WebQuest: Design for Learning

Contents

Introduction 2

What is a WebQuest? 3

What’s in a WebQuest?
• Introduction 5
• Task
Taxonomy of tasks 6
Bloom’s Taxonomy and WebQuest design 9
Presenting the task 10
Some more ideas 11
• Process 12
Scaffolding the process 13
• Resources
Finding online resources 14
Using the news 16
Effective internet searching 17
A word about Wikipedia 18
• Evaluation 20
• Conclusion 21

Putting it all together 22

• Planning ahead 22
• Choosing a format 23
• Using ICT 23
Celebrating success 23

Bloom’s Taxonomy: Questions for Learning 24

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Introduction

Curriculum for Excellence places a great deal of emphasis on information

handling skills across all subject areas. The ability to find, evaluate, organise,
use and present information is developed at different levels of learning:

• “To help me develop an informed view, I can recognise the difference

between fact and opinion.” (LIT 1-18a)

• “To help me develop an informed view, I am exploring the techniques used

to influence my opinion. I can recognise persuasion and assess the
reliability of information and credibility and value of my sources.” (LIT 3-
18a)

Project work and topic investigations such as WebQuests provide an

opportunity for students to develop these crucial skills as they progress through
school.

Today’s learners have an ‘explosion’ of information at their fingertips – on the

internet, in magazines and newspapers, books and television:

“there has been an

alarming increase in the
number of things I know
nothing about”
(Attributed to Winnie the Pooh)

The world of publishing is now open to anyone with access to the internet -
regardless of the quality or accuracy of the data they produce. The Literacy
Experiences and Outcomes emphasise that our pupils must become discerning
users of information.

This booklet has been written to support teachers working in all subject areas to
design effective and engaging learning materials in a WebQuest format which
will develop vital information and critical literacy skills.

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What is a WebQuest?
A WebQuest is a structured learning experience in which students are
challenged to carry out an investigative group task using pre-selected texts in a
variety of formats, including books, websites and newspapers.

WebQuests give students the opportunity to engage in authentic problem-

solving tasks while developing skills in group work, ICT, information and
critical literacy.

The WebQuest structure can be applied to any topic or cross-curricular theme,

and is especially suitable for complex issues where there are several variables
and viewpoints to consider.

Why WebQuests?

Simple internet research tasks can encourage a ‘surface’ approach to learning,

where students pick one of the first websites they find on a topic, then copy and
paste their findings directly into their coursework, or simply ‘report the facts’.
In some cases, pupils may accept the validity of information they find online
regardless of the source, simply because it appears in print and therefore ‘must
be true’.

(from www.frankandernest.com, 10 March 2010)

WebQuests facilitate deep learning by supporting learners to work with

information, transforming their findings into their own unique end product.
These projects can also help them to develop a critical approach to information,
to no longer accept what they read at face value – in print, or online. Along the
way, students improve their knowledge and understanding of a topic, and
develop a raft of ‘real and relevant’ skills.

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What’s in a WebQuest?
The six key design features of a WebQuest are described in this booklet, using
some examples taken from Portlethen Academy’s ‘Tundra, Desert, Rainforest’
challenge:

1. Introduction
2. Task
3. Process
4. Resources
5. Evaluation
6. Conclusion

Finally, there are some ideas for putting all your ideas and materials together
into a learning package:

1. Planning ahead
2. Choosing a format
3. Using ICT
4. Celebrating success

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1. Introduction

This statement sets the scene for the WebQuest, ideally a ‘hook’ to capture
students’ interest and imagination. A couple of paragraphs will be enough to
introduce the topic and identify any roles and responsibilities. It could take the
form of a scenario:

You are about to join a team of scientists investigating some of

our planet’s very different natural environments. Your
assignment will take place in one of the following regions:

• Tropical rainforest
• Hot desert
• Cold desert (Tundra)

Sorry, you don’t get to choose the location – it’s down to the
luck of the draw!

There are five jobs available, one for each member of your
team:

• Geographer (and Group Leader)

• Anthropologist
• Botanist
• Zoologist
• Environmentalist

You will get a chance to find out more about these different
roles before deciding who would be the best person in your
group for each job.

‘Tundra, Desert, Rainforest’ Portlethen Academy, August 2010

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As in the example above, a well-designed WebQuest will reflect a real-world
activity or situation – past, present or future. Authentic learner roles and
activities add to the ‘real life’ atmosphere.

