Webquests

Hi everyone! Today I am going to introduce an interesting way of using technology in the classroom. I am going to explain how to use internet-based project works or, more precisely, WebQuests and then I am also going to share with you one Webquest I have created on extreme sports.

What is a Webquest?

They are projects in which a large percentage of the input and material is supplied from the Internet.  According to Professor Bernie Dodge, it is an inquiry-oriented activity in which some or all of the information that learners interact with comes from resources on the Internet. Webquests differ from another type of internet-based project works because they have a clearly stated structure.

There are two types of WebQuests:

Short-term WebQuests: At the end of these WebQuests learners will have grappled with a significant amount of new information and made sense of it. It may spread over a period of a couple of classes or so and will involve learners in visiting a selection of sites to find information in class to achieve a set of learning aims.

Longer-term WebQuests: At the end of these WebQuests learners will have analysed a body of knowledge deeply, transforming it in some way, creating sth that others can respond to, turning the information into a new product (a report, a presentation, interview, etc). It may last a few weeks or a term.

Structure of a Webquest:

Step 1 – Introduction: It is said to be the overall theme of a Webquest. It involves giving background information on the topic, key vocabulary and concepts which learners will need to understand in order to complete the tasks. 

Step 2 – Task: It explains clearly and precisely what the learners will have to do as they work their way through the Webquest. It should be interesting and motivating, firmly related to a real-life situation (role-play within a giving scenario).

Step 3 – Process: It guides the learners through a set of activities and research tasks, using a set of predefined resources (Internet-based, as a set of active links to websites within the task document and a language-based Webquest introduces or recycles lexical areas or grammatical points which are essential to the task).





Step 4 – Evaluation: It can involve teacher evaluation and learners in self-evaluation, comparing and contrasting what they have produced with other learners, and giving feedback on what they feel they have learnt and achieved.

Webquest creation :

It doesn’t require much detailed technical knowledge. The skills required are research, analytical and word processing.

Exploring the possibilities stage:

- Choose and chunk the topic: decide on a macro topic and then break it into micro chunks of topic areas.

- Identify the learning gaps: Identity which areas your learners would benefit from and design tasks for the process stage to activate critical thinking skills.

- Inventory resources: Collect the resources for the Webquest (links, images and media files)

- Uncover the question: provide a central question or idea which has no single answer, and which needs research and interpretation.

Designing for success stage: 

- Brainstorm transformations: Decide what your learners will be doing with the information they find on the websites.

- Identify real-world feedback: Try looking for ways in which the information for the WebQuest might be gathered from real people.

- Sort links into roles: The links identified in the inventory resources should be assigned to the various sections of the process stage of the Webquest

- Define the learning task: These are the direct result of working through the Webquest ( a survey, a report, a presentation and self-evaluation)

Creating your Webquest stage: 

- Write the webpage: Use Word adding links and images to each section.

- Engage learners: Think about an engaging introduction as a lead-in

- Scaffold thinking: Think about the instruction in the Webquest.

-Decision: implement and evaluate: The feedback from a group or two.

Here is the link to a Webquest I have created :

Extreme sports 

Hope you find it useful :)

References:

Hockly, N., & Dudney, G., (2007) Chapter 4 "Internet Based Project Work", In How to Teach English with Technology. Essex: Pearson.