webquest

Internet-Based Project Work - Hockley & Dudeney (2007)

Reasons for using Internet-based projects in the classroom:

1.  No technical knowledge is needed to produce or use Internet-based projects.

2.  It encourages cooperative learning.

3.  It can be interdisciplinary.

4.  It encourages critical thinking skills.

The project can be a simple low-level project like a poster presentation about a famous person or an investigation on a particular topic and the presentation of their opinions and views in a report or debate. 

Internet-based simulations:

•  It brings real-life context to the classroom.

• Teachers help learners deal with situations that they may come across with.

• The Internet gives students access to authentic websites.

• It works particularly well with business English and general English learners.

Teachers have to choose the project topic, make a task clear, find the resources and decide on the outcome.

There are two types of WebQuest:

Short-term WebQuests: learners have a significant amount of new information and make sense of it. They may last a couple of lessons. Learners can use the information in class.

Longer term-WebQuests: learners will analyse a body of knowledge deeply, transforming it in some way and turning it into a new product: a report, a presentation, an interview or a survey. It may last a few weeks or a term or period.

Webquests’ steps:

Step 1: Introduction: Introduce an overall theme which involves giving  background information on the topic, new vocabulary and concepts to complete the task involved

Step 2: Task: Explain clearly and precisely what learners have to do. It should be motivating and interesting, and anchored in a real-life situation.

Step 3: Process & Resources: Guide the learners through a set of activities and research tasks, providing a set of clickable links to websites.

Step 4: Evaluation: It involves learners in self-evaluation, comparing and contrasting what they have produced with other learners and giving feedback on what they have learnt. It can also involve teacher evaluation.

The skills needed for WebQuest creation are the following: Research skills to search the Internet and find resources, analytical skills to check out any website before starting using it and word processing skills to use a word processor to combine text, images and web links into a finished document.

Teachers must: 

• Divide the topic into macro topics and micro topics. Design tasks for the process stage. Collect websites, images, etc and make a central question or idea that has no simple answer and needs research and interpretation (the purpose of the Webquest)

• Guide learners to transform the info they find on the websites. Information can be collected by the use of polls, questionnaires, and interviewing friends and family. Ensure the links are navigable.

• Write the webpage using Word, and add links to each section and images. Think of an engaging and stimulating introduction. Instructions should guide learners and help them answer the questions. Try out the WebQuest with a small group and take feedback to make appropriate changes for future uses if necessary.

E.g.:  Zunal, is a webquest builder online. 

Please, find here my webquest 🥰

Source:

Hockly, N., & Dudeney, G. (2007) Chapter 4 “Internet based project work”. In How to Teach English with Technology. Essex: Pearson.