2. Task

Set out what it is you want students to achieve, and how they will be assessed.
Challenge learners to think – what you ask them to do with the information will
determine the depth of learning achieved. In a well-designed WebQuest,
finding information is only the start of the project. Students must then
‘transform’ their findings into something new.

2.1 A taxonomy of tasks

The following table summarises different types of task, with examples of

ready-made WebQuests available on the Internet.

Retelling tasks

Basic ‘finding-out’ tasks provide a good introduction to information handling

skills and can be used to gather background information about a topic, before
moving on to another task type. Ask students to share their findings in a
different format – perhaps a PowerPoint presentation, poster or brief verbal
report, to avoid any temptation to simply ‘cut-and-paste’ information found
online into an answer box. These simple information-handling tasks can help
develop a range of information skills:
• Skimming and scanning for information
• Summarising and paraphrasing information
• Acknowledging sources
• Selecting information to put in a report
• Organising information
• Presentation skills

Examples:
Deserts of the world, at http://horizon.nmsu.edu/
European Dictators, at
http://www.comptonhistory.com/dictatorship%20webquest/The%20European
%20Dictators.htm

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Journalistic tasks

These tasks work well when a WebQuest is centred around a specific

event. Students gather facts from a variety of sources and then present
them as a news report (written or recorded). Their goal may be to
describe facts as accurately as possible, or to demonstrate a particular
opinion. Journalistic tasks promote an awareness of bias and persuasion
in news reporting, and the impact this can have on the reader. Some ideas
for task design:
• Provide students with several accounts of an event, from different
perspectives if possible
• Support students to identify bias and persuasion in news reports
• Provide background information to help their understanding
• Encourage students to be aware of their own biases around the
topic, and try to eliminate them from their report
• Discuss the importance of fair and accurate reporting with the class

Example:
Investigative Reporter Webquest, at
http://www.ldcsb.on.ca/schools/cfe/rpt/RPT_Reporter/student.html

Persuasive tasks

In this type of task, students use what they have found out to construct a
persuasive argument which they can present to a particular audience. It
may be useful to have a local Councillor, journalist or solicitor visit the
class to discuss the skills of persuasive writing and presentations with
learners. Tasks designed to sway opinion might include:
• A mock Council committee meeting
• A mock trial
• A press release
• A poster, pamphlet or advertising campaign

Examples:
Rock the Vote webquest, at http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/lewis/rock/
In the path of the volcano, at http://nmolp.vam.ac.uk/webquests/
Heroes of abolition, at http://nmolp.vam.ac.uk/webquests/

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Creative tasks

Students may enjoy re-writing the information they have gathered in the
form of a theatrical performance or radio play, or even ‘political’ cartoons
worthy of Punch magazine. Depending on the topic studied, these tasks
could be an opportunity to explore dialect or modern languages. Provide
guidance as to length, structure and content of any performance, while
allowing plenty of scope for creativity.

Examples:
Radio Days webquest, at http://www.thematzats.com/radio/index.html
Wartime memories webquest, at
http://www.wartimememories.co.uk/webquest.html
Art as Protest, at http://nmolp.vam.ac.uk/webquests/
Beyond Portraits, at http://nmolp.vam.ac.uk/webquests/

Analytical tasks

These more demanding tasks ask students to analyse information in terms

of similarities and differences, cause and effect. Senior pupils can gain a
deeper understanding of how different aspects of a broad area of
knowledge relate to each other, for example poverty and health, or social
class and educational attainment.

Analytical tasks are an authentic preparation for the demands of further

and higher education.

Adapted from A Taxonomy of WebQuest Tasks, http://webquest.sdsu.edu/taskonomy.html

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2.2 Bloom’s Taxonomy and WebQuest design

A well designed task will encourage students to work with information in ways
that encourage higher-order thinking and effective learning:

(from www.cpdscotland.org.uk December 2010)

Examples of questions which lead pupils

to remember, understand, apply, analyse,
evaluate and create information are listed
at the end of this booklet (pages 24-25).

This photograph of a classroom display in

Tullynessie Primary School shows how
pupils can relate Bloom’s Taxonomy of
learning objectives to their own
information handling skills.

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2.3 Presenting the task

Present the group task as a paragraph or list of bullet points which clearly state
what you expect students to create or present. If you are assigning roles to
group members then allocate tasks for each role, emphasising their contribution
to the group task :

Your mission …..

