WebQuests   Tags: research, webquest  

Use a WebQuest format for topics that are not well-defined.  These can be tasks that invite creativity and problems with several possible solutions. WebQuests are great for addressing open-ended questions.  Don't use a WebQuest to help students learn raw facts.

In other words, use WebQuests when you want your students to go beyond just answering questions or restating information they've already learned.  Use a WebQuest when you want your students to use higher order thinking and do something with the information they collect.

What is a WebQuest?

A WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented lesson format in which most or all the information that learners work with comes from the web. The model was developed by Bernie Dodge at San Diego State University in February, 1995.

Since then, tens of thousands of teachers have utilized WebQuests as a way to make good use of the Internet while engaging their students in the kinds of thinking that the 21st century requires.

You don't have to "recreate the wheel."  There are thousands of WebQuests on the Internet.  Evaluate, pick a good one, and adapt it to fit your needs/resources.  It's that simple!  If you enjoy creating things from scratch, there are many helpful resources available to assist you.  We've included several in the "Useful Resources" section of this Lib Guide.

A WebQuest is not the same thing as an Internet Treasure Hunt or Subject Sampler where students simply read pages on the computer screen and answer low-level questions about them. WebQuests require students to be engaged and use higher-level thinking to analyze, synthesize, and organize the information they collect into something they can use beyond the classroom experience.

 There are six critical components of a WebQuest. (Refer to box below for direct links)

1.   Introduction
2.   Task
3.   Resources
4.   Process
5.   Evaluation
6.   Conclusion

Six Components of a WebQuest