Use of the Internet is the best way to promote inquiry learning, and a great vehicle for this is the WebQuest. Zhara found a great article on its use within the classroom. It evaluated the benefits to using the WebQuest compared to traditional teaching methods. It concluded that students were much more motivated to participate in the activities, and they strengthened their critical thinking skills, among other things, as a result.
The Webquest teaches students to use the internet as a tool to help them answer important questions. They can be very unique and are available on a wide variety of topics. As educators, it is very important that we can teach students how to find what they need on the internet. Some of the drawbacks of the WebQuest are that students can be frustrated or confused by the amount of information on the internet. While this may hinder participation in the activity, it is important that we challenge our students to this sort of research because the amount of information on the internet is constantly increasing. The more research they do, the faster they will be able to access the information they are looking for.
Does anyone have any experience using Webquests in a classroom? Did it work well?
If not, do you think you will implement them into your lesson plans? How?
I haven't used WebQuests yet, but I intend to--once I figure out how they work. I've looked online and found a few, but I'm not totally sure what to do with them yet. However, given that the article said it had more benefits than drawbacks, I want to try them out.
ReplyDeleteI haven't used WebQuests as a student in a social studies classroom, but we talked about them in a technology class I took a couple years ago. They are an awesome tool if they are well made. A good WebQuest guides the students through the inquiry process by sending them to reliable online resources, asking thoughtful questions, and having them create a meaningful final product. I've looked at a lot of WebQuests and I think it would be fun for students and teachers to use them in the classroom. I actually made a WebQuest for the class I was taking--- it's not the best, but it definitely made me realize how hard it is to create a high quality Web Quest.
ReplyDeleteYes, they are difficult to create. That's why I will leave that to the professionals! My practicum teacher uses them sometimes, and she showed me a directory of possible topics. She just wheels the Mac cart into the classroom and goes from there.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your criticism that there is a lot of information on the internet that may overwhelm students. However, I think if the teacher structured the webquest appropriately, then the students should be ok. Plus, it is good for the teacher to explain tat are a ton of resources and then teach the students how to find relevant ones.
ReplyDeleteI have never used a WebQuest, but since we are in our practicums and attempting to pull from a variety of sources, I have managed to stumble upon quite a few. I've read several of our classmates' blogs discussing the article the Zahra found on WebQuests. Everyone seems to have formed a general consensus that WebQuests can prove to provide a stimulating learning environment and be beneficial for the learning process. I hope I can test out some of the WebQuests I found this week in my practicum, or at least pull some information from them to share with the students in order to supplement the information they are receiving in their textbook.
ReplyDeleteI've never used a WebQuest either, but my practicum teacher uses them. Unfortunately I haven't been around when she does, so I do not have any first hand experiences. Anyway, I definitely plan on testing them out and putting them to good use. I hate to sound repetitive, but everyone pretty much hit it on the nose...I think I would use a WebQuest to promote active and engaging learning and use it as a supplement to the texts. :)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.teach-nology.com/teachers/lesson_plans/computing/web_quests/social_studies/
Here's a link for Social Studies Webquests :)
Although I feel as if I am from the Stone Ages, I think the idea of using a Webquest in my class is a great one. One benefit to using this strategy is that, in all likelihood, students know their way around the internet. This strategy gives us, as educators, the chance to instruct them in using the internet responsibly. Thanks Amt17 for the strategies!
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