Each team member should use library resources and websites to gather information to
help them answer five questions about their region:
• Geographers have questions about climate and location
• Anthropologists have questions about people and their living conditions
• Botanists have questions about plant life
• Zoologists have questions about birds, animals and insects
• Environmentalists examine the impact of human activity on the region

The team will then meet to discuss their findings and plan a presentation to be
delivered to the rest of the class.

Each team member is allocated one PowerPoint slide on which to identify three key
points about their region. Each point should be shown as a brief bullet point. Team
members will each have two minutes to talk about their slide, and should prepare
written notes to support their key points.

Teams will be marked on

• Quality of overall presentation
• Information content of presentation
• Working as an effective team
• Dedication in meeting a deadline
• Providing evidence of using a wide range of information sources

Individual team members will be marked on

• Class work
• Quality of research
• Presentation
• Contribution to group work
• Attitude and behaviour

Adapted from ‘Tundra, Desert, Rainforest’ Portlethen Academy, August 2010

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2.4 Some more ideas

For more inspiration, and a wide range of WebQuests for use in primary and
secondary schools, see the National Museums Open Learning project at
http://nmolp.vam.ac.uk/webquests/. You can browse the entire collection, or
search for a specific WebQuest by title or keyword:

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3. Process
This section should guide students through the steps they will take to complete
the WebQuest, for example:

Step 1: Getting started

• Find out which region your team will be investigating
• Find out more about each job
• Decide who is going to do which job
• Make up a suitable name for your team
Step 2: Library research
• Prepare to research – classroom discussion on taking notes,
organising information, creating a bibliography
• Library visit to begin your research
Step 3: Online research
• Prepare to research – classroom discussion on effective
Internet searching, evaluating websites
• Library visit to research online
Step 4: Preparing your group presentation
• What makes a good presentation? Class discussion, and a look
at presentations from last year’s classes
• Create maps and climate graphs
• Create your group poster
• Create your group PowerPoint presentation
Step 5: Presentations and evaluation
• Class discussion – criteria for constructive criticism and
evaluation
• Your group presentation, with question and answer sessions
• Evaluating group posters and presentations
Step 6: Conclusion
• What went well?
• What didn’t go so well?
• What next?
‘Tundra, Desert, Rainforest’ Portlethen Academy, August 2010

Provide as much detail and direction as is necessary at this stage, depending on

the grade level and experience of your students. It may be useful to present
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process information in the form of a timeline, especially if some steps will take
longer to complete than others.

3.1 Scaffolding the process.

Scaffolding helps students to move beyond what they can do alone, by

modelling higher levels of achievement. Inexperienced learners may need a
great deal of support to break away from their ‘Google-cut-and-paste’ habit.
Different forms of scaffolding can be included at different steps along the
WebQuest process, for example:

• Reception scaffolding helps learners get to grips with new resources or

unfamiliar ways of working.
• Transformation scaffolding helps learners transform knowledge and
information into a new form.
• Production scaffolding helps learners to create a better finished product.

Reception • Glossaries
Scaffolding • Effective Internet searching
• How to conduct an interview
• Reading for information
• Group work skills
Transformation • Effective note-making
Scaffolding • Mind-mapping techniques
• Evaluating online sources
• Comparing and contrasting
• Constructing an argument
• Decision-making skills
Production • Writing frames
Scaffolding • Presentation templates
• Peer evaluation checklists
• Creating a bibliography
• Examples of other people’s work

Scaffolding can be incorporated in a variety of ways - including printed work-

sheets and online help, classroom discussions or input from a ‘visiting expert’.
Work with your School Librarian to ensure that students can use library
resources effectively, evaluate websites, search online databases and create
bibliographies. Library-based research lessons are an excellent opportunity for
team-teaching, and students will benefit from hands-on support from an
information specialist.
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4. Resources
As WebQuest resources are selected in advance, students will spend most of
their time working with information rather than looking for it. There are
several advantages to using pre-selected resources:

• No time is wasted on hit-and-miss Google searching

• Guarantees that students will use only high quality information
• Use of Internet resources is more focussed, as learners are less distracted by
irrelevant websites
• Encourages students to look at several sources of information on a topic, not
just the first site they find
• Builds learners’ confidence in conducting successful online research

Select resources that deal with the topic from a variety of viewpoints, offering a
mix of fact and opinion. Encourage students to look at several sources around
a topic. Sources may include websites, online databases, books, newspapers,
other people – wherever students might gather useful, relevant information for
their task. Learners will become aware that the Internet is not the ‘font of all
knowledge’, and gain experience of synthesising information from a variety of
sources – as problem-solvers must do in the real world.

