Review on Webquest

WebQuest. A WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented lesson format in which most or all the information that learners work with comes from the web. These can be created using various programs, including a simple word processing document that includes links to websites.

WebQuests provide an excellent way to involve students in authentic learning activities. The inquiry-based WebQuest format encourages students to utilize higher level thinking skills as they complete assignments using information gleaned from the Web. Whether you're looking for ready-to-use WebQuests that you can integrate into your curriculum or online resources you can use to create your own WebQuest, these sites should prove helpful. Included: Five resources for creating and using WebQuests in the classroom.
Weaving the World Wide Web into your curriculum requires knowledge, planning, and a certain level of technological skill. One of the easiest routes to authentic technology integration is the WebQuest -- "an inquiry-oriented activity in which some or all of the information learners interact with comes from the Internet." The WebQuest format requires students to engage in online research as they complete a series of tasks leading to a final project. A WebQuest requires students to integrate, transform, and utilize information, not just to locate it. Depending on your level of technology skills, you might use one of the thousands of ready-made WebQuests found online, or utilize online resources to create your own WebQuests.

The Beauty of Web Quests are their flexibility since they can be anything to anyone. This makes it hard to identify a typically effective Web Quest. Nonetheless, Web Quests that promote learning typically have 6 common attributes.

1. Introduction:
The introduction is a means of providing the students with background information that is intended to be a springboard for them to begin the process of inquiry. One way is to present a simulation that leads students to develop a product/service, evaluate a time period, give advice on a given issue, manage a business situation, engage in a debate, or tackle one of life's challenges.
2. Task:
Formulating challenging questions is the difficult part of developing an effective Web Quest. In most cases, a single question is posed that requires students to analyze a vast array of information. For example, "Compare the leadership styles of George Washington and George Bush," or "You just made a revolutionary invention, what steps would you take to insure that no one can steal your ideas for profit?"
3. Process:
In this section, the teacher leads the student through the task. The teacher offers advice on how to manage time, collect data, and provides strategies for working in group situations. Teachers sometimes label this section: learning objectives or advice. In some cases the section is replaced with a complete time line for the project.
4. Resources:
Students are provided with tools (usually web sites), or leads to tools that can help them complete the task. In order for this to be valuable, a teacher must thoroughly review each source. When deciding on sources consider the following:
a. Only list sites that support the proper view for which you are aiming. For every site that explains how > helpful the rain forest is, there are two sites to explain how bad it is.
b. Make sure all the sites you choose are appropriate and do not link to any inappropriate sites.
c. Make sure the source is credible. Anybody can create a web page. Try to use a commercial (.com), non-profit (.org), or educational organization (.edu) site. These sites have something to lose by providing you with poor content.
d. Make sure the site is up to date.
5. Evaluation:
The outcome for Web Quests is usually a product, in most cases, in form of a written/oral report or multimedia presentation. An effective assessment tool to evaluate a product of a Web Quest is a rubric. Rubrics help make the teacher's expectations clear for students. Ideally, rubrics can be created collaboratively with students' input.
6. Conclusion:
Effective Web Quests have a built in mechanism for student reflections. To receive feedback, you can survey your students about their experience, or have the students send you an e-mail sharing their thoughts.


Why should we use webquests? There are a number of excellent reasons, including:

• They are an easy way to incorporate the Internet into the classroom. No specialist knowledge is needed to either produce or use them.
• They lend themselves well to group activities.
• They lend themselves well to cross-curriculum projects.
• They encourage critical thinking skills. Learners are not able to simply regurgitate information, but are guided towards a transformation of that information.
• They can be both motivating and authentic tasks, encouraging learners to feel they are doing something ‘real’ or ‘useful’.

So according to me it is a very helpful site to get all the information comes from the web easily that learners work with .