5) WebQuests

I have used WebQuests a few times before in the past with mostly success.  A WebQuest is an inquiry-orientated activity/lesson format that uses links to essential resources on the internet and an authentic learning task to motivate students to investigate of a series of central, open ended questions.  A well designed WebQuest uses the power of the internet and a scaffolding learning process to turn research based theories into learning centered practices.

In my personal experience, I have had both negative and positive outcomes while working with WebQuests.  First off, the negative.  WebQuests can take a considerable amount of class time, especially when students can’t get access from home.  Students can get bored doing the same thing with the content, especially if they are just reading it and then writing answers down in a packet.  Also, students can get very easily distracted using the web.

However, when it comes to any sort of technology in the classroom, the positives generally out-weigh the negatives.  For example, WebQuests are a good educational tool because they are not simply research tasks. They allow the development of individual knowledge and develop it more into a more sophisticated knowledge, helped by the online delivery.  It improves their knowledge of the content as they construct their own knowledge by researching the topic themselves.  In some cases some students just weren’t interested, but if the students were doing a good, well-developed, and engaging WebQuest, it is much more beneficial.  Good WebQuests pose open-ended questions. The process is well explained to the students and everything is explained in step format, so students understand what they’re to do and what’s required of them.  Students assume a role that allows them to investigate an issue through their views, which makes the students more responsible for their own learning and therefore allows them to construct a deeper understanding of the content.  Plus, it’s something different. Students get to use technology, which they LOVE, and they can go at their own pace.

It really doesn't matter what topic we discuss, as long as it is technology related it has the chance to fail or succeed in the classroom.  However, technology is the greatest tool at our disposal.  Whether it be Word, PowerPoint, WebQuests, Podcasts, etc. as long as you know how to you them properly and effectively, your lessons can always be fresh and engaging!