Take the opportunity to introduce your students to high quality online sources
which provide a reliable alternative to Wikipedia – Intute (www.intute.ac.uk)
for example, or the BBC website (www.bbc.co.uk). Learning to search
effectively within these sources is a valuable transferable skill which learners
can take forward into further and higher education, as well as the world of
work. In addition, your School Librarian can tell you which subscription
databases are available in your school, and can help both students and teachers
make effective use of them.

4.1 Finding online resources for a WebQuest

Finding useful websites, pitched at the right level for your students, can be a
challenge. Look out for recommendations in educational publications and
academic journals, such as the TES, History Today or The Economist. Focus
on reliable sources of information, produced or managed by trusted
organisations. Some suggestions are listed in the table overleaf:

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Intute Broad ranging directory of high quality
www.intute.ac.uk web sites, catalogued for use by
university students, also suitable for
Higher and Higher Still pupils.
Highland Virtual Learning Click on Primary or Secondary Subject
Community Links for a wide variety of websites
www.hvlc.org.uk/pupils.htm relating to Scottish curriculum topics.
BBC Learning The schools section contains a wide
www.bbc.co.uk/learning/ range of information sources and online
tutorials.
Learning and Teaching Wide range of educational websites
Scotland catalogued by LTS for use in schools
www.ltscotland.org.uk/nq/reso and colleges.
urces/weblinksdirectory/

Aberdeenshire Libraries provide a range of online databases, some of which

can be used in schools. Each database can also be accessed from your home
computer. These provide access to a wealth of high quality information:

Credo50 www.credoreference.co.uk/relogin.do
Username = primary
Password = aberdeenshire
A collection of 50 reference books suitable for primary
teachers and P6-7 pupils
Credo250 As above, but …
Username = secondary
Password = aberdeenshire
A collection of 250 reference books suitable for
secondary teachers and P6-7 pupils
NewsUK and aberdeenshire.gov.uk/libraries/online_services/reference/
Know UK For use in secondary schools only, up to date
information about the UK, and full-text access to a range
of newspapers and magazines
SCRAN aberdeenshire.gov.uk/libraries/online_services/reference/
Images, film and textual information about Scotland past
and present

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4.2 Using the news

News sources are particularly useful, and the NewsUK database is available for
use in schools.

For breaking news, most television stations host news pages on the Internet,
notably the BBC (www.bbc.co.uk/news).

PageFlakes homepage

RSS feeds are also a useful online source for students. Up to date news on a
wide variety of topics can be made available within a WebQuest using an easy-
to-use reader such as Netvibes (www.netvibes.com) or PageFlakes
(www.pageflakes.com). Newsfeeds are particularly useful where a topic is
subject to frequent change (the economy, international relations) or attracts a
great deal of media attention (sports personalities, climate change). Both
Netvibes and Pageflakes provide excellent step-by-step instructions for setting
up our own page of RSS feeds.

The following page describes some effective Internet search techniques. Please
feel free to photocopy it for your students or colleagues, or display it in
computing classrooms as a reminder of good practice.

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4.3 Effective Internet searching
Here are some tips about finding, evaluating and managing the websites you
find online.
• When using a search engine, be as specific as possible when choosing
keywords and phrases, to ensure search results are as relevant as possible.

• “Search for phrases by putting inverted commas around the words”. This
technique significantly reduces the number of irrelevant search results
retrieved.

• The exclude symbol (-) removes keywords from search results, eg. a search
for ‘virus –computer’ will exclude all websites relating to computer viruses

• The plus symbol (+) will include an additional search term, e.g. virus –
computer +flu

• You can exclude or include as many terms as you like in this way, e.g. virus
–computer +flu +ebola Each time, you will narrow down your list to search
results to smaller number of more relevant hits.

• Take clues about the origin of information from the url, or web address, of
the sites you find:

.co.uk .com Usually a profit-making organisation, British or

international; websites of individuals may also
have this domain name
.org A non-profit organisation
.ac.uk .edu An educational establishment, British or
international
.gov A government department

• Make sure the website is kept up to date and that all the links from the page
are still active. Well-maintained websites will show a revision date on the
homepage.

