QuestGarden offers up a variety of webquests for learners of all ages across a broad range of topics.
Some of these webquests are fun-filled, exciting adventures that
really engage learners, but there are others that are nothing more than
the modern equivalent of a worksheet.
Below there is an example of both a good and a bad webquest, along with the reasoning for why they were graded in such a manner.
Claire Ulmer’s webquest
sends learners back in time in an attempt to recreate the journey of
immigrants who were coming through the doors of Ellis Island in New
York.
Ms. Ulmer does an excellent job with the general overall
appearance of her quest, and the details of what the student should
accomplish throughout the quest are well-laid out. Learners are sent on an adventure to find out the process and in some way gain an appreciation for what it was like for immigrants who came through New York's Ellis Island. Within the webquest there is a plethora of historical information, graphics, and links to outside sources to further the learners' quest.
Ms. Delgado's webquest, on the other hand starts out with great promise before quickly fizzling out. The concept for the task is based on the book The Incredible Journey by Sheila Bumford, and what learners are supposed to do is go on a similar style journey from Evansville, Indiana to Michigan City, Indiana. The only graphic anywhere in the webquest is that of an interstate map, which might draw learners in for a brief moment, but then there is nothing but text. There are links to access information, but not all of them were in working order at the time the webquest was reviewed. It's a rather mundane experience and I would not expect it to hold the learner's attention long enough for them to successfully accomplish the stated goal.
