Webquests

Having not heard the term used before, I found the concept of webquests very interesting as a teaching method. A WebQuest is defined as an inquiry-oriented activity in which some or all of the information that learners interact with comes from resources on the Internet. A well-designed WebQuest combines research-supported theories with effective use of the Internet to promote dependable instructional practices(1).

Learners typically complete WebQuests as cooperative groups. Each learner within a group can be given a "role" or specific area to research. WebQuests may take the form of role-playing scenarios, where students take on the personas of professional researchers or historical figures (2).

A teacher can search for WebQuests on a particular topic or they can develop their own using a web editor. The first part of a WebQuest is the introduction. This describes the WebQuest and gives the purpose of the activity. The next part describes what students will do. Then is a list of what to do and how to do it. There are usually a list of links to follow to complete the activity (2).

While the construction of webquests seems relatively straight-forward, not all products that call themselves "WebQuests" actually meet the minimum requirements and are often research projects masquerading as WebQuests (1).

A good WebQuest uses many of the same principles outlined in the ICT Learning Design framework developed by Professor Ron Oliver which is discussed in a previous blog post. A good webquest should be developed around an authentic context and problem/task. They will ask small teams of students to relate to the messy, ill-structured problem task, investigate the issues, share what individual team members have learned from their individual research and apply this new knowledge to problem and create an authentic product that can then be donated back into the real world for authentic feedback. For their outcome to be successful the teacher must supply students with all the required learning supports and resources as asserted in the ICT Learning Design model (1).

As oppose to traditional models of teaching, webquests are much more successful in engaging students. They encourage students towards a deeper understanding of subject matter by creating involvement and curiosity in the project task and putting them in charge of their own learning experience. They are more engaged in activities by being given ownership of a task and establishing their own unique role within a group and investigating a number of different perspectives on a real-world issue. As group discussion takes place, each student puts forward their opinions and judgments on the subject matter to their fellow team members and this collaborative effort opens students eyes and minds to the real complexity of world issues.

However, constructing a good webquest requires a lot of planning on the teachers part. Thus, the feasibility of this learning approach would require such projects to have a long-term outcome focus. Being that students are fully engaged with course material, webquest should aim at covering a wide body of course curriculum that challenges students on a number of different levels. While this may seem like a lot of work for teachers, the results for students will be a more engaging, productive, and enlightening learning experience.

References
1)March, T 2003 "The Learning Power of WebQuests", Educational Leadership, Vol.61, No.4, pp.42-47, viewed online 27/11/09, http://tommarch.com/writings/wq_power.php
2)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WebQuest

REFLECTIONS
What is your opinion on using role-playing in webquests to engage students? Do you think that webquests that don't use role-playing are as effective as those that do?