Shakespeare WebQuest & Reflection

This WebQuest challenges students to pick a stance on the popular debate behind Shakespeare and present their claim creatively using online sources. 



This WebQuest can be considered a "real" WebQuest because students are using essential web tools for educational purposes. "Real WebQuests facilitate meaningful use of the Web for educational ends. Activities that point students only to encyclopedic briefs, textbook digests, or worse—word searches and coloring books—do not take advantage of Internet resources that are interactive, media-rich, contemporary, contextualized, or of varied perspectives."

This helps students not only become more familiar with the resources available to them but prepares them for the future of work. They begin to learn in ways that are fun and creative but also useful. Our WebQuest challenges students to look at news articles as well as scholarly articles to do research for their claim. By creating an attractive and technology-based presentation, students are presenting their findings to their peers in a persuasive manner which will inevitably help them in the future. 

According to the article, WebQuest's should have authentic tasks that motivate students. "Real WebQuests should pass the ARCS filter: Does the activity get students’ Attention? Is it Relevant to their needs, interests, or motives? Does the task inspire learners’ Confidence in achieving success? Finally, would completing the activity leave students with a sense of Satisfaction in their accomplishment?" This WebQuest does have that. Most students are fairly competitive so to make a mock trial allows students to strive to win. Students gain satisfaction in that but also presenting a good case with their peers. 

A good WebQuest should also create, "Open-ended questions [that] activate students’ prior knowledge and create a personal curiosity that inspires investigation and brings about a more robust understanding of the material." The structure of this WebQuest does just that. It makes students investigate the material in a new and creative way. This idea of open-ended questions makes learning less stiff and promotes an atmosphere of new ideas and critical thinking.