WebQuests

toc

Webquests are online adventures created to introduce students to certain contents that make sense for their lessons. Questions and solutions are to be found and combined to an overall impression. Furthermore, they help the students learn how to use a computer in a useful way, so they are prepared to work on their own in the future. WebQuests are supposed to be solved in a group in the classroom context and the teacher is there to help out with technical problems and questions concerning the content. Students should try to find the answers themselves. Even though the main work takes place at the computer, students are free to use other media as well. Books, films and dictionaries are to be found in the classroom and the teacher will be happy to help out. One of the big advantages is that the attention is not teacher-centred anymore but focusses on the students' own work.

Normally there are six stages that help solve the WebQuest:
 * //introduction (problem is introduced)//
 * //exercises (tasks are introduced)//
 * //ressources (material to work with is given)//
 * //process (help and support)//
 * //evaluation (criteria for reflexion and assessment are shown//

**2. What roles are there?**
Students: work on their own and cooperative in teams, solve problems in an activity-oriented way Teacher: big amount of work before the lessons, function of a reference within the unit, helps with feedback afterwards

**3. The WebQuest structure**
(1) introduction
 * introduction of topic and main questions
 * motivation and raise of interest
 * connection to pre-knowledge

(2) exercise
 * introduction of exercise and problem that is to be solved
 * discussion of topics in class
 * student is supposed to recognise the exercise as his own aim

(3) course of action
 * description of the process and organisation of work
 * clear structure
 * helps and hints for the following work

(4) work phase
 * introduction of material and sources
 * group- and partnerwork as well as individual work follow

(5) evaluation
 * discussion and estimation of students' work
 * it is possible to integrate criteria in the webquest
 * feedback

(6) presentation
 * final presentation of solutions
 * connection to the following lesson / topic
 * possible: tests or questionnaire

**4. Possible Designs**

 * the whole WebQuest on one page= no new pages and links, no clicking around= lots of scrolling necessary, easy to lose the red line
 * a new page for every element (see example)= important! clear structure, only a few colours and pictures to be used, give no reason for confusion

**5. When to use WebQuests?**

 * possible in all school types after primary school (which would be very difficult)
 * perfect for intercurricular lessons, not linked to one subject
 * very flexible as teacher can easily adjust the template to other classes

**6. Why to use WebQuests?**

 * selected sources to avoid the 'lost in cyberspace' phenomenon
 * pupils can still do their own work
 * option for cooperative learning
 * gain of essential competences (esp. research and selection)
 * learn to use digital media
 * single exercises are brought into a context ( =more interesting for the students)

**7. Hints for Creating WebQuests**
Create a WebQuest step by step []

Do's and Dont's of a WebQuest []

Overview of all the information you need to create a WebQuest []

Very compact information on the topic []

**8. Examples and Templates**
Superfast WebQuests [] []

Free WebQuest creators [|http://www.zunal.com] [] [|http://wizard.webquests.ch] (German!)

Templates [] []

Example database []

Examples [] [|http://studenthome.nku.edu/~webquest/gabbard/index.htm]

9. Example Page
Check out this WebQuest that has been created exclusively for this seminar.