WebQuests

media type="custom" key="111610" toc =WebQuests Overview=

A WebQuest is an inquiry oriented project that presents students with an authentic task or tasks to complete to help reinforce their learning about a particiular content or concept. The research and work that students do in a WebQuest is largely facilitated through the web but can also include "offline" work and research with more traditional resources. Students often work in small group settings to complete the tasks associated with a WebQuest with each member of the group needing to make significant contributions to the project or task at hand. The WebQuest concept was created by [|Bernie Dodge at San Diego State University].

**Uses of WebQuests in Education**
When designed properly, WebQuests can be beneficial because they provide students with authentic learning opportunities and guided exploration of pre-screened web resources in order to accomplish real world tasks. A WebQuest can take the place of a traditional research project by allowing students to access online resources as they do authentic problem solving.

Educational Benefits of WebQuests
WebQuests are designed to be collaborative projects that students complete in small group settings. This provides students with the chance to develop their cooperative and teamwork skills while focused on an authentic task. WebQuests are also modeled after the inquiry based approach to teaching where students are giving the chance to become real scientists, mathematicians, biologists, historians and more as they research and analyze data to solve problems and accomplish tasks. This can be highly motivating and enhance the learning experience for students.

Specific Ideas for using WebQuests in a k-12 Setting
Click here to add or view a lesson plan or idea for using this technology in the classroom.

**Relevant Online Tools**
The following tools are designed specifically to facilitate the creation of WebQuests but it would also be just as easy to create a WebQuest using a Wiki.
 * WebQuest Creation tools
 * [|teAchnology]
 * [|Zunal]
 * Sample WebQuests
 * [|WebQuest Portal] from San Diego State University
 * [|Earth Biomes] WebQuest (Grades 6-9)
 * [|Geometry In Real Life] (High School)
 * [|African Americans Impacting Michigan] (4th grade)
 * [|Tutorial WebQuest] for creating WebQuests

**Other Relevant Sources of Information (Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, Discussion Forums etc.)**
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 * Feel free to add your own ideas or resources!