Online Learning Activity- Webquest

Link: http://edtech2.boisestate.edu/jonfreer/502/webquest/teacher.html

Critically evaluate the activity and why it might be an activity you would consider using in your classroom:

When I first go to the webpage, I like how it is set up for the students. I feel like it could be presented in a more professional manner. Even with teaching science, we should always be aware of how we present learning activities. The first flaw I noticed was the title being in lowercased letters. I enjoyed the fact that the first page consists of a lesson plan for the Genetics Webquest so teachers understand what the purpose, objectives, and characteristics are associated with the activity. I feel that the lesson plan could have been expanded on with more details. It seemed to be short and to the point.  The assignment is separated into a step-by-step process for the students, which is helpful so students can focus on completing tasks so they do not move forward before they are ready. This helps keep the students organized and focused on their activity. The activity is separated in the following categories:

Introduction- This section provides the students with context and preparation for the activity.

Task- This section describes the tasks involved in the Webquest. The students will perform lessons, tutorials, problems, and experiments in order to explore and understand Mendelian genetics.

Process- The section provides step-by-step instructions and materials that are needed in order to complete the activity. It also provides links to relevant websites that are needed for the activity.

Evaluations- This section consists of a grading rubric that is used by the instructor so students can evaluate their own work.

Conclusion- This section provides a review of the material and provides information on how it will be applied to more information of Mendelian genetics.

To begin, the students will go to the Start button located on the right hand side. This section provides student instructions and teacher instructions to start the activity. The central question of this activity is “How are traits such as flower color, plant height, and hair color passed on from generation to generation?” The first stage of the activity is to go to a website to read about Gregor Mendel and the experiments he conducted, which helped him develop conclusions that are still known today.  The second stage of this activity is to learn how to use a Punnett square by reviewing a tutorial. The third stage of this activity is to go to three different links provided to apply what the student has learned in order to solve short answer problems. The forth stage of this activity is to go to a website in order to complete some genetic crosses and analyze the data. There is a virtual fruit fly worksheet provided so the students can apply his or her knowledge to completing the worksheet after completing the Webquest.

My intensions are to become a high school teacher so I appreciate the fact that this activity is designed for high school level students. I believe this activity encourages students to learn about Mendelian genetics and helps students build their skills when observing genetic experiments. Students will be able to understand the following texts and concepts: inheritance of traits that are dominant or recessive, monohybrid and dihybrid cross, creating a Punnett square, analyze data, review a problem, determine a mode of inheritance, and support a hypothesis by using sound analysis and data. I enjoy how students can perform a step-by-step process so they can continue with the activity at a pace that they are comfortable with in order to have successful outcomes. I think by having a simplified central question for students to base their observations on is a great concept to have so students do not become confused and discouraged to perform the activity. I enjoy how the activity uses a reading article, but also encourage students to take a look at the diagrams for a visual. I am impressed that the worksheet provided has a list of vocabulary terms for students to place definitions with in their own words. The worksheet is separated into sections and asks a lot of questions to help students expand their knowledge and encourage critical thinking. The reason why I would use this website is because of the various sources used to encourage STEM learning. This activity consists of readings, diagrams, tutorials, worksheets, short-answer problems, and videos. I think there is a great application of STEM practices. Students are constantly being assessed by answering questions on the worksheets. Students also summarize their learning by performing a fun assignment at the end of the activity. I feel like my students would be getting the most of the topic by using this activity.

Reflect on the challenges you encountered when completing the activity and possible challenges your students could encounter when completing the task:

The first change I would encourage with performing this activity is that I would not make this an individual assignment, I would separate my students into groups so they can work together to encourage questioning, discussion, and challenge each other to think larger. I believe group assignments are important to help students feel comfortable about a complex topic so they maintain their engagement and motivation to learn. The introduction and conclusion was limited and simplified. I would want my students to be provided with more information regarding the history and development of inheritance. Considering this is the “Mendelian Genetics Webquest,” I think the introduction should be focused on Gregor Mendel or at least have more information about him instead of starting with Charles Darwin. Students should also be provided with reflection of the assignment in the conclusion so they can use it is as a resource to go back to. The assessment of this activity was by completing a lower level learning worksheet earlier in the activity. The idea of this was to help the students organize their learning then later on the students would write an analysis of their virtual work with the fruit fly crosses, but I feel there are many different alternative assessments that can be used. As a future STEM educator, I want to make sure that the students are getting the most out of my activities. Formative assessments are extremely important to monitor progress through the activity. I will be performing observations to make sure there is active participation in the classroom. I will also ask questions and encourage my students to ask questions. We will be pausing in the middle and end of the activity to have a class discussion to make sure that everyone clearly understands the lesson. The students will provide an exit slip at the end of the lesson to provide me with feedback regarding their understanding of genetics. I may include a summative assessment by having the students construct a paper about the activity and everything that they learned from it. This will encourage students to use key vocabulary terms and build on their writing skills. As far as the activity is concerned, I believe that the process flows in a great manner, but every assignment can be changed to incorporate new strategies of learning and teaching.