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Temple University Center for Research
in Human Development and Education |
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WebQuests: Online
Inquiry Instructional Activities for Teachers
117
by
Robert A. Cooper and Claudia Smarkola
Temple University
WebQuests provide a framework for teachers to develop
inquiry-oriented instructional activities that employ Internet resources. The
Internet contains a wealth of sites that are potentially useful as instructional
resources, and most U. S. public schools provide access to the Internet for both
students and teachers (Kleiner & Farris, 2002). Furthermore, over 50% of
teachers surveyed in 1999 report using computers or the Internet to meet
instructional goals during class time (National Center for Education Statistics,
2002). However, student usage of the Internet is driven largely by
teacher-created assignments, and a recent qualitative study conducted by the
American Institutes for Research found that Internet-based assignments vary
widely in quality (Levin & Arafeh, 2002). Levin and Arafeh reported that
students were given some interesting and exciting Internet-based assignments
that related to the curriculum, but many assignments were reported as poorly conceived.As is the case with more conventional instructional resources,
effective use of the Internet requires prior planning on the teacher's part.
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Without sufficient planning, student Internet-based
activities may be reduced to merely searching for
information rather than using it, resulting in what Howe
(1998) called a return to the "teaching by telling"
approach. However, with sufficient support and structure
provided by the teacher, students can be guided to move
beyond memorizing the facts they uncover and begin to think
critically about what they find.
What is a WebQuest?
Bernie Dodge and Tom March first developed the WebQuest
concept in 1995 (Dodge, 1995, 1998). "A WebQuest is a
learning environment supported by extensive Internet and
other resources which prompts learners to inquire and
construct meaning through collaborative research, critical
thinking and decision making" (Hanson, 2001). The primary
source of WebQuest information and resources is The WebQuest
Page maintained by Bernie Dodge. Dodge's site provides links
to existing WebQuests designed for students from
kindergarten through adult, in a range of disciplines. In
addition, the site also provides generic design patterns on
topics such as "analyzing bias" and "analyzing literary
genres," that teachers can adapt to their specific content
(Dodge, 1998).
Students engaged in a WebQuest work in cooperative groups to
perform a task that requires them to think at Bloom's higher
levels of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. In addition,
learner guidance, or scaffolding, is provided in the form of
suggested steps students may take toward solving a problem.
Links to potentially useful Web resources selected by the
teacher provide further structure and scaffolding. The World
Wide Web offers extensive resources on a vast array of
topics, virtually bringing the world to the student's
fingertips in a way that traditional instructional resources
cannot. However, with the Web, teachers run the risk of
having their students "lost in hyperspace" (Marchionini,
1988). The organized framework of the WebQuest prevents
students from getting lost and makes their use of the
Internet much more productive.
WebQuests employ constructivist learning principles. In a
constructivist learning environment, children are active
participants who have a role in planning the learning
activity (Jonassen, 1999). Students engaged in a WebQuest
are required to make important decisions that influence the
outcome of their work.
Components of a WebQuest
A WebQuest typically has six parts: an introduction,
task statement, process, resources, evaluation, and conclusion. The
introduction sets the stage for the task and provides any relevant background
information. For example, in the Gray Wolf WebQuest, which deals with the fate
of the gray wolf in Yellowstone National Park (Nuthall, 1999), the introduction
provides a brief history of the conflict involving the gray wolf and ranchers
concerned about their livestock. The task provides students with a goal that is
both motivating and achievable. In the case of this WebQuest, students are
charged with the task of learning enough about the gray wolf problem to reach
their own conclusion to the question: Should the wolves in Yellowstone be
removed?
The next three parts of a WebQuest—the process, the
resources, and the evaluation—serve to scaffold students’ efforts at completing
the task. Scaffolding is the “process that enables a child or novice to solve a
problem, carry out a task or achieve a goal which would be beyond his
unassisted efforts” (Wood, Bruner, & Ross, 1976, p. 90). Dodge describes
scaffolding as a “temporary structure used to help learners act more skilled
than they really are” (Dodge, 2001, p.58). Depending on the age, prior
knowledge, and experience of the students, scaffolding can be gradually faded
to allow students to assume more of the responsibility for structuring the
activity.
The process section provides students with a series
of steps designed to lead them toward the goal of completing the task. In the
Gray Wolf WebQuest, the process section suggests that students should 1)
investigate wolf behavior, 2) research the Yellowstone wolf reintroduction
program, 3) define and analyze the problem from different perspectives, 4)
develop a solution, and 5) report the results. In addition to giving students
guidance about how to proceed, the steps in the process section provide a
framework for both students and teacher to monitor the progress each group is
making toward a resolution.
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