WebQuest: Treasure Hunts for Better Reading

Richards, P., & Royer, R. (2005, November).

Treasure hunts for better reading. Learning and Leading with Technology, Vol 33 No 3.

http://www.iste.org/Template.cfm?Section=November13&Template=/MembersOnly.cfm&ContentFileID=2083.

Model Overview

The four main sections of the revised Treasure Hunt model aim to more effectively focus the assignment toward a “big question” goal that ties all of the information together as well as address the various levels of questioning that students should be comfortable with. The new model goes as follows:

Understanding Statement: The Understanding Statement is meant to introduce the topic to students as well as should be the overall understanding that they take away from the assignment. The statement is typically 1-2 sentences long and should reflect the purpose of the assignment.

Introduction: The following section is the introductory paragraph which naturally grabs the attention of the student. An effective introduction will not only inspire the student to engage themselves in the assignment but also provide them with precise yet thorough instructions on how to complete the task at hand.

Questions: In previous design models for treasure hunts the questions had typically lacked the challenging aspect that students not only need but crave. Hence, the new model utilizes a variety of question formats so as to address all of the levels of higher order thinking that students must use to make connections in the text/media and solve complex problems. The questions should worded by targeting the reader’s instructional reading level in order to ensure comprehension and avoid misinterpretation of the text. The levels of questioning range from finding concrete facts in the text to drawing conclusions based on background knowledge and critical thought procedures.

Putting it all together: The last section of the model attempts to combine all of the information and insight that the students have gathered throughout their exploration of the material with the hopes of creating the “bigger picture”. The most effective way to assess this comprehension is to assign one last task that requires the students to apply what they have learned in order to generate a solution.

The instructor must guide students through all parts of the hunt, however more so before and after the assignment so as to avoid confusion as well as to solidify the newly discovered concepts in the students’ minds. During the hunt it is more beneficial for the eager learners to be given a little freedom to explore and generate their own opinions based on their findings. This is not to say, however, that students should not be encouraged to discuss their findings with each other. In fact, discussion will reinforce the validity of claims they make and will improve their overall understanding of the material as they summarize and use multiple strategies to come up with solutions.

Levels of Questioning

As mentioned before, the questions in the hunt act as a guide by which students will not only better understand the material but better understand their own thought process by utilizing different levels of critical thought.

Right There

The first type of question is a right there question which requires that the student finds the answer within the text. A right there question is meant to serve as a basic tool for text comprehension in which answers are literal and do not require critical thinking, only identifying. An example might be: Based on the reading, determine what types of foods Native Americans included in their diet.

Putting it Together

The second level of questioning is termed putting it together and requires a little more effort on the student’s part as they must consider multiple examples from the text when developing an answer. Thus, the task still requires literal information yet insists that students use more than just one example from the text in order to create a coherent answer. An example might be: Write a short summary of the events leading up to the Civil War in the United States.

Author and Me

The third level of questioning is author and me which asks that students combine their understanding of the information in the text with their own background knowledge and experiences in order to formulate a thoughtful response. Thus, students must infer their answers being that they cannot be found directly in the text. Answers are also typically more opinionated. An example might be: After learning about the events leading up to the Civil War, what would you have done if you were Abraham Lincoln?

On My Own

The highest level of questioning is on my own reasoning in which students use the information in the text in order to generate opinions, generalizations, and draw conclusions based on their schematic reasoning and previous knowledge. This level of thinking requires analysis, foresight, and consideration of multiple perspectives and possibilities. An example might be: Determine whether or not Abraham Lincoln’s decision to emancipate slaves was for moral, political, or economic reasons and how this proclamation played a key role in the struggle for equal rights.

Webquests in the Middle Schools

I found a scholarly article that discussed the benefits of Webquest in middle schools due it having a structure that requires students to “consider and apply concepts in various subjects to their everyday lives” (Watson) which ultimately assigns their learning a great value. As students become engaged in the process they are interested and thus motivated to learn and complete the assigned tasks; not to mention the Webquest structure allows students to “bridge the gap between school and ‘real world’ experiences” (Watson) so as to reinforce the relevancy of their knowledge and its application. The article also mentioned that Webquests can range from short to long term depending on whether or not they are to be used for a daily lesson or for guiding an entire unit over a span of a few weeks. Both uses allow students to develop their ability to use the internet for research purposes which Webquest advocates by allowing students to utilize various levels of research tools. The final benefit noted in favor of Webquest was that collaborative efforts promote a learning that allows students to create their own interpretations and understanding of the material which allows for “an ever-expanding range of educational possibilities for our students” (Watson) as their newfound knowledge is constantly being restructured and reinforced.

Citation

Watson, K. L. (1999). Webquests in the Middle School [Electronic version]. Meridian,

2(2). from Google.