{"id":1264,"date":"2021-01-27T05:38:53","date_gmt":"2021-01-27T05:38:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/educationaltechnology.net\/?p=1264"},"modified":"2021-01-27T05:38:53","modified_gmt":"2021-01-27T05:38:53","slug":"webquest-an-inquiry-oriented-approach-in-learning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/educationaltechnology.net\/webquest-an-inquiry-oriented-approach-in-learning\/","title":{"rendered":"WebQuest: An Inquiry-oriented Approach in Learning"},"content":{"rendered":"

The rise in online learning<\/a> brings renewed interest in WebQuests. As an authentic, scaffolded, and inquiry-based activity, a WebQuest is an educational superstar. It utilizes essential resources and captures the attention of the students. Not only are students able to reflect on their own learning, but they also develop a richer understanding between topics.<\/p>\n

\"Bernie<\/a>
Dr. Bernie Dodge<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The origins of WebQuest can be traced all the way back to 1995, when Bernie Dodge, a professor at San Diego State University, dreamed of using the newly accessible Internet as a tool in education. He thought that students could research ideas online in order to solve problems<\/a> by summarizing the information found. WebQuest is treated as \u201can inquiry-oriented activity in which some or all of the information that learners interact with comes from resources on the Internet, optionally supplemented with videoconferencing\u201d (Dodge, 1997). He believed that they would need to follow six modules in order for this technological application to be successful: Introduction, Task, Resources, Process, Evaluation, and Conclusion<\/strong>. The instructor will first present the topic (Introduction) while providing details of the activities to be completed by the students (Task). Then, web links will be provided to ensure that all information is accurate and reliable (Resources), and the instructor will list the steps to complete the task successfully (Process). Finally, instructors provide a rubric to evaluate a student\u2019s performance on the task (Evaluation), and the outcomes are summarized after everyone reflects on their learning journey (Conclusion).\u00a0As March (2004) put it:<\/p>\n

A WebQuest is a scaffolded learning<\/a> structure that uses links to essential resources on the World Wide Web and an authentic task to motivate students\u2019 investigation of a central, open-ended question, development of individual expertise and participation in a final group process that attempts to transform newly acquired information into a more sophisticated understanding. The best WebQuests do this in a way that inspires students to see richer thematic relationships, facilitate a contribution to the real world of learning and reflect on their own metacognitive processes (p. 2).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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See also: Teaching with Blogs<\/a><\/p>\n

WebQuest Types<\/h2>\n

This process can be lengthy, so Dodge classified WebQuests into two levels: long-term and short-term WebQuests.<\/p>\n

Long-term WebQuests can be used for:<\/p>\n