Webquests I an exploration

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Webquests I an exploration

• Sue Spence November 2002

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What is a webquest?

• A WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented activity in
  which some or all of the information that
  learners interact with, comes from resources on
  the internet.

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An inquiry-oriented activity

• Short term (1-3 lessons) WebQuest
• knowledge acquisition and integration

• Longer term (1 week) WebQuest
• extending and refining knowledge
• analyze a body of knowledge deeply,
• transform it in some way, and
• demonstrate an understanding of the material by
  creating something that others can respond to

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Information sources

• web documents,
• experts available via e-mail
• searchable databases on the net,
• books and other documents physically available in
  the learner's setting.

• Many (though not necessarily all) links to
  resources are embedded in the WebQuest document
  itself.

Because pointers to resources are included, the
learner is not left to wander through webspace
completely adrift. Bernie Dodge, Active Learning
on the Web San Diego State University 1996
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Structure of webquests

• An introduction that sets the stage and provides
  some background information.
• A task that is doable and interesting.
• A set of information sources needed to complete
  the task.

• A description of the process broken out into
  clearly described steps
• Some guidance on how to organize the information
  acquired
• A conclusion
• brings closure to the quest
• reminds the learners about what they've learned
• perhaps encourages them to extend the experience
  into other domains.

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Other webquest features

• can often be a group activity
• can be enhanced by motivational elements of role
  play (e.g., scientist, detective, reporter),
  simulated personae to interact with via e-mail,
  and a scenario to work within (e.g., you've been
  asked by the Secretary General of the UN to brief
  him on what's happening in sub-Saharan Africa
  this week.)
• can be designed within a single discipline or
  they can be interdisciplinary.

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Thinking webquests
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Publishing the results

• it focuses the learners on a tangible and
  hi-tech task
• it gives them an audience to create for
• and it opens up the possibility of getting
  feedback from that distant audience via an
  embedded e-mail form.

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Be a webquest designer

• Become familiar with the resources available
  on-line in your own content area.
• Organize your knowledge of what's out there.
• Identify topics that fit in with your curriculum
  and for which there are appropriate materials
  on-line.
• Use a template