WebQuests
To get a first idea what a web quest really is, have a look at "WebQuest für Eilige" (a German website).
The concept of WebQuests has been developed by Bernie Dodge and Tom March (1995, San Diego State University). He defines WebQuests as: "an inquiry-oriented activity in which most or all of the information used by learners is drawn from the Web. Web-Quests are designed to use learner's time well, to focus on using information rather than looking for it, and to support learners' thinking at the levels of analysis, synthesis ans evaluation."
Pupils are meant to use the internet in order to acquire knowlegde on their own by surfing the WWW. In WebQuests, they get clear working structures and questions/tasks according to their level. By this means, the danger of an aimless surfing around the web can be reduced, time ressources are saved and frustrating experiences for the pupils can be avoided.
Susanne Brülls wrote a paper on WebQuests and had some intelligent ideas on "learning with WebQuests" (unfortunately in German...):
"Im Rahmen von WebQuests arbeiten SchülerInnen aktiv an der Aneignung und Aufbereitung von Wissen. Den Lernenden soll kein Faktenwissen übergestülpt werden, sondern ihnen soll auf der Grundlage von authentischen Situationen Gelegenheit geboten werden, Wissen selbst zu konstruieren. Dabei wird davon ausgegangen, dass
- Lernen ein aktiver und konstruktiver Prozess ist. Dazu gehört, dass der Lernende zum Lernen motiviert ist und Interesse an dem hat bzw. entwickelt, was er tut und wie er es tut.
- Lernen ein selbst gesteuerte Prozess ist, bei der der Lerner Steuerungs- und Kontrollfunktion übernimmt.
- Lernen ein interaktiver sozialer Prozess ist.
- Lernen situations- und kontextgebunden ist. Durch die Verwendung realer Kontexte soll der Transfer des anzueignenden Wissen auf andere Themen und Gegenstandsbereiche erleichtert werden.
A WebQuest contains the following features:
- Introduction: Motivation, sets the stage, provides background information
- Task: Something doable & interesting: series of questions, summary to be created, problem to be solved, position to be debated, creative work, something that requires thinking!
- Information Resources: Specific, appropriate resources:web documents, experts available via Internet, searchable databases on the net, books and other documents, real objects
- Process/Procedures: List of activities: Step-by-step instructions, Timeline
- Learning Advice/ Guidance: Describe how to organize info: Guiding questions, directions to complete, checklists, timelines, concept maps, cause-and-effect diagrams, action plan
- Evaluation: Assess student work: checklists, rubrics
- Conclusion: Bring project to closure: remind learners about what they've learned, encourage learners to extend the experience
- Other Elements: Roles to play, group collaboration guidelines, motivating scenario, teacher resources (source)
There are thousands of examples on the internet. Here are some websites to look at:
Connecting Teachers and Students
The DaVinciCode WebQuest (don't look at the anwers! :-)
and many, many more...
