Developing Analysis, DecisionMaking and Judgment Skills with WebQuests

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Developing Analysis, Decision-Making and Judgment
Skills with WebQuests

• Bernie Dodge, PhDSan Diego State University

http//webquest.sdsu.edu/workshops/decision/
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Teaching Decision Skills

• Why is this important?
• How do we do it with WebQuests?
• How might we do it better?

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Importance
We make decisions in everyday life, and sometimes
have to reconcile our choices with choices made
by those around us.
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Importance
We expect professionals to have a rich set of
decision-making strategies.
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Importance
In a knowledge-based economy, decisions need to
be made fast and well.
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Importance
We expect the next generation of citizens to be
able to vote intelligently.
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Importance
Todays children will face far more career and
life choices than did our generation.
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What kinds of lessons are there?

• Deciding on a personal course of action
• Developing an informed opinion
• Ranking and Rating

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Choosing a Personal Action
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College Search NC
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First Car
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Developing an informed opinion
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Bowhead Whaling
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http//questgarden.com/45/72/0/070117064515/index.
htm
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Rating or Ranking
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Chicago
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Models of Decision-Making

• Should be explicitly taught
• Should be at appropriate complexity
• Expressed in the Process part of the WebQuest

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Red Cross Guide
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Simple Model

• F igure out the problem
• I dentify solutions
• N ame the pros and cons of each choice
• D ecide which is best and act on it

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F igure out the problem

• What is to be decided or solved?
• What kind of data is important?
• Whats important to you in figuring out a
  solution?

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I dentify solutions

• What are your choices?
• Given to you?
• Brainstorm alternatives?
• Think outside the box if thats appropriate.

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N ame the pros and cons

• For each alternative decision or solution,
  identify the positives and negatives
• Think multi-dimensionally
• Fold in your own values
• If this is a group process, either work toward
  consensus or agree to disagree

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D ecide whats best and act on it

• Scan all the pros and cons
• Recognize tradeoffs
• Be willing to reconsider
• Again, if this is a group process strive for
  consensus or agree to disagree
• Evaluate the consequences of your decision and go
  back to Find if necessary.

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How do we scaffold this?

• Guide sheets to capture values, choices
• Techniques borrowed from business
• Decision trees

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DeBonos PMI Technique
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Creative Decision-Making
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Decision Tree 1
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Decision Tree 2
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Decision Tree 3
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Decision Tree 4
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Penny Matrix
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Where in the Curriculum?

• English / Language Arts
• Sequel to a story what would the characters do
  next?
• Social Studies
• Alternative histories
• Current social policy decisions

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Where in the Curriculum?

• Mathematics
• Contingent probabilities
• Science
• New technologies
• Science-related policy decisions

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Developing Analysis, Decision-Making and Judgment
Skills with WebQuests

• Bernie Dodge, PhDSan Diego State University

http//webquest.sdsu.edu/workshops/decision/