A webquest is an "inquiry-oriented activity" conducted online where students interact with information and resources to determine answers to a particular problem or set of questions. Students are to gather data from the web and use different levels of critical thinking skills to analyze, synthesize, and evalurate their finding.
Who developed the idea of a Webquest?
The idea of a webquest was developed by a man named Bernie Dodge in 1995. He worked along with Tom March, at San Diego State University, to devlop a way students could use the world of the internet to expand their learning.
Why is a Webquest good for education?
The purpse of a webquest is for students to aquire and integrate knowledge through computer and internet skills. Learners learn how to gather data and analyze the new information and make sense of it. If it is a longer webquest, learners will be expected to transform this new data and information into something new that can be passed on to others via the web or off-line.
Why do a Webquest, not a Treasure Hunt?
A webquest allows students to not only gather data and other information, but they can combine it to discover something new for themselves. They are not simply searching the web for answers and turning in their findings as one would in the "Treasure Hunt" approach. Students are using critical thinking skills to compare, classify, and analyze information with new information. Students are drawing conclusions and making new discoveries for themselves and sharing these finding with others about the selected topic.
A webquest has many components to get students started and keep them engaged in their journey on the web.
1. An introduction that sets up the problem with background information.
2. The task is clearly defined for the students' investigation.
3. A list of information sources needed to complete the task is given. (Examples: web documents, exerpts available via e-mail, realtime conferencing, searchable databases, etc...)
4. A description of the process that the learners will go through to complete the task successfully.
5. Guidance is given to help the learner organize the information acquired through questions or directions.
6. A conclusion helps define an ending point at which the learners can relfect upon what was learned.
Weather
This page was created from information gathered from the followeing websites about webquests:
http://webquest.sdsu.edu/
http://www.ozline.com/webquests/