Webquest or Hypderdoc?

WebQuest or Hyperdoc?

In my online class today, I learned about webquests and hyperdocs.  I had no idea what they were. I had multiple lessons I teach come to mind while reviewing the material.

I teach a Provo City lesson in the fall.  I walk my students around the school, pointing out our natural boundaries.  Since our school is located in between the narrow boundary of the Wasatch Mountains and the Provo River.  We walk over to the carwash on Canyon Road and 3750 North.  I point out the valley between Orem and Provo.  We discuss landmarks that might divide the two cities.  

We use a mindmap and draw the boundaries of Provo.  Then, I introduce a webpage called Historic Provo.  I usually print this off, but now I can produce a webquest and have the student read it as a link.  I am thinking of having them be the Spanish explorers and tell me what they saw when they came.

The idea of having this all online without printing any paperwork, or having the students lose the paperwork is a great aid.  I can see this being more of a webquest because I have several activities I need the students to do.  I can provide other links for researching old Provo, New Provo, Provo resources and work all this into the task and process of a larger project.

In the spring, I have the students do a large research and writing project on indigenous people of the Americas.  I also thought of this as another unit that could be put into a webquest or hypderdoc.  You might consider the Success Criteria I made for this project a hyperdoc.  I sent it in an email and asked the students to have their emails open while researching their topic to make sure they were finding all the information I requested.  This activity can be upgraded after the lesson today to be more interactive by making it more user friendly.

The idea of having information online is very user friendly.  It doesn't get lost.  It can be bookmarked.  It can be interactive.  I have always tried to have success criteria available to students because so many cannot hold all the information in their heads.  Hypderdocs and webquests arrange this information.