Effective uses of technology in social studies methods courses is an under-researched field. This study focused on the development of WebQuests to engage teacher candidate's exploration of the Internet as an authentic medium for inquiry in social studies education. Analysis of appropriateness of tasks in the WebQuests, depth of ideas and audience awareness indicate that students were able to adequately incorporate these elements of social studies content education into their use of technology. Three assertions detail outcomes of this work: (1) technology needs more support to become the background of a content-centered task; (2) additional scaffolding is needed to help teacher candidates understand how to assess the quality of work that future students may construct while utilizing WebQuests; (3) students need more support to develop deep, conceptually rich social studies content in their projects. Outcomes of this study include discussion of the necessary supports for effective web design work in methods courses and for design of inquiry-based learning opportunities in social studies.
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