Web+Inquiry+Project

**Directions:** //As per your dossier, you will be responsible for compiling the information below about your inquiry strategy. Next week, you will provide a 5-7 minute overview of your strategy for the class.//

**[|Inquiry-Based Learning!!!]**  ** Name and Description of your strategy (mention any variations of your strategy as well): ** My Mini-Inquiry Assignment involved a learning/teaching strategy called the **Web Inquiry Project**.

A **Web Inquiry Project** is an assignment where teachers guide students through a process of inquiry in their subject using the Internet as the main resource for knowledge.


 * Web Inquiry Projects** are very open-ended. There are an infinite number of variations on this idea. All it takes is a teacher with a question or a problem that she presents to her students to solve using the Internet and any other available resources. The WebQuest is currently the most popular form of Web Inquiry Project. A few additional ideas are listed below.

** Inquiry Process associated with your strategy: ** There are six steps called the "Spiral Path of Inquiry" to the **Web Inquiry Project (aka WIP)**. 1) Hook the Students/Reflect on the Issue 2) Ask Questions 3) Follow (or Create) Procedures 4) Gather/Investigate Data 5) Analyze/Manipulate Data 6) Report Findings and/or Draw Conclusions

The **WebQuest** uses a similar process: 1) Introduction to the Topic 2) Teacher Defined Task 3) Follow Teacher Defined Inquiry Process 4) Evaluation/Rubric for Students Experience 5) Conclusion and Summary with possible Follow-Up

Both a **WebQuest** and a less formal **Web Inquiry Project** are heavily Internet and technology-based. The Internet is the main, if not only, resource students use to gather data and follow the process as outlined by the teacher. The teacher uses the internet as a medium to communicate with the students in a multimodal and interactive fashion.


 * Description of the Product or Products resulting from the inquiry process associated with your strategy: **

The product from both of these is the students' knowledge gained about the topic or a specific product (like a paper report or an illustrative web page) as defined and evaluated by the teacher.

** Descriptions of Examples and Links to examples when possible (when you include a link to an example, provide a brief annotation / description of the example -- not just a link): ** An English WebQuest: Some students may have difficulty relating to the book, __Summer of My German Soldier__, because the events are so far in the past. This interactive WebQuest helps students feel more connected to the time period in which the book took place. []

A Science WebQuest: This illustrates how moving pictures and engaging students in a visual text helps them to move through the data and concepts that teachers want them to learn. The student project associated with this WebQuest is also made more appealing and engaging through the use of pictures and links to other interactive websites. []

** Resources consulted related to your s **** trategy: ** Web Inquiry Projects: A WebQuest is one type of web inquiry project. It is very common and popular among teachers. []

A WebQuest about WebQuests: This is a great place to start with an appealing and interesting design. It is very short and to the point, but covers enough material and gets you, the teacher, started on your own WebQuest. []

A Nexus of WebQuests and Resources: This is the motherload of resources about how educators can create and use WebQuests. The only thing to look out for in this treasure trove is dead links that have not been updated or deleted. []

Molebash, Philip and Dodge, Bernie (2003). "Kickstarting Inquiry with WebQuests and Web Inquiry Projects". __Social Education__ 67(3), pp. 158-162.

** 1-2 additional inquiry-based learning strategies you like (name and describe briefly): **  Two other broad strategies are: __[|Progressive Inquiry]__: Progressive Inquiry helps students scaffold new information and paradigms from simple to more complex ideas and strategies in an organic and open process. __[|Action Learning]__: Students use their prior knowledge and personal experiences to build their knowledge and strategies in an academic setting with teacher guidance.