I found this webquest online and would use it in an Algebra
class. I have tutored a lot of students
in Algebra and one of the hardest things that they learn is Order of
Operations. It can be difficult to
grasp, and although we use the phrase “Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally” to
help them with the order, it is still a difficult concept for them. It takes a lot of practice before any student
can truly master the art of Order of Operations.
I was a little apprehensive trying this webquest out. I have found that most webquests in the past
are trying too hard to be fun and while their content is aimed for a higher
level audience (i.e. high school), they make the target audience seem as though
they are in elementary school. This
webquest was no exception. The author
added a bunch of clip art pictures and cartoons. While they brightened up the website, I felt
as though the target audience was for a fifth grader.
On the top left side of the website, there are sections for
the introduction, tasks, process, evaluation, conclusion, etc. While clicking on tasks, the author is quick
to introduce PEMDAS. One of my biggest
disappointments with teaching it using the Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally
phrase is that it doesn’t show that the multiplication and division operations
(as well as addition and subtraction) are done at the same time, in order from
left to right. The author actually
presented this information well, and showed that you do multiplication and
division together, as well as addition and subtraction.
A concern that I did have was that at the bottom of the
tasks page, there was a link straight to the game. I started playing the game for awhile before
I even realized what the assignment was supposed to be. To fix this, I would probably create my own
directions. The evaluation section was also empty. Once you get into the “game”
you are given 10 questions. You must
click on the correct operation to perform.
Once you click on the correct operation, they rewrite the equation with
the completed operation. For example,
with a simple expression like 4+2x3, the first operation would be 2x3. Once clicked on, a green checkmark would
appear next to the 4+2x3 expression and underneath, the expression 4+6 would
appear. Once 4+6 was clicked on, the
answer 10 would appear and the user could start the next question.
I do like that the student does not actually have to perform
the operation, but simply identify which operation must be completed. When learning a new skill, it can be
distracting to have to do something else.
If you had a problem like 4534x398+2, it can be very time
consuming to take 453 to the fourth power and then multiply it by 398. By the time you’re done with that, you will
probably forget to add the 2. By simply
clicking on the correct operation, the student can understand the skill without
getting flustered by doing the arithmetic.
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