• Bookmark the sites you find under ‘Favourites’. Organise your links in
folders to avoid ending up with a long, confusing list of websites, and to
help you retrieve the information more easily for future classes.

• You may prefer to use online bookmarking, such as Delicious social

bookmarking site (http://delicious.com/), so that your students can also
access the list of favourites. Your School Librarian will be able to help you
set this up.
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4.4 A word about Wikipedia
For many students, Wikipedia is second only to Google as the ‘source of all
knowledge’ on the Internet. Wikipedia gives everyone the opportunity to
contribute and is freely available to use. However, because it is so easy for
anyone to contribute, it is virtually impossible to identify the author of a piece
of information, or to gauge how much expertise they have. In fact, contributors
frequently post false or misleading data. On some occasions, such as when a
mischievous student altered a biographical entry about Adolf Hitler to show his
mother’s name as ‘Gladys’, misleading information is easy to spot. However,
this is not always the case.

(Wikipedia entry for ‘Aberdeenshire’, August 2010)

The only sure way of confirming the accuracy of Wikipedia entries is to

triangulate the information with other sources. If you must use Wikipedia,
insist that your students check their facts with at least two other sources. This
would be a useful exercise in critical literacy and may help wean students away
from their reliance on Wikipedia.

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4.5 A final word of warning about websites

Warning!
Online content changes frequently! Information is added or taken away,
websites are updated and reorganised – any links you provide for
students are likely to become inactive over time:

If you are about to use a WebQuest with another class after several
months, please check that all the web-links you provided are still active,
and replace any that have been withdrawn.

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5. Evaluation
WebQuests offer an opportunity to practise peer evaluation skills, both within
and between student groups. Early on in the WebQuest process, you may find
it valuable to include students in a discussion around ‘what makes a good
presentation’, or an ‘effective group leader’ then put together your own class
rubric for evaluation purposes. The following set of evaluation criteria was
chosen by an S2 class at Portlethen Academy for their group presentations:

Peer-evaluation checklist: The group presentation

Complete this checklist as you watch and listen to other group’s presentations. Rate
each element from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent). Complete a separate checklist for each
group.

Group Name: Presentation topic:

1 2 3 4 5
Quality of Well thought out and put
PowerPoint together
Covered all the main points
Presentation
Organised into sections for
each job
Set out clearly
Included all the jobs
Attractive

Quality of Worked well with the

PowerPoint
speaking Added to the PowerPoint
headings
Well prepared
Clear diction of each speaker
Eye contact with audience
Everyone in the group spoke
about their research
Professional approach to
presentation
Column Totals
Grand Total
‘Tundra, Desert, Rainforest’ Portlethen Academy, August 2010

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6. Conclusion

A conclusion should tie everything together, be an opportunity to reflect on the

WebQuest process and the learning which has taken place. Discuss with the
class what went well, what didn’t go so well, and what might have been done
differently. Think about both the academic and social learning which has taken
place – what pupils have learned about the topic, and also what they have
learned about working as part of a group, presenting in front of their peers and
evaluating others’ work.

At Portlethen Academy, students complete a personal evaluation form before

looking back on the WebQuest as a class:

WebQuest Evaluation

When you have completed your adventure, please answer the following
questions:
Did you enjoy the WebQuest? Please give a reason

Did the books and websites give the information you were looking for?

Which do you prefer – a group WebQuest or an individual investigation?

Please give a reason.

What did you like/dislike about the WebQuest?

Do you have any ideas about how to improve the WebQuest, or any other
comments?

‘Tundra, Desert, Rainforest’ Portlethen Academy, August 2010

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WebQuests allow students to explore a topic from a variety of angles.
Summarise the different points of view uncovered by investigations. Which
group presented the most convincing case?

Ideally a WebQuest should end with an invitation to further learning, perhaps

exploring the subject further or for students to apply what they’ve learned to
their life experience.

