Webquests

What is a webquest? Well it can be anything you like. The teacher sets up the webquest and the students embark on and complete the quest, and as it is with any other type of quest this is not an overnight thing, you must keep searching until you have found what you are looking for. The quest can be a long term one as I envisage, or a short term quest, both types assist students in digesting and assimilating large amounts of information due to the constructive approach of a webquest.

On first glance a webquest looked like a heck of a lot of work to set up and implement, it also looked like a dynamic way to engage the students and aligns well with both the Engagement Theory (Keirsley & Schneiderman) and Oliver's Learning Theory through the use of complex thought processess and being web based. The benefit here, I thought, would far outweigh the time commitment required to set one up. Upon further investgation and reflection I now see a webquest as an equivalent to a unit plan, and unit plans seem to me like a heck of a lot of work to design and then break down into LEP's and so on.

As I work my way throught this course a webquest is looking less daunting and possibly a great way to plan a unit of work using the backwards method. What do the students need to know? The big picture. How am I going to get them there? By undertaking the requirements of the webquest which can branch off where ever it is needed to go. This way students know what the expected outcome is and what is required to get there. On the way the students get to construct their knowledge through the activities, links and scaffolding provided by the webquest.