Why Use WebQuests With My Class?

The web is has wonderful resources. It is like a huge library at your fingertips - with the books scattered all over the floor. The useful research information is tangled up with the magazines and the "adult's only" section of the video store. How do you ever separate the safe and useful sources from the junk?

If you've ever searched the web for information, you know how many "hits" you get that have nothing to do with the topic you want to research. When you send students out to search for information on the web, it is like sending them into the forest with a faulty compass. You (and they) have no idea where they will end up.

A WebQuest is like a scavenger hunt on the web, complete with roadmap, to help students complete a given task in the most efficient and safe way. A good WebQuest is designed to incorporate Cooperative Learning, critical thinking, higher order thinking skills, and scaffolding. (see glossary).

There are many good WebQuests already available online. These are there to be shared and used by others. Just be aware that it is your job as the teacher to determine the value of the WebQuest to your students. A rubric for assessing WebQuests is found in the appendix of this handbook.

Home | Agenda | Introduction | Why Quest | Quest | Glossary | Links

This page created by:
Jill D. Walch
Central Square Central School District
August, 2001