5. E-Learning: Webquests

Haven’t you heard of ‘Treasure Hunts’? As most of you may know, the ‘Treasure Hunt’ is a game, considered to be one of the important activities in any camp organized for Boy Scouts and Girl Guides. It is a fun way of learning ‘Road signs’ by the students. Some object--the ‘treasure—is hidden somewhere and the scouts are asked to search for the hidden treasure in groups. They are not entirely left to themselves but provided some help in the form of ‘clues’ (Road signs). The group that first finds the treasure is the winner.

A Webquest is similar to a Treasure Hunt. It is also a game but played in space i.e., the Internet. Quest means search. Students are divided into groups and they are asked to ‘search’ the Web for the solution of a problem or find answers to questions given to them with the help of links to websites (‘clues’) given by the teacher There is competition among the groups to finish the search first. We call it a ‘webquest’ i.e., searching the web.

(If you don’t give links to any websites by way of clues for getting the ‘treasure’, i.e, answers to questions, it becomes what is called a ‘Scavenger Hunt’. In this game, you simply give a list of questions to be answered by your students all by themselves browsing the Net without any help from you)

The different steps involved when you give a webquest to your students are:

Division of the class into a number of groups and nomination of Group leaders.

Task

Groups To browse the net, using the links given to a number of websites and find answers to the questions given. –A time limit is fixed.

Process

Groups engage themselves in the webquest—Answers to the questions asked are written—not just copied from the web-- by each group.

Presentation

Each group makes a presentation to the entire class

For giving a webquest for your class you may choose some writer ot poet whose work has been prescribed for study and then do Google search for the author selected.. You will get a number of websites dealing with his life/ his works./critical reviews. Browse a few of what you consider

to be a good source of information about him and frame a few questions—not just of comprehension only but those involving critical thinking also. These questions will constitute the ‘Task’ for your students. In prescribing this task see that you give links to a few sites other than those where exactly your students will find the answers. This is important.

A few examples of webquests found in the following websites would serve as a good model for you:

http://falconlit.com/web/webquest/macbeth/

http://zunal.com/webquest.php?w=82480

http://www.teachingliterature.org/teachingliterature/

http://jacobson.wikispaces.com/Julius+Caesar+Webquest

You should not get the impression that webquests may be used only by those who teach literature. Even language teachers may construct their own webquests for their students. In teaching- written composition, for example, you may give the following ‘task’ for your students

Imagine you are planning for a holiday at London for a week. Browse the websites given and answer the questions. ( A few are suggested below_

What is the cheapest Airline to visit London? What is the return fare?

What is the cheapest lodging available? How much for ‘bed and breakfast’?

What are the import places for sightseeing>

Which of them would you like to visit? Give reasons.

What are the different places of entertainment at London?

Distinguish between an opera and a ballet.

What are the leading newspapers published from London?

From what has been discussed above, it is evident that webquests will not only provide good motivation for learning but also promote the development of the following skills:

Collaboration (Team work)

Information processing --Analysis and evaluation by the learners of the information got from the Web

Decision making

Time management

Writing

Presentation

Discussion

And, most importantly, webquests prepare our students for self-learning, otherwise known as ‘autonomous learning’.