Webquests

I located three promising webquests at http://webquest.org. Within the category of math, grades 6-8, I found 24 various webquests, three of which pertain to budgeting. I have chosen to analyze those three, to see which would be most useful in my classroom. “Design a Dream Vacation,” at http://www.manteno.k12.il.us/drussert/WebQuests/JackLally/Vaca98'.html, allows the user to plan a seven-day vacation on a budget of $2,000 dollars. The user must consider airfare, lodging, food, transportation, and entertainment. He must also research to determine which times of year, if any, might be more affordable. In the webquest, “Weekend@Bernie’s,” located at http://www.plainfield.k12.in.us/hschool/webq/webq103/index.htm, students must join a fictional family, determine what types of things interests those family members, then spend $3,000 decorating a room in the family’s new beach house. The third webquest, “Personal Budget,” is located at http://www.sbzinak.com/webquest. In this activity, each student must determine what type of life he wants to live, and then determine a budget including home and auto costs, and an occupation that meets monetary needs.

“Design a Dream Vacation” is very easy to use. The efficiency expert would appreciate this webquest. It has a clear list of procedures so that little time is wasted. This activity allows the student to be focused while having fun. A rubric for final evaluation is given so that each participant knows exactly what is expected. The affiliator would value the group involvement of this webquest. Students are responsible for establishing group responsibilities, and are then held accountable for meeting in groups to make decisions. Students are also expected to make a group rating system for efficient decisions. For this webquest, it is important that students collaborate and not work alone. This webquest is perhaps viewed most highly by the altitudinist. Planning a vacation requires creativity but also requires that each participant analyze travel information, and consider what is the best choice out of many possibilities. The technophile would find this acceptable. A travel project like this could be completed using the travel section of a newspaper or brochures from a travel agency. However, the site itself has links to various travel-related websites. The website is not bad in appearance but is lacking animated gifs and could use more visual effort.

“Weekend@Bernie’s” seems like a very fun webquest to me. The efficiency expert would accept this webquest, but might feel that it is not focused enough. I feel it might take up too much time for the mathematical benefit it is supposed to provide. It has a general list of procedures to follow, but in the step where each student must determine what goods to purchase, it suggests going to a library or media center to research further. This seems like a time-wasting step to me. Perhaps the expectations are too comprehensive as to detract away from the mathematical goal of the activity. An evaluation rubric is given so that each participant knows exactly what is expected. The affiliator would appreciate the group involvement of this webquest. Students work individually to decorate rooms, and then are grouped into threes to give a class presentation. I feel this is an acceptable amount of group involvement. This webquest is considered acceptable, but lacking, by the altitudinist. Planning a room based on personal interests requires some creativity. However it is not hugely important that students consider multiple perspectives and make a best decision. The student is simply instructed to choose items that relate to general interests (like stamp collecting), and then stay under budget. The technophile would find this acceptable. A budgeting project like this could be completed using any store advertisements or catalogs. Technology is not needed for the research portion of this, however students are required to use word processing and a slideshow presentation. The website itself is very attractive and easy to use.

“Personal Budget” is very comprehensive, but unattractive and hard to follow. The efficiency expert would not think this webquest was too effective. Instructions are not very clear or comprehensive and the website lacks structure. I had a difficult time finding all that would be required of someone completing this webquest. The affiliator would note that there is little group involvement in this webquest. The only group contact is in having a partner check one’s work after everything is completed. This webquest is acceptable to the altitudinist. Planning a budget requires creativity but also lacks the higher-level thinking that the other webquests had. The only analysis required involves making decisions of which car is best, which job is best, etc. The technophile would find this acceptable. This budget project could be completed using various forms of print media, such as advertisements and newspapers. However, one online loan payment calculator, used to determine car affordability, probably cannot be found easily in print. The website is lacking in appearance. It is boring and I had little interest reading through it.

I feel that the first webquest, “Design a Dream Vacation,” is most useful overall. It would be considered acceptable in all four perspectives. I feel that my students would find more interest in planning a vacation than in finding a whole personal budget. The webquest that involved decorating a room seems fun, but it was lacking in relevance to mathematics. Overall, the third webquest was clearly the least favored. I appreciate that the first webquest involved technology, required groupwork, and also focused on mathematics concepts. I would use that webquest as a side project. I would continue regular instruction while occasionally allowing small pieces of time for students to resume their project. This webquest could supplement the math curriculum that involves finding percentages and calculating taxes.