WebQuest. Bernie Dodge, one of the cre- ROMs are commonplace. Increasingly, these new ators of the WebQuest model, defines a WebQuest as “an media are connected by the Internet, an expanding inquiry-oriented activity in which some or all of the infor- web of networks which is attracting a million new mation that learners interact with comes from resources on users monthly. Today’s kids are so bathed in bits that the Internet” (Dodge, 1995, ¶ 2). Simply put, WebQuests, they think it’s all part of the natural landscape. To when properly constructed, are activities, usually authen- them, the digital technology is no more intimidat- tic in nature, that require the student to use Internet-based ing that a VCR or toaster. . . . Boomers stand back. resources to deepen their understanding and stretch their Already these kids are learning, playing, communi- thinking around just about any topic imaginable. Usually, cating, working and creating communities very dif- the content chosen is related to the regular curriculum ferently than their parents. They are a force for social and is perfect for situations in which the teacher wants transformation. (Tapscott, 1998, pp. 1–2) “to help students use newly acquired knowledge to con- struct meaning on a complex topic” (March, 2000, p. 55). For most students, especially those who are intellectu- For gifted children, this perfect blend allows the student ally and creatively gifted, a classroom without technology to go beyond the bounds of normal classroom instruction gifted child today 29 WebQuests: Tools for Differentiation by examining the core curriculum in com/projects/elnino; see Figure 1). greater depth. “It’s preferable,” March Students use measurements and the adds, “that students do this in a way findings of other scientists to “craft that fosters cooperative work and an effective speculation paper.” In this [tests] ideas in a real world context (p. example, students synthesize the sci- 55).” entific hypotheses of others with the collection of real data from the Pacific Differentiation Ocean to complete a highly authentic task. Again, not only does this project require deep understanding of the Used as a tool for differentia- content, but an appreciation of the tion, WebQuests can be a powerful type of writing required of scientists. supplement to a teacher’s toolbox, or WebQuests also address another an exciting replacement for an other- important element of diversified wise lifeless project. “The WebQuest instruction—assessment. Tomlinson assignment adheres to the philosophy (1999) wrote that assessment has of differentiated instruction in that “more to do with helping students it gives students, particularly gifted grow than with cataloging their mis- students, an opportunity to make takes” (p. 11). WebQuests, through choices based on ability and inter- the use of detailed scoring guides or ests, and individual motivation to Figure 1. El Niño or El No-No rubrics, enable students to check their learn,” notes Waukesha, WI, gifted progress throughout their work. In and talented resource teacher Cheryl addition, WebQuests teach students the eyes of those involved (http:// Bender. accountability for their work because www.pls.uni.edu/nielsen/Gettysburg/ In her book, The Differentiated students are provided assessment gettysburg.html). The teacher Classroom: Responding to the Needs of guidelines from the very beginning. strengthened content knowledge by All Learners, Carol Ann Tomlinson Gifted students, in particular, benefit providing Internet resources for stu- (1999) cited a number of principles from the advantages of self-assessment dents to research and gain insights into that should guide a differentiated by requiring them to proofread and the lives of citizens and soldiers in and classroom, including the three tradi- review their work—teaching them a tional areas of modification: content, around Gettysburg in 1863. Then, valuable life skill—as well as encour- process, and product. Content refers students transformed that knowl- aging them to thoughtfully reflect on to what the teacher wants the student edge into an authentic creation—in their work both during the course and to learn, process “describes activities this case, a journal written from the at the completion of their project. designed to ensure that students use perspective of a soldier, reporter, resi- Finally, WebQuests use technology key skills to make sense out of essential dent, or someone else. This product in a practical and student-centered ideas and information,” and product required students to develop a deep way to provide differentiation oppor- refers to the “vehicles through which understanding, not just of the events tunities. Although many teachers still students demonstrate and extend of the battle of Gettysburg, but of struggle to find meaningful ways to what they have learned” (Tomlinson, the surrounding culture and times in effectively use computers in the class- p. 11). WebQuests can address any order to replicate a journal that was room (Dooling, 2000), WebQuests (or all) of these three modification truly authentic. offer students an authentic way to areas in a single stroke. Furthermore, At the high school level, WebQuests synthesize information gathered from WebQuests can be useful tools for dif- are just as useful, but delve even deeper the Internet. Because technology is ferentiating for all students—not just into curriculum. One high school well-known for its motivating features gifted students (Kelly, 2000). teacher (Nuthall, 2001) spun a dis- (Bergen, 2001), combining the use of For example, one middle school cussion of El Niño and La Niña into technology with an open-ended, real- teacher (Nielsen, 2004) designed a a WebQuest integrating meteorology, world task that engages students in WebQuest to help students learn geography, current events, and math- higher level thinking skills can’t help about the battle of Gettysburg through ematics (http://www.powayschools. but result in a recipe for learning. 