WEBQUEST

DEFINITION OF A WEBQUEST?
is an inquiry-oriented activity that uses resources on the World Wide Web. WebQuests pull together the most effective instructional practices into one integrated student activity. These Web-based projects use World Wide Web sites to help students develop problem-solving and decision-making skills. OR An inquiry-oriented activity in which some or all of the information that students interact with comes from resources on the Internet.

WHAT IS A WEBQUEST?
WebQuests are interesting and motivating to teachers and students. An effective WebQuest develops critical thinking skills and often includes a cooperative learning component. Students learn as they search for information using the Web, following a prescribed format that focuses on problem solving and authentic assessment.

A well-written WebQuest requires students to go beyond simple fact finding. It asks them to analyze a variety of resources and use their creativity and critical-thinking skills to solve a problem. WebQuests help students analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information.

COMPONENTS OF A WEBQUEST
Every WebQuest has six basic components: Introduction Task Process Evaluation Conclusion Teacher Page

INTRODUCTION
This is an overview (often a simple one) of what is to come. Many WebQuests take place within a story setting; in these instances, the Introduction is where the plot and characters are introduced.

TASK
This page details the assignment that is to come. Tasks are often comprised of numbered lists of items that must be accomplished to complete the quest.

PROCESS
The Process is the meat of the quest it is here that students work together, develop plans of action, and find ways to solve the presented problem. Often, quest processes may involve role-playing and other off-line methods.

EVALUATION
The evaluation phase centers on a rubric, a carefully designed chart listing goals for the quest and the standards by which performance will be measured. This can be thought of as a great widening of the typical letter grade usually given to classroom assignments. Rubrics are highly annotated grades with extensive annotation detailing many aspects of the project.

CONCLUSION

This is a brief summary, usually congratulatory in tone, that wraps up the project.

TEACHER PAGE
Instructors are provided with their own subsection of the WebQuest site, with instructions for each of the above sections. Teachers who develop WebQuests often fill this section with information to help other educators adapt the quest to their own class.

PRESENTATION OR SHARING OUTPUTS

Review the tasks. In here the students and the teacher should come up with viewing guidelines so that students can be better guided on what issues to particularly pay attention in web quest.

REFLECTION

This part requires to summarize their learning insights particularly on the use of technology. What skills did they learn as fast and as interesting as can be in the webquest which might not be possible in using the traditional approach of answering problems?

RESOURCES

This is a listing of websites visited and authors or articles or literatures used in seeking solutions to the problems which were identified for proper acknowledgement.

STEPS TO CREATING A WEBQUEST

Step 1: Decide to Adapt a WebQuest or Create from Scratch Step 2 - Choose a Topic, Title, Subject & Grade

Choosing an Effective Topic Start with your standards. Ask yourself the following questions to help you identify a topic. What do you (or plan to) teach? Remember, not all topics are appropriate for WebQuests. Since WebQuest development is time-consuming, it's a good idea to carefully identify a topic and matching standards that will benefit from an inquirybased, technology-rich project.

Choose content and standards that invite creativity, that have multiple layers, can have multiple interpretations or be seen from multiple perspectives. In short, pick material that requires students to transform what they seen into something different.

DECIDING SUBJECT & GRADE LEVEL

Once the topic selected, decide on the subject and the grade level. Your options are Subject (You can select multiple): Art Music, Business/Economics, English/Language, Foreign Language, Health/PE, Life Skills/Careers, Mathematics, Professional Skills, Science, Social Studies, Technology

Grade Level (You can select multiple): K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, College / Adult