What is a webquest? It is a mini-project in the form of an inquiry-based activity, involving a group or class activity. This task-based activity mainly relies on the Internet to evaluate or critically analyze a wealth of available material.

Hence, students are set a task to complete using suitable websites to find information needed to complete this assignment, but they are not simply required to repeat information they find; instead, they are guided by the teacher to reformulate the information and achieve a specific goal.

How can we teachers structure of a webquest? Professor Bernie Dodge at San Diego State University created a constructivist approach to learning in all subject areas, calling it webquests.

As mini-projects, webquests consist of four main steps:

* Introduction: including the overall theme, key vocabulary, and concepts needed to complete the task

* Task: focusing on an interesting real life situation

* Process: using web-based resources to complete the given task

* Evaluation: assessing the finished product

Teachers need to decide on a clearly defined topic with well-defined aims for the end product. It is also advisable for teachers to select a number of sites to give students direction. These resources will help keep students on task in the various stages of the task. While writing up the task, teachers should create interesting worksheets to make the quest both focused and interesting. This step is vital, as it provides structure for the whole webquest process. Finally, a final evaluation stage is needed to ensure that students have satisfactorily completed the quest.

What are the skills needed for students to successfully conduct webquests?

* Basic computer skills: word processing documents, down loading images, cutting and pasting images, and creating web links.

* Research skills: to search for and select resources

* Analytical skills: to critically analyze and select content

But why should teachers use webquests? We want to encourage students to read, write, listen, and speak in English, we want to make learning English a cross-curricula activity, and we want to make use of authentic resources on the Internet and bring the real world into class. We also want to teach students effective search techniques, to involve and engage students in the topic of the quest and generate high level interest, and to promote critical thinking skills by encouraging decision making and learner independence when searching for and selecting content. We also want to encourage reading, especially skimming and scanning skills, to focus students’ attention on a specific goal, and finally to communicate and share learned information.

Tips for creating successful webquests:

a) Divide students into groups and give each group a different sub-topic from the one main topic being researched by the whole class.

b) Set a time limit and give a detailed schedule for completing different parts of the project

c) Students must create a summary of their quest to ensure a global view of the process

d) Students must solve a problem or formulate and defend a position to maximize learning gains

e) Focus on the importance of final product organization and presentation: tables, maps, charts, and pictures…etc

f) Evaluate the product by comparing and contrasting student work and give thorough feedback on each step of the process

g) Insist on a list of resources and acknowledgments

How should teachers evaluate webquests? Teachers need to assess the following components essential for creating a successful webquest. These will be listed in the form of questions so that they can be communicated to the students in the form of a simple checklist.

- Does the quest have a clearly indicated purpose?

- Does the quest take into account its assumed audience?

- Is the digitalized final product easy to navigate through?

- Is the content informative and relevant?

- Are sufficient links included?

- Is the length of the final product appropriate?

- Are there any special features to attract the reader’s attention?

- Are resources properly acknowledged?

In an attempt to encourage students to read and write, an authentic task is created. If students enjoy using the Net in their free time, they will appreciate using it for a class assignment. From my experience using webquests, students while completing their webquests feel creative, independent, and motivated. This is a clear indication that with the proper direction, in the form of a clearly organized quest, students can learn much more than in traditional language teaching contexts.

Thus, the main goal for such tasks is to create extension activities after completing their quests. I am always wondering: What will my students do with the knowledge they gain from the quest? Should we have a debate? Should they write an essay, or should I ask them to give brief oral presentations to their classmates? There is a world of opportunities out there so pick and choose what suits your own students’ needs and teaching situation

Note: I have seen webquests being used by students of all levels and ages. I remember six graders did a fabulous job exploring the topic of “rivers”.

Reference:

Dodge, B. (1995). Some thoughts about webquests. San Diego State University.