When creating computer-based instructional objects the structure of your activity needs to replace hands on guidance from the teacher if you want students to use it independently. So in order to accomplish this I believe you must use some form of scaffolding to allow students to progress their learning in increments. In addition, you need to be able to engage student interest without being there to enforce it.
In order to accomplish these goals, teachers must think about what makes them effective with in-person instruction and script those lessons in great detail. Stand alone instruction should have clear expectations and give clear feedback to student responses. Students should be given access to additional instruction if they need additional help with a subject but should not be required to cover a subject to redundancy if they already understand it.
This is why teachers must learn to predict where students will have trouble, and design outlets for clarification. Teachers must use their knowledge of multiple intelligences and learning types and integrate those concepts into computer-based designs so that the student has a customized learning experience.
Here are some great Social Studies WebQuests that I've discovered:
Jamestown Online Adventure
I really like this WebQuest because it has a strong visual and hands on element with the adventure flash game. Engagement with this activity should be strong because of the game. Students use their prior knowledge of the real Jamestown colony to establish their own colony. Students must decide where they will build their colony, how they will interact with native people, and what food they will produce.
At the end of the the activity students are given an evaluation of their choices, once again by making historical connections to the original colony.
Abraham Lincoln:
Crooked Man or Just a Crooked Bow Tie?
This WebQuest is extremely well organized and is very informative. Students are asked to write a gossip article about Abraham Lincoln. The activity serves as a great biographical exploration of the 16th President. I like how the author defines the roles and responsibility of the reporters in great detail. They also restrict the resource articles to just a handful of select articles. This will help students to avoid being overwhelmed from swimming through 20 plus articles. Students will be more likely to achieve the desired results because the WebQuest is well structured and serves as a great stand alone tool because of it.
I really like this WebQuest because it has a strong visual and hands on element with the adventure flash game. Engagement with this activity should be strong because of the game. Students use their prior knowledge of the real Jamestown colony to establish their own colony. Students must decide where they will build their colony, how they will interact with native people, and what food they will produce.
At the end of the the activity students are given an evaluation of their choices, once again by making historical connections to the original colony.
Crooked Man or Just a Crooked Bow Tie?
This WebQuest is extremely well organized and is very informative. Students are asked to write a gossip article about Abraham Lincoln. The activity serves as a great biographical exploration of the 16th President. I like how the author defines the roles and responsibility of the reporters in great detail. They also restrict the resource articles to just a handful of select articles. This will help students to avoid being overwhelmed from swimming through 20 plus articles. Students will be more likely to achieve the desired results because the WebQuest is well structured and serves as a great stand alone tool because of it.
