WebQuest: Evaluation of an Existing WebQuest

Erin Ryan

CEP 811

7/14/08

Email address:

WebQuest Link:

  • The Meteorology Masters WebQuest was developed by Hayley Flynn and Robert Johnson of EasternCarolinaUniversity. It was modified by Jeffery Gentry of Shiloh Point Elementary. It allows students to take on the role of meteorologists, learning about types of weather, meteorology, and weather prediction. After completing the WebQuest, students create their own weather broadcast and present it to the classroom. The intended audience is for students in general education second grade with varying abilities including cognitive impairments, learning disabilities, English Language Learners, and gifted students. Specific curriculum standards are stated for the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. They include competency goal two, which states that learner will conduct investigations and use appropriate tools to build understanding of the changes in weather. Objective 2.03 states that students will describe weather using quantitative measures of temperature, wind direction, wind speed, and precipitation. Objective 2.04 states that learners will identify and use common tools to identify weather using wind vane, anemometer, thermometer, and rain gauge.This WebQuest couldeasily connect to the Michigan Content Benchmarks Atmosphere and Weather (EAW) V.3, which states that students will investigate and describe what makes up weather and how it changes from day to day, from season to season and over long periods of time. Elementary students should be able to describe weather conditions and describe seasonal changes in Michigan’s weather (pg. 39 of the Michigan Curriculum Framework Science Content Benchmarks Summer, 2000). The presentation would need modifications in order to be more applicable to our local weather.

There are various pedagogical strategies used within this WebQuest. Although there is connected literature, the primary focus is computer delivered instruction. It appears that the teacher is using more of a deductive approach to learning, as the WebQuest begins by exploring the basics of weather. Each term is described fully and examples of how to use weather tools are provided. Students can access various websites and videos to enhance their learning. They work individually as well as in groups to create a learning community that is rich with knowledge. Some tasks can be modified for a variety of learners using assistive technology and pencil and paper tasks, if needed.The student page has a potential for more individualized instruction. As familiarity becomes present, students can progress at his/her own pace. Each link provides valuable learning activities that will build upon students existing knowledge of weather.Meteorology Master’s provides a very interactive and hands-on approach to learning.

This lesson would be less successful if technology was not incorporated. The WebQuest keeps students motivated to continue on through the project because of the dynamic interactions with the websites and learning opportunities provided. Each link provides valuable learning opportunities which help students to make connections to real weather situations, weather words, and various aspects of weather predictions. The links are engaging and include good descriptions and bright pictures to help the students create visual connections to various types of weather.There are so many wonderful links for students to explore. Some are Weather Whiz Kids Word Jumble, Weather Words, Weather Forecasting, Predicting the Weather, and The National Weather Service. Below a screen shot found on the Weather Whiz Kids Word Jumble.

Technically speaking, this WebQuest is user friendly. The links to student tasks and informative websites are accessed quickly and clearly.The material is current and accurate, and can be applied to most areas of the country. There are excellent tools for students, but in addition the process and layout for this unit is presented nicely so that teachers can access important tools. Instructions, materials, estimated time, adaptations, and assessments are available for teachers using this site. All sources are credited on the Teacher Resource page (under the teacher page) and on the Credits page (under the student page).

To improve upon this WebQuest, I would look for modifications for the reading levels of the content presented on the websites.Since this WebQuest is aimed towards younger students, it should be noted that the reading level of some of the websites may be too high. I worry that perhaps, special education students would struggle to comprehend the information. Some students would need the assistance of a teacher or instructional assistant in order to gather information accurately. Also, I would include more scaffolding towards the beginning assuring that students were comfortable with this type of learning. It would also be important that students understand how to choose which information is valuable from the websites for their presentations.