30 winter 2007 • vol 30, no 1 WebQuests: Tools for Differentiation The Critical Components of a WebQuest WebQuests are relatively easy to design, frequently fol- lowing the same five components in any successful lesson plan: Introduction, Task, Process, Evaluation, and Conclusion. Some teachers choose to separate the hyperlinks they select for their students into a separate section called resources, while others include their hyperlinks in the process section. Using these five components helps a teacher organize the WebQuest in a way that students find logical and easy to navigate. Introduction Figure 2. Introduction The first important step of any lesson is the Introduction. Just as in a typical lesson, teachers use the Introduction of a WebQuest to create interest in the upcoming lesson. For example, as an Introduction to a WebQuest on cloning, students are told that they have been chosen as scientists to speak to the United Nations. In this case, the Introduction (as shown in Figure 2; Kossow, n.d.) creates interest for the students and gives them a glimpse into their upcoming project. In a different WebQuest, students are charged with the task of presenting information on a foreign country to travel agents, with the Introduction providing students with the basic framework for the project in addition to creating interest by including photographs of exotic and interesting places. Besides an intriguing Introduction, the teacher connects the WebQuest to the background knowledge of the student—ideally something recently learned from the curriculum. Although students will be drawn in naturally through the use of technology, writing a strong Figure 3. Task Introduction sets the stage for a successful and enjoyable learning experience. not scavenger hunts or fill-in-the-blank tasks. The description of the Task should be short and concise, as the next Task section will dig more deeply into the steps necessary for completing the Task. The next component of a WebQuest is the Task, One example of a successful Task, shown in Figure although some teachers refer to it as the Problem (Kelly, 3, comes from a WebQuest on cloning (Kossow, n.d.). 2000). In the Task, which Dodge (2005) calls the most Students researched the topic of cloning and developed critical step, students are exposed to a specific, open- a multimedia presentation for the United Nations, in this ended activity and their role in that activity is discussed. case, their peers, which urged support or opposition for Critical skills that the WebQuest will assess might also be the controversial scientific advancement. Students used included. It is critical that the Task features an activity that Internet resources to learn about cloning and used sev- is “doable” and realistic, as well as something to which the eral questions to guide their work, such as “Do you think students can relate. In order to stress higher level thinking cloning is ethical?” and “What are the potential benefits skills, it is also imperative that the Task not be solvable and the potential risks of further exploration of clon- continued on page ?? through a single, simple solution; quality WebQuests are ing?” Including questions, while not necessary in every gifted child today 31 WebQuests: Tools for Differentiation WebQuest, is helpful when students encounter topics that are at the edge of their learning. Process The next step is Process, which Dodge (2005) suggests is the component most like a traditional lesson plan. Paired with the resources, most teachers will devote more time to the Process section than any other. A successful Process, as illustrated in Figure 4 (Kossow, n.d.), will clearly out- line the steps a student must complete. Each of these steps should be described thoroughly and completely. In this section, the teacher should give additional background material necessary for completing the task. The Process should also begin to describe basic assessment criteria and teacher expectations for the final product. The teacher should describe, in detail, the qualities by which the product will be judged. Although a WebQuest is intended to be an open-ended activity, it is imperative that teachers set boundaries in the Process stage so students know what will be expected of them, what is off-limits, and just how creative they are allowed to be. Figure 4. Process More and more teachers are including the lists of hyperlinks students need to complete the task in the Process ular basis to ensure that they are working properly and section, as well. Although originally considered a separate the content that remains is what was originally intended. section, the