Epsilon Homeroom - July 21
The Task in your WebQuest:"A well-designed task is doable and engaging, and elicits thinking in learners that goes beyond rote comprehension."
Tasks are also seen as guiding questions. e.g."What are some of the debilitating affects of space travel? A question such as this makes students look beyond the facts . They must decide how things relate, what is the truth, and/or how good or right something may be." We are asking them to use higher ordered thinking skills and NOT just recall information.
Some tasks include having your students:
Solve a problem Do group or individual projects Defend a position Take on the role of another person
Reminder: If the task requires looking for simple, sure answers to pre-determined questions, then the activity is clearly not a WebQuest even if the answers are found on the Web. These are just worksheets with URLs or Scavenger Hunts. . If the information provided below is not extensive enough, look at the author, Bernie Dodge's- "WebQuest Taskonomy.".
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Compilation Tasks |
Transformation of the information compiled. Students take information from a number of sources and put it into a common format. e.g. a time capsule or website |
| Mystery Tasks | Requires synthesis of information from a variety of sources. Students then put information together by making inferences and eliminate false trails e.g. students examine evidence that scientists have already dwelled upon |
| Journalistic Tasks | Students act like reporters covering an event. Fairness is a must as the information must be accurate and not biased. e.g. a field trip to a natural disaster |
| Design Tasks | A product or plan of action that accomplishes a predetermined goal. However, students must work within constraints. e.g. students design a trip which meets the needs of a given group |
| Creative Product Tasks | Constraints are the key but creativity should be invited. e.g. students create a painting based on what they've learned about an artist |
| Consensus Building Tasks | Different viewpoints are articulated, considered and accommodated where possible. Both fact and opinion are acceptable. Current events and recent history are excellent opportunities for this type of task. e.g. consensus on a war and the building of a monument after the war |
| Persuasion Tasks | Students develop a convincing case based on what they'd learned and they try to persuade an audience of a particular point of view. e.g. to influence government policy on a given cause |
| Analytical Tasks | Students are asked to look closely at one or more things and find the similarities and difference while paying attention to their implications. e.g. students address the meaning of the likes and differences between two nations |
| Judgment Tasks | Judgments are developed in which students create their own evaluation process. Either a rubric or set of criteria is provided. |
| Scientific Tasks | Hypotheses are made based on an understanding of background information provided by on and off-line sources. e.g.. students use a webCam to observe and chart events |