Integrating Computer-based Instructional Objects

When creating computer based instructional objects there are many additional considerations that have to be made for students to use them independently. For WebQuests, detailed instructions must be given so that the student can stay focused and seek out specific information. Many of the WebQuests I have viewed fail to do this. They provide general links for students to use but once the student arrives at the site, they don't really know where to navigate from there. In addition, I feel it's important to make sure that the links you provide open into a separate window/tab. This allows the student to reference information on the WebQuest page without having to use the back button on the browser. It also teaches the student to multitask a little bit by referencing two pages at once.

For computer based instructional objects such as the StAIR, I think it's important to be sure to create a layout ahead of time and assess the student often. For my StAIR, I plan to create a quiz at the end of each new topic. If the student answers incorrectly, he/she will be redirected back to relearn the material.

After many hours of searching for decent WebQuests in my subject area (Family and Consumer Science), I was able to find 1 that stood out. The VAST majority of the WebQuests I examined were very old (circa 2000) and outdated with many broken links.

Housing Solutions WebQuest:
http://www.fcswebquests.colostate.edu/webquests/Hansma_WebQuest.htm

The reason I selected this as my WebQuets example is because it was very easy to follow, it included each of the main categories (Introduction, Task, Process, Evaluation, Conclusion, Credits, and Teacher Page), and it provided detailed instructions with accessible links. I also felt that the WebQuest was obviously well thought out and it gave excellent scenarios to start the students off on their project. This WebQuest is clearly a long term project. It provides opportunities for student to compare, classify, induce, deduce, and analyze perspectives. The grading rubric provided at the end is an excellent evaluation tool. Additionally, it is great that the students will present their projects to fellow classmates so that they can learn from their peers. I would also provide a guided note taking sheet for students to record information from the presentations of their peers. Afterward we would look for similarities and differences from the various presentations.

Overall I think this was a decent WebQuest and I look forward to using it next semester when I teach Interior Design I.