WebQuests: Inquiry Based Web Lessons
It is hard to believe that over the course of a semester, I have gone from never dreaming of creating web pages to creating many with the help and motivation from my instructional technology course at Ashland University (EDCI 505). I have become quite fond of Weebly, a site that makes web authoring easy. I used Weebly to host my first WebQuest on the applications of DNA technology, as well as this electronic portfolio you are currently viewing.
A WebQuest is an inquiry oriented lesson in which some or all of the information required by the students to complete the lesson comes from the internet. WebQuests follow the same format of providing an introduction to the lesson, a summary of the task being asked of the students, a step by step process the students should take, and plenty of additional resources to help the students complete the task. All this information prepares the students for the measurable outcome of the lesson, the evaluation. I chose to design a WebQuest that highlights real world applications of the principles of genetics. I can see incorporating a multitude of practical applications via lessons presented as WebQuests both in the classroom and/or as separate assignments. This is a great way to bring the most current resources directly to your students to facilitate their learning and spark their critical thinking skills.
Here is a link to my "Applications of DNA Technology" WebQuest: http://docklipfellscience.weebly.com/