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A Beginners Guide to Using
WebQuests
A Brief Look at Inquiry Learning
and Getting Started with
WebQuests
Jan Parrott, Piute Mountain School
March 2004
But first we need to tell you
what Inquiry Learning is and
the rationale behind it.
Inquiry Learning is a general term for any
instructional method in which
• The learners begin with a problem or question that
causes them to be curious, puzzled or unsettled.
• The teacher does not provide answers, but instead
provides resources and guides the students through
a discovery process.
• The process is short or long term and involves
further questions, probing and research until the
original problem or question is satisfactorily
resolved.
The Rationale Behind
Inquiry Learning:
• Knowing how to learn is more important than knowing all
the answers.
• Good questions are more important than right answers.
• “The idea of inquiry learning is based on the premise that
there is indeed a „wilderness of mystery‟ to be explored in
all fields and that every school subject represents a
discipline of inquiry in which all students can participate”
(Gunter, et al, p.118).
• The gratification of finding an answer yourself builds
intrinsic motivation to learn more.
The WebQuest Inquiry Model
Bernie Dodge created the
WebQuest model in 1995. “It is an
inquiry-oriented activity in
which most or all of the
information used by the learner
is drawn from the Web”
(Dodge, 1997).
WebQuest are designed to use the
learners time well , to focus on
using information rather than
looking for it, and to support
learners‟ thinking at the level of
analysis, synthesis and
evaluation.
(Dodge,1997)
WebQuests are designed by
educators and put online to
facilitate lessons.
The teacher selects a topic, finds
the resources on the web for the
students to use and creates the
project or lesson and then places
it online.
The students then use these
online resources to complete the
projects. All the online resources
that the students need are linked
and the students do not need to
search the web. This is a big time
saver and the students are not
“free surfing”
The wonderful thing about
placing a WebQuest on the web,
is that other teachers can then use
it. There are currently thousand
of WebQuests on the internet and
many have been evaluated by
other teachers.
You do not need to create your
own to use them. Anyone can use
the available WebQuests.
They are all free to use and you
do not need any software except
a web browser and the internet.
I will show you how you can get started
using WebQuests right away.
Step 1: Become familiar with the
WebQuest concept
• Use the internet to find information about
WebQuests. A good site to use is Bernie
Dodges WebQuest website at
http://webquest.sdsu.edu/
• Try out a WebQuest for teachers.
The WebQuest Design
• There are two types of WebQuests
– A Short term Quest is designed for students to gain
knowledge acquisition and integration and can be
completed in one to three class periods.
– A long term WebQuest extends and refines knowledge
and can take form one week to a month of class
periods. Information is analyzed more in dept and
something is created to show this understanding.
By creating and experimenting
with WebQuests, Bernie Dodge
and Tom March, the original
creators, came up with the
essential parts of the WebQuest
All WebQuests need to contain
these Parts:
• Introduction Each is important
• The Task and has a purpose.
• The Process Check out my
examples on the
• The evaluation following slides:
• Conclusion
• Credits or
References
My Introduction:
• Have you ever been standing somewhere and the
earth started to shake or rumble? Maybe you were
awakened