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What is a WebQuest?
Developed by Bernie Dodge with Tom March in 1995 at San Diego State University, the Webquest is a focused lesson plan designed for investigative research projects done primarily over the Internet. The intention of a WebQuest is first of all to keep the student focused on the subject matter in which he or she is researching while simultaneously using time well.
What some educators favor about using Webquests as learning tools, is that they tend to employ higher order thinking skills (HOTS). Simply said, HOTS is the ability to identify, organize, plan, and interpret information while understanding resources and knowing how to use these skills while working with technology.
Building a Webquest includes six steps: the introduction, the task, the process, the resources, the evaluation (guidance), and the conclusion. Guided by the students' age or grade level, the designer will first introduce the quest by discussing the purpose of the assignment. The task tells what the student will accomplish. The process tells how the student will accomplish the task; with a group, via Internet inquiries, develop themes, and creating presentations, etc. The resources are provided as the only research tools, most of which will be hyperlinked to specific sites on the Internet. An evaluative guidance structure is provided to the student such as a rubric. At last, the conclusion allows for the learners to pull all their information together so to demonstrate what they have learned as a result of the Webquest in which was assigned to them.
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