The PPA and WebQuests
You have been
learning about how to use The Public Policy Analyst. One of the best ways to integrate the PPA
into teaching is by creating and using WebQuests.
Professor Bernie
Dodge originated WebQuests in 1995 and they are used
in many technology integration projects.
As an experienced teacher, you are familiar with creating lesson
plans. WebQuests are similar to
traditional lesson plans, except you create a WebQuest for your students to
read online to guide them through the lesson.
A PPA WebQuest
is a WebQuest that incorporates the steps from the PPA model. It is the PPA that differentiates this from a
regular WebQuest. It is the
effectiveness of integrating the PPA into teaching that is the basis of our
project’s assessment and continuation.
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The main sections of a PPA WebQuest:
·
The Introduction orients students and captures their interest. It gives an overview of the activity. The introduction (and the entire WebQuest) is
written in the second person (“You” or “Your group”), for it is directed to
your students. Some creative WebQuests
use a scenario that is first presented in the Introduction (e.g., “Your class
are consultants working for the Environmental Protection Agency studying the
problem of air pollution in New York City.”)
Be sure to define the context and location of your WebQuest
in the Introduction. The introduction
should be motivational and include an overview of what they will experience.
·
The Task describes the general goals or objectives of the WebQuest. It is any
product(s) that students are expected to produce such as a PowerPoint, an oral
presentation, a storyboard that depicts the development of new policies to deal
with air pollution by using the Public Policy analysis. The task should be clear and concise.
·
The Process explains strategies students should use to complete the task(s) that
have been stated in section two. For
example, it would state clearly how the students will develop the PowerPoint or
how the class will be divided into various groups with particular roles to
implement the steps of the PPA. The exact links for the various six steps of
the PPA process are used. The instructor can also use this place to provide learning advice and
interpersonal process advice, such as how to conduct a brainstorming session. The
Resources are the websites students will use to complete
the task. Providing resources for your
students will help focus the exercise on processing information instead of just
locating it. These resources are
pre-selected (by the instructor) for the learner so attention can be focused on
the topic. Also provide information as
to how to organize information that they will gather. It is good to incorporate the resources within
the process section where they will be needed.
Some offline resources (texts, maps, and face to face interactions with
knowledgeable people) may be included as well.
·
The Evaluation measures the results of the activity.
Usually, it should contain a rubric that clarifies the teacher’s
criteria for evaluating the various tasks or products that the student must produce. Since
the learning we're looking for is at the loftier reaches of Bloom's Taxonomy,
an alternate evaluation is needed, such as a rubric. The rubric is an authentic
assessment tool which is particularly useful in assessing criteria which are
complex and subjective. It also
includes specific state standards from at least two academic disciplines (since
TIPS is interdisciplinary). The
standards should be fair, clear, consistent, and specific to the tasks set.
·
The Conclusion sums up the activity for student to reflect on what they have
accomplished and encourages students to discuss possible extensions. The teacher may wish to use the conclusion
section to suggest questions for debriefing the entire class.
·
Common Core State Standards which are met by students completing the TASK.
More information on the parts of WebQuests:
http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/webquests/index_sub3.html