WHAT IS A WEBQUEST?
A WebQuest is a student-focused, independent, internet- based research task in which everything the student needs to complete the task is included in the information on the WebQuest. In its purest form it contributes to an understanding of perspective in that it requires the student to research a task from different perspectives. It also requires students to work both independently and in groups. The presentation element at the end allows all students to understand the perspectives of the issues being researched as the students or groups complete their tasks.
A WebQuest is broken into a series of sections to help guide you through the task. It is best to spend time looking at all the sections before you begin so that you know what you have to do.
Section 1 – The introduction is the front page or index of the WebQuest which sets the scene for the task.
Section 2 – The Scenario or Story – each WebQuest sets up a situation in which the students work
Section 3 – The Task – this is what the students are being asked to complete
Section 4 – The Process – this is the way the students should go about completing the task and there is usually lots of help and guidance provided in this section. It is broken into the steps they should take and complete before moving on to the next and is designed to guide them through the task. Often WebQuest tasks appear more complex than simple assessment tasks but this is only because they contain everything that is needed. The help may be links to resources to read and make notes from, it may be what sort of questions to ask, it may be how to go about completing the task. The students should check out each link provided and use the information there after all, that is the point of preparing the webquest - everything they need is provided.
Section 5 – The Assessment – in some WebQuests this is where the students find out the value of the task but sometimes this has been left out so that the teacher can place a weighting on it as appropriate. Sometimes marking guidelines are provided, as in this case, but in others they are not.
Section 6 – The Outcomes are the criteria upon which the work will be marked.
Section 7 - The Resources page contains all the links the students will need to access to get the information necessary to complete this task. There is no need for them to access any other internet pages. These links will give them more than enough information to complete the task.
Section 8 – Student Reflection is a page that students answer later on. It is not part of the WebQuest in that they are not assessed on it but it is part of the WebQuest in that it gives feedback through self-assessment to the students, as assessment for learning, and feedback to the teachers, as assessment of the students' learning.
Section 9 – The Teachers' Page is simply that. It is some guidelines for Teachers using this WebQuest on how it can be used, what it is meant to achieve, how it can be changed to suit individual school needs. There is nothing private on it otherwise it would not be on the WebQuest.
