WEBQUEST

WebQuests are activities, using Internet resources, which encourage students to use higher order thinking skills to solve a real messy problem. WebQuests are a sub-set of Problem-Based Learning (PBL). Most, if not all, of the information used in WebQuests is drawn from the Internet. Students are provided with online resources and are asked to use this information constructively to solve the presented problem rather than just cutting and pasting material into an assignment or project. By eliminating the need to search or hunt for information the student is given more time to analyse, criticise and assess the information they find. Most schools cannot afford the time or resources required to allow students to search the Internet without a clear purpose in mind, and there is doubtful educational benefit in doing so. WebQuests allow students to use the Internet without the arduous task of filtering through the mountains of information contained within it. Teachers have done this work already! Great WebQuests direct students to not only search for information but to debate, discuss or defend a particular stance with classmates. Structure A WebQuest has 6 essential parts: introduction, task, process, resources, evaluation, and conclusion. The original paper on WebQuests had a component called guidance instead of evaluation. Task The task is the formal description of what the students will produce in the WebQuest. The task should be meaningful and fun. Creating the task is the most difficult and creative part of developing a WebQuest. Process The steps the students should take to accomplish the task. It is frequently profitable to reinforce the written process with some demonstrations. Resources The resources the students should use. Providing these helps focus the exercise on processing information rather than just locating it. Though the instructor may search for the online resources as a separate step, it is good to incorporate them as links within the process section where they will be needed rather than just including them as a long list elsewhere. Having off-line resources like visiting lecturers and sculptures can contribute greatly to the interest of the students. Evaluation The way in which the students' performance will be evaluated. The standards should be fair, clear, consistent, and specific to the tasks set. Conclusion Time set aside for reflection and discussion of possible extensions.

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