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. And it is a learning activity used by educators. During this activity learners read, analyze, and synthesize information using the World Wide Web. Learners typically complete WebQuests as cooperative groups. Each learner within a group can be given a "role," or specific area to research. WebQuests may take the form of role-playing scenarios, where students take on the personas of professional researchers or historical figures.

How will it help students and teachers in learning?

Both teachers and student will motivated to analyze and summarize any problems in order for them to become a better one. And in this way the student will know what are the important details on there teacher gave them.This is a great tool for every teacher to have an activity.Wherever you are in the world.

The Importance of WebQuest

WebQuest bring together the most effective instructional practices into one activity, including:

• Student Motivation -- Students who participate in WebQuest are often more motivated because they are engaged in trying to understand or solve real-world problems, helping students assume ownership in their learning. Students become more motivated when they have opportunities to use authentic resources rather than outdated textbooks and library resources; have access to experts; can explore a range of current documents and reports; search a variety of databases and relevant material; and, have the opportunity to make choices and decisions in the learning process.
• Authentic Learning -- WebQuest often pose authentic situations and provide opportunities for students to role play. Students' work together by role playing others in the community and sharing in their beliefs, opinions, and values in an effort to understand or solve a given problem. Students who are faced with understanding or solving an authentic task in school have their learning validated; rather than many of those students who work on isolated skills and facts and see learning as disjointed from the real world. An example of this might be to have students role play being scientists, environmentalists, land developers, city council members, and consumers to determine alternative solutions to the deforestation and effects on a community that is rapidly growing and expanding.
• Developing Thinking Skills -- WebQuest are based on the strategies of cognitive psychology and constructivism and pose questions to students that cannot be simply answered through rote rehearsal and memorization. Students are required to dissect the task and attack sub-tasks sifting through information, thereby facilitating deeper and more advanced thinking that connects to prior knowledge. These new connections can be strengthened when the topic is encountered again in the future.
• Cooperative Learning -- A WebQuest naturally creates cooperative learning opportunities. WebQuest creates opportunities for learning about complex subjects, making it impossible for every student to know about or master every aspect of the given situation.
• Respecting Diversity -- The WebQuest provides a natural setting for promoting respect for diversity. Groups of students naturally vary in gender, race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, and religious beliefs. Working together students sift through complex information and encounter opinions from others as well as among their own group members in an effort to work together to facilitate a deeper and more advanced understanding about the topic. By sifting through complex information as well as diverse opinions, connections to their prior knowledge not only builds new connections that can be strengthened later but diverse opinions and new ways of understanding and knowing are brought to the forefront, and similarities and differences aid in understanding and solving the problem.
• Alternative Assessment -- As students complete their WebQuest there may be many different answers to the same problem and rationales that accompany the different answers. Alternative assessment measures other than the traditional paper/pencil test are often more effective in understanding students' thought processes and conclusions. Alternative assessment measures may include students presenting their conclusions in a speech, debate, PowerPoint presentation, poster presentation, video tape, audio tape, or even a multimedia presentation.

Will it be applicable in our country?

Every style of learning have positive and negative side.WebQuest is a medium of instruction that pertains to learning with a format of world wibe technology. In our country, it is very applicable because we are now stepping up to a new generation that uses computers and new gadgets.It will be a great form of learning and at the same time a good medium of strategy for it is a n internet links.