examination and evaluation of resources adds Nothing is more frustrating to the creator or partici- an important part of the Process. The use of Web sites is pant of a WebQuest than dealing with broken links or a critical feature of any WebQuest, and particularly useful changed Web sites. to the development of gifted children. The simple use of Web sites helps teachers differentiate the depth and con- Evaluation tent of different lessons (Besnoy, 2006). Web sites also help gifted children “learn how to research information, com- Another critical component of a WebQuest is the pare it to prior knowledge, and create new ideas” (Besnoy, Evaluation section. The Evaluation should closely reflect p. 30). Paired with an open-ended, meaningful task in a the elements of the project outlined in both the Task and WebQuest, the use of Web sites becomes a powerful tool Process. Most WebQuests use a scoring guide or rubric for teaching gifted children. to help students understand the qualities the assessor There are a number of considerations a teacher should will look for in grading their work. As shown in Figure 5 make when compiling lists of resources for a WebQuest. (Kossow, n.d.), WebQuest scoring guides take a number First, the teacher should select links carefully based of forms, from elaborate grids outlining specific criteria on grade level and expertise of the students. Web sites should be screened for content within the site itself, as for different qualities of the product, to simple checklists well as links to other Web sites the original site might delineating what a final product must include. Ideally, contain. Second, the teacher should present the hyper- the scoring guide will be objective and feature as many links in an easily accessible format, preferably as a simple measurable items as possible, leaving few items to ques- link rather than forcing students to type out the entire tion. Whatever form is used, a successful Evaluation URL. In addition, the teacher might provide a short allows students to judge for themselves the quality of description of where the students will go. This allows their own work and moves the accountability for grad- students to make quick judgments about the resources ing from the teacher, a process that can be nebulous and they will choose to explore. Finally, once the WebQuest secretive, to the student empowering them during the is completed, the hyperlinks should be checked on a reg- learning process. 32 winter 2007 • vol 30, no 1 WebQuests: Tools for Differentiation A second, although no less important, purpose of the Conclusion is to set the stage for future learning (Dodge, 2005), as shown in Figure 6 (Kossow, n.d.). Especially critical for gifted children and their high levels of interest, asking additional questions and encouraging students to continue exploring new areas of knowledge implies a value for the child’s gifts and knowledge. Some teachers include links to new and expanded resources for students who have a particular interest in this content area to explore. WebQuests and Gifted Students When structuring a differentiated classroom, the advantages of using WebQuests are numerous. An obvi- ous benefit is that WebQuests allow gifted students to take their project to tremendous intellectual and creative depths—depths that typical assignments and projects would never reach. And, because WebQuests can be tiered easily, a classroom teacher can build a WebQuest that all students will find engaging and worthwhile. In the cloning WebQuest (Kossow, n.d.), general education learners can Figure 5. Evaluation follow the directions verbatim and develop a presentation that follows a standard school report. For those students more creatively or artistically gifted, presenters might dress up as a scientist, present with a foreign accent, or design creative visuals to enhance their presentation. Intellectually gifted students might develop technology-laden presenta- tions complete with multimedia products catered specifi- cally to their class. The possibilities for creative outlets in WebQuests are truly endless. WebQuests allow for differentiation in more than just the area of content. Tomlinson (1999) wrote, “students differ in experience, readiness, interest, intelligences, language, culture, gender, and mode of learning (p. 24).” While it is folly to believe that a single WebQuest can differentiate for students in all these areas, WebQuests do allow students from different levels and areas of intel- Figure 6. Conclusion ligence, different backgrounds, and different learning preferences to excel. These students do not always shine Conclusion on traditional paper/pencil and project-oriented tasks, yet they might thrive on the authentic tasks that are a part of Just as the WebQuest begins with an Introduction, it closes WebQuests. Furthermore, those gifted children who suffer with a Conclusion. In the Conclusion, the teacher states from underachievement or disinterest in school might find what the student should have learned and accomplished their enthusiasm sparked by the new way of learning and and why this task was completed. A good Conclusion will the authentic way of applying their knowledge. also encourage the learner to reflect upon the task, includ- In the WebQuest model, the student becomes the ing ways in which the process could have been completed expert while the teacher serves as a guide. Most tradi- more smoothly and new ideas the student learned during tional classrooms find the teacher dispensing knowledge continued on page ?? the course of the WebQuest (Dodge, 2005). in hopes that the student “learns” it. With WebQuests, as gifted child today 33 WebQuests: Tools for Differentiation with other higher level tasks, students tive that they might not gain writ- a success and it was great to see their use carefully selected Web resources ing an essay. They virtually visit their enthusiasm rub off on their class- to first master the content before selected country and collect and ana- mates,” said Weidenbaum (personal addressing the higher level think- lyze information otherwise unavail- communication, January 17, 2006). ing skills required to complete the able to them when relying on static, One teacher at a recent state gifted task. Furthermore, students learn to traditional resources. Students learn conference suggested that designing appreciate multiple facets of a topic to follow directions and work inde- WebQuests were enjoyable because and explore its many complexities. pendently. Because students begin they broke up the standard classroom Waukesha, WI, teacher Jill Weid- with a clear set of instructions in the routine and challenged him to move enbaum used WebQuests with her Process, the onus for completing the out of his comfort zone to be a better third-grade students to supplement task falls squarely on their shoulders. teacher. Gifted students in particu- a unit on weather (J. Weidenbaum, Creating an interdisciplinary unit lar find enjoyment from the variety personal communication, January 17, for gifted students has been consid- and challenge of tasks and explore 2006). “It was nice to have a project ered a successful strategy for engag- content areas not usually covered. that provided students with activities ing talented students in challenging When published by the teacher on appropriate to their learning level. My work. Considering the wide range the Internet, students enjoy sharing gifted and talented students took on of skills students utilize completing their upcoming project with par- the additional responsibility of lead- a WebQuest leaves no doubt to its ents and family members. Somehow, ing their small group and working multidisciplinary character. In addi- having a student’s project on the on the more demanding tasks of the tion, content areas such as science, Internet lends an air of significance WebQuest,” said Weidenbaum. Sur- math, language arts, and social to the project as students enjoy the prisingly, however, instructional strat- studies easily can be linked together deep sense of accomplishment that egies like WebQuests also encourage to create a truly integrated lesson in comes with completing these practi- the teachers to more closely analyze which gifted children can thrive. By cal, authentic tasks. their craft. “Implementing differen- linking WebQuests to content and tiation has meant that teachers reflect process standards, teachers develop Using, Creating, on pedagogy, on the key skills and a powerful tool for tackling a wide and Publishing overarching concepts of the disci- range of objectives in a single proj- WebQuests plines they teach, and on the quali- ect. In Jill Weidenbaum’s weather ties and challenges presented by the WebQuest, she designed a task that work given to students” (Page, 2000, “not only fit our science standards, Because the task of creating a p. 65). but covered all academic subjects, WebQuest from scratch can be WebQuests encourage students to as well” (personal communication, daunting, many teachers begin their see the relevance in the knowledge January 17, 2006). Aside from the WebQuest experiences by using an they gain from solving authentic prob- science standards, students devel- existing WebQuest from the Internet. lems. Many teachers hear students oped skills in standards related to Besides using standard search mutter, “When will we ever use this?” using multiple forms of technology engines, teachers can use a compre- Using WebQuests, however, students (like computers, video equipment, hensive WebQuest search page such take the same knowledge they might and software), writing persuasive as the one hosted by Bernie Dodge use for a short essay or presentation pieces, and public speaking. In (http://www.webquest.org) that fea- and synthesize it into a product that particular, Weidenbaum’s gifted tures more than 1,500 WebQuests. has real-world roots. For example, students, who learned the content Interested teachers can search by text, instead of asking students to complete quickly, oversaw the design of pub- grade level, or curriculum in Dodge’s a report on a country of their choice, lic service announcements based WebQuest matrix. For example, this traditional project can be spun on their new knowledge, creating a upper elementary teachers interested into something exciting and authen- product unique from their peers. in social studies WebQuests can sub- tic, while keeping the foundational More importantly WebQuests are mit broad searches for WebQuests standards for such a project. Students fun—for gifted students and teach- in that content area and receive learn critical life skills like public ers. “I was impressed by their enthu- nearly 300 WebQuests from which speaking, organization, and perspec- siasm and drive to make the project to choose. When searching for 34 winter 2007 • vol 30, no 1 WebQuests: Tools for Differentiation WebQuests on the Internet, teachers choose to design their own Web References ers can take advantage of reading the sites and host them on a personal reviews of other teachers who have or school server. Others use any of Bergen, D. (2001). Differentiating cur- used them. a number of Web resources curriculum with technology-enhanced Not every WebQuest found on the rently available. One of the best such class projects. Childhood Education, Internet will fit the particular needs resources is QuestGarden, also hosted 78, 117–118. of the students in your classroom, by Bernie Dodge. This site, launched Besnoy, K. (2006). How do I do that? so another avenue for WebQuest Integrating Web sites into the gifted in September 2005, allows teachers to creation is to modify an existing education classroom. Gifted Child create WebQuests and publish them WebQuest. Creating a hybrid is a Today, 29(1), 28–34. to the Internet. Teachers use tem- quick way to use the existing foun- Dodge, B. (1995). Some thoughts about plates designed by Dodge, and are dation of a WebQuest to produce WebQuests. Retrieved October 27, assisted through the use of prompts one designed for your classroom. Of 2005, from http://webquest.sdsu.edu/ that guide the development of a qual- about_webquests.html course, it is common Internet courtesy ity WebQuest. Teachers can alter the Dodge, B. (2005). Task (from QuestGar- to e-mail the author of any WebQuest appearance of the Web pages, as well den). Retrieved October 27, 2005, from you use or modify to let them know as add pictures and other documents. http://webquest.org/questgarden/ your intentions, experiences with Other resources for WebQuest cre- author/members.php their WebQuest, and suggestions you ation include Instant Projects (http:// Dooling, J. (2000). What students want might have for improving their work to learn about computers. Educational www.instantprojects.org/webquest) (March, 2000). Leadership, 58(2), 20–24. The best way, however, to learn and Filamentality (http://www. Kelly, R. (2000). Working with Web- about and use WebQuests is to write filamentality.com). Quests: Making the Web accessible one. Using the critical components as Teachers of gifted students should to students with disabilities. Teaching a framework, go to Web sites such as join this community and take advan- Exceptional Children, 32(6), 4–13. QuestGarden (http://webquest.org/ tage of the diverse opportunities Kossow, B. (n.d.). A webquest on cloning. questgarden) to create your own or WebQuests provide for their stu- Retrieved October 30, 2006, from encourage the students in your class dents—opportunities to express cre- http://www.webquest.org/questgarden/ to create ones for each other. Prior ativity, to use higher level thinking lessons/02436-051018104712/index. to starting, it is helpful to examine skills in an authentic way, and to htm other WebQuests first to see what more easily enjoy the benefits of dif- March, T. (2000). “WebQuests 101”: other teachers or students have used Tips on choosing and assessing Web- ferentiated curriculum. Although successfully. Good WebQuests often Quests. Multimedia Schools, 7, 55–58. these characteristics benefit all stu- require periods of revision to ensure Nielsen, C. (2004). Gettysburg. Retrieved dents, they are uniquely catered to that directions are clear and concise, January 26, 2006 from http://www. the special skills of gifted students. pls.uni.edu/nielsen/Gettysburg/get- hyperlinks are adequate for the task, Gifted students can take mundane tysburg.html and scoring guides are effective at tasks and make them interesting, or Nuthall, K. (2001). El Niño or el no no. grading the project. exciting, authentic activities like those Retrieved July 26, 2006, from http:// There are also many avenues for found in WebQuests and make them www.powayschools.com/projects/ publishing WebQuests. Although exhilarating. Furthermore, gifted stu- elnino. most WebQuests are published on the dents require more opportunities to Page, S. (2000). When changes for the Internet, there are many avenues for enhance their higher level thinking gifted spur differentiation for all. Edu- publishing them, including a Word cational Leadership, 58(1), 62–65. skills through challenging, meaning- document, PowerPoint presenta- Tapscott, D. (1998). Growing up digi- ful activities that are integrated into tion, or an HTML document hosted tal: The rise of the net generation. New on an intranet. A WebQuest does not the regular curriculum. WebQuests York: McGraw Hill. need to appear on the Internet, but help to create a fun and enjoyable Tomlinson, C. (1999). The differentiated just make use of the Internet. For learning experience for both students classroom: Responding to the needs of teachers interested in making their and teachers while challenging gifted all learners. Alexandria, VA: Associa- WebQuest available on the Internet, students to fully utilize their talents. tion for Supervision and Curriculum continued on page ?? there are several options. Some teach- GCT Development. gifted child today 35