A WebQuest is an activity in which students collect, process and present information, and most of the information comes from the World Wide Web. It was invented by Bernie Dodge (San Diego State University) in 1995.
According to the original paper by Dodge, 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, optionally supplemented with videoconferencing.”
Usually, a webquest is divided in the following sections:
* Introduction
* Task
* Process
* Presentation
* Evaluation
Students typically complete WebQuests in groups. Each student in each group then has a “role,” or specific area to research. WebQuests often take the form of role-playing scenarios, where students take on the personas of professional researchers or historical figures.
The WebQuest is valued as a highly constructivist teaching method, meaning that students are “turned loose” to find, synthesize, and analyze information (cf. Benjamin Bloom) in a hands-on fashion, actively constructing their own understanding of the material. WebQuests’ focus on group work also makes them popular examples of cooperative learning.
Now… Why should we take the time to create a WebQuest? The best reason is that, like any carefully planned lesson, a good webquest makes learning interesting for our students.
Constructivism
Webquests
- Bernie Dodge:webquest.org
- Tom March: http://tommarch.com/learning/
- etc.
(Source: Wikipedia, adapted by RW)
Powerpoint presentation: Webquests-Intro.ppt
