An on-line instructional activity designed to promote critical thinking and knowledge construction

Inquiry learning and higher order thinking skills

• Discovery—Used at the beginning of a unit of study to introduce a topic
• Exploratory—Occurs within a unit and assists in acquiring content knowledge
• Culminating—Occurs at the end of a unit and requires students to use knowledge gained in a unit of study

• Begin by writing a scenario to establish the context for the exercise. The scenario should place the learners in an authentic role similar to that of a professional in the discipline under study. Finally, the scenario establishes the "essential question" under study.
  • An essential question
    • Requires a decision or course of action
    • Requires critical thinking
• Next, write the task. The task should be highly structured and direct students to specific Web sites. Present learners with questions designed to help them acquire the factual knowledge necessary to answer the essential question.
• Finally, describe the product that the learners are to produce. The product should match the role given in the scenario and represent an answer to the essential question, Possible products include:
  • Essays
  • Hypermedia stacks
  • PowerPoint Presentations
  • Web Essays
    

• Comparison of NEA/AFT written for an Introduction to Teaching class
• Evaluating Language Arts Textbooks developed for Early Childhood Language Arts methods
• MiniQuest for faculty on web-based activities
• QuickQuest on Look Who's Footing the Bill?--A shortened version of the WebQuest on Democracy and the National Debt

• Internet Innovations, Incorporated. (2001). New MiniQuest. Retrieved on November 4 from http://www.biopoint.com/miniquests/new_miniquests.htm (Hotlist of five examples of MiniQuests written by High School teachers. Quality varies, but examples show variety of possibilities.)
• Internet Innovations, Incorporated. (2000). DuPage R.O.E. MiniQuests. Retrieved on November 4 from http://www.biopoint.com/wq2/Welcome.html (Contains a hotlist of MiniQuests prepared by K-12 teachers during a summer workshop. Quality varies widely, but might stimulate thinking and ideas.)

• Internet Innovations, Incorporated. (2001). Building a MiniQuest Retrieved on November 4, 2001, from http://www.biopoint.com/miniquests/miniquests.html (Provides and overview of MiniQuests)
• Internet Innovations, Incorporated. (2001). MiniQuest Types Retrieved on November 4, 2001, from http://www.biopoint.com/miniquests/mq_types.htm (Describes the different types of MiniQuests and where they fit in a unit.)
• Internet Innovations, Incorporated. (2000). MiniQuest FactSheet. Retrieved on November 4, 2001, from http://www.biopoint.com/miniquests/Welcome.html (Provides a summary and overview of MiniQuests.)