Putting it all together

Having a designed a great WebQuest activity, it’s time to start thinking about
some practical considerations:

1. Planning ahead
2. Choosing a format
3. Using ICT
4. Celebrating success

1. Planning ahead

Most WebQuest activities will take place in the classroom, where students can
discuss and debate, argue and reach agreement, take apart and reconstruct any
information they find. Some forward planning will ensure a positive
experience for teachers and learners. In particular, work closely with your
School Librarian to ensure a well organised, successful WebQuest:

• Organise library resources well in advance, in case additional materials need

to be brought in from elsewhere
• Ask your School Librarian about suitable online resources
• Book time in the library for your students to work with information
resources
• Book time with your Librarian, who can support students to find
information – in books, or online
• Arrange access to a computer suite so students can research online and
prepare any presentation materials – but bear in mind that most of their
learning will take place away from the computer!
• Invite an expert speaker or member of the community to talk about an issue,
and answer students’ questions
• Arrange a class visit to a relevant place or organisation

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2. Choosing a format

How will you present the WebQuest to learners? One solution is to present all
materials and information on printed worksheets which can be photocopied for
the entire class. Remember to type out web addresses for any online
information sources accurately, so that learners can link to the site without
using a search engine.

Blogs and wikis can also be created on Glow, allowing teachers to create
effective learning objects simply and quickly. These formats will allow pupils
to link directly to any online source you wish them to use, instead of having to
type in lengthy web addresses. Using Glow will also provide ready access to
online quizzes, discussion groups and email.

3. Using ICT

WebQuests provide an opportunity to develop students’ skills and experience

of working with ICT, particularly in an online environment. To embed
computing skills, try some of the following:

• Use email or discussion boards for WebQuest communications

• Create a blog or wiki for the project
• Introduce students to the ‘deep web’, including online newspapers, virtual
collections and information databases which are not indexed by Google.
Ask your School Librarian about the databases available to your pupils.
• Create an online poll, quiz or questionnaire
• Use shared folders to store information

4. Celebrating success!

Why not recognise students’ achievements by introducing some inter-class or

inter-school competition? S2 pupils from Portlethen Academy compete for a
grand day out, awarded to the group who produce the best presentation at the
end of their ‘Tundra, Desert, Rainforest’ WebQuest. The winners are selected
by both pupils and teachers using a peer-evaluation framework. The element of
competition provides a great incentive to both groups and individuals

Good luck!
Wishing you and your pupils the best of luck with your WebQuest. If you
would like any additional support or information please contact your School
Librarian, or Aberdeenshire Libraries on 01651 871200, email
[email protected]
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Appendix: Bloom’s Taxonomy: Questions for Learning

Questions for remembering

What happened before ………….after…………..?

How many………..?
What is…………?
Who was it that……………?
How would you explain…describe………show?
When …….why……….how………did?
Can you identify…..select…..picture……?
Who spoke to……?
Who or what were………?

Questions for understanding

How would you say………tell in your own words……?

How would you explain……….?
What do you think could have happened next………?
What do you think………?
Can you clarify what it means by………
What example (s) could you give of…….?
What facts or ideas or words show………..?
How could you explain what is happening and why?

Questions for applying

How/why is……an example of……?

What facts would you choose to show…..?
How would you explain what is happening and why….?
What examples can you find to…….?
What questions would you ask of…….?
Do you know another instance where…….?
Can you group characteristics such as…..?
Which factors would you change if…..?
How would you use……..?
From the information given, can you develop a set of instructions
about………?

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Questions for analysing
Which events could not have happened?
If…..happened….what might the ending have been>
What part of the story was the…….. funniest? …….saddest?......most
exciting?
Which things were fact and which opinions?
What was the purpose of……?
What is the important information and what is irrelevant?
What evidence can you find to?

Questions for Evaluating

Is there a better solution to?
Judge the value of….what do you think about?
Can you defend your position about?
Do you think it is a good or a bad thing?
How would you have handled?
What changes would you recommend?
Why did they (the character) choose?
Were they right to do? Why or why not?
What are the consequences?
What would you say is the importance of…?
What are the pros and cons of…..?
Why is ……of value?
What are the alternatives?
What would you recommend?
Was the main character in this story good or bad? Why?

Questions for creating

Suppose you could……..what would you do?
What would be a possible solution to……?
How could you change the plot?
How could you design/invent a new way to…..?
How would you adapt….to create a different….?
What theory can you come up with for….?
What new and unusual uses can you think of for….?
What proposal can you come up with to….?
What outcome could you predict if…….?
(Adapted from a Learning Teaching Scotland worksheet, December 2010)

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Aberdeenshire Libraries January 2011