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USING WEBQUESTS IN THE ENGLISH CLASSROOM

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WHAT IS A WEBQUEST?

  • According to WebQuest.org:
    • A WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented lesson format in which most or all the information that learners work with comes from the web
  • A webquest is basically a lesson or unit where students use Internet resources provided by the teacher to gain and then apply information.

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WHAT IS A WEBQUEST?

  • A real WebQuest....
    • is wrapped around a doable and interesting task that is ideally a scaled down version of things that adults do as citizens or workers.
    • requires higher level thinking, not simply summarizing.
    • isn't just a series of web-based experiences.

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WHY SHOULD I CONSIDER USING WEBQUESTS?

  • Inherently context-based
  • Take the students out of the classroom
  • Can target different levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy
  • There is a large number of pre-existing ones you can use as-is or adapt

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PARTS OF A WEBQUEST

  • Introduction
  • Task
  • Process
  • Sources of Information
  • Evaluation
  • Conclusion
  • Teacher Page

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A SAMPLE WEBQUEST

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A WEBQUEST I USED IN CLASS

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ADVANTAGES TO USING WEBQUESTS

  • Addresses all the multiple intelligences
  • Allows for individualization
  • Can be reused, and a large number are available online for free
  • Can be adapted and changed as needed.

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DISADVANTAGES TO USING WEBQUESTS

  • Finding useful links on the Internet and typing the content up may be time consuming.
  • Requires that each student have Internet access (which should not be assumed!)

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THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND

  • Though most students are very computer-literate, they do not necessarily know how to do simple things, such as save a file or send an email.
  • If you are going to ask students to send their work via email, check that the students know how to access their iLearn account.
  • If possible, get their default passwords and email addresses at the beginning of the year.

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