WebQuest

What is WebQuest?

WebQuest’ is the name given to an instructional model for Web-based learning projects that draw on information and communication resources on the Internet.

WebQuests are inquiry-oriented activities in which some or all of the information learners interact with comes from resources on the Internet (Dodge, 2000).

Yoder (1999) explained that in a typical WebQuest, “students were presented a scenario and a task, usually a problem to solve or a project to complete. The students were given Internet resources and asked to analyze and synthesize the information and come up with their own creative solutions” (p. 1).

Why use WebQuest?

 

Structure of a WebQuest

Introduction  :           Provides background information on the topic and sets the stage for the investigation or activity.

Task                 :           Includes an activity that is“doable” and is of interest to the students; often identifies roles for cooperative group members.

Resources       :           Provides links to high -quality Internet- based resources that students will use to complete the activity; links may be embedded in Process.

Process           :           Provides a step- by -step guide for completion of the activity; should provide a clear description of exactly what students should do to complete the task.

Evaluation      :           Should illustrate exactly what students should do to be successful; usually in the form of a rubric or checklist.

Conclusion      :           Brings closure to the activity and summarizes what you hope the students have learned as a result of completing the activity.

Types of WebQuests

·        Short Term WebQuests – The instructional goal of a short term WebQuest is knowledge acquisition and integration. At the end of a short term WebQuest, a learner will have grappled with a significant amount of new information and made sense of it.

·        Longer Term WebQuests – The instructional goal of a longer term WebQuest is extending and refining knowledge. After completing, a learner would have analyzed a body of knowledge deeply, transformed it in some way, and demonstrated it by creating something that others can respond to, on-line or off-.

Typology of WebQuests

Compilation tasks      :           students surf through different resources and select information in order to make a compilation (e.g. a cookbook, a collection of plants, etc.).

Judgement tasks        :           after gathering enough data about a special event or fact, students reach a decision and present it.

Retelling tasks            :           after a search, students reformulate what they have learnt.

Persuasion tasks        :           students are presented with a mock real situation and asked to use what they have learned so as to develop a convincing strategy to persuade their audience.

Mystery tasks             :           students are trapped in a problem or mystery story to be solved.

Creative tasks             :           the aim is to create a final product in a specific area and a specific format (e.g. a painting, a radio performance, etc.).

Journalistic tasks       :           students  gather information, organize  it  and report  it  according to the  journalistic  genre.

Design tasks               :           students are prompted to create a product that accomplishes some predefined goal.

Analytical tasks          :           students are asked to look closely at certain things (physical or abstract) and examine them carefully in order to establish different relationships (cause-effect, similarities-differences, etc.).

Self-knowledge tasks            :           this is the least common type of webquest since it attempts to develop oneself and articulate a personal insight through an exploration of the on-and-off line resources.

Consensus tasks         :           presenting differing points of view on the same topic, analyzing them in order to reach a conclusion.

Scientific tasks           :           includes skills such as making hypothesis, testing them and, at the end, contrasting the result with the initial prediction.

Suggestions for Implementing WebQuests

·        Choose your WebQuest wisely.

·        Gauge student technology proficiency.

·        Determine prior knowledge/content understanding.

·        Assess the availability of computers.

·        Have a backup plan.

·        Maximize class time on the computer.

·        Clarify student roles.

·        Continue working even after computer time is over.

·        Make assessment clear to students.

Be excited about the possibilities.