Internet Based Projects
Internet based projects are described by Dudeney & Hockley (2008) as a gateway for teachers to incorporate resources found in the Internet into their lessons while providing a structure to follow. This structure ensures teachers that no expertise is needed in order to tranform their lessons into internet based tasks.
These project can be designed with the prospect of being both short-term and long-term as the situation asks for. Some qualities shared by most Internet based project are:
They may not require technological expertise but they require time to plan and design.
Group activities and tasks are prefered by design.
Are flexible enough to be adapted for language learning or interdisciplinary task with other relevant areas.
They foster soft skills like critical thinking and teamwork.
A baseline of what is needed to create a successful Internet based project can be reduced to four main ideas according to the authors:
Pick a relevant topic.
Create a clear and understandable task.
Take time to select the resources needed.
Have a clear outcome in mind.
These main ideas must be taken in consideration since some authors (Awada & Ghaith, 2014) highlight the possible shortcomings of selecting unfit materials, shallow information or hard to access data.
Webquests
Webquests are a type of Internet based projects that have been around for a while. Bernie Dodge coined the term during the 1990s and placed the newly forming Internet in the middle of it all. This framework has been an staple in inquiry-based learning giving students activities that foster many soft skills like critical thinking, problem solving and teamwork (Yavelverg, J., 2025).
Nowadays, we can still find that the prefered structure for a Webquest has not changed with the years. A basic example of this structure would be as follows:
Introduction: Sets the quest, the scenario, and objectives.
Task: Clearly defines the required end point of the quest.
Process: A step-by-step guidance of the road ahead.
Evaluation: A step for assessing performance.
Conclusion: Summarizes the learning experience and offers reflection opportunities.
Dudeney & Hockley (2008) are adamant when they reassure the reader to feel at ease regarding the required technical knowledge. They do highlight some other skills that are needed to create a Webquest, such as:
Research Skills: In order to find the best information available.
Analytical Skills: In order to be critical of the information found on the Internet.
Word Processing Skills: In order to use word processors in a neat and visually appealing way.
In the following page, you can find an example of a Webquest project that can be useful to understand how to create one yourself.
References:
Awada, G., & Ghaith, G. (2014). Impact of Using the WebQuest Technological Model on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Writing Achievement and Apprehension. Arab World English Journal.
Dudeney, G. & Hockly, N. (2008). How to teach English with technology. Pearson Education Limited.
Yavelverg, J. (2025) The Evolution of WebQuests: From Inquiry Based Learning to AI-Powered Engagement. https://flyingcloudsolutions.com/blog/2025/03/11/the-evolution-of-web-quests-from-inquiry-based-learning-to-ai-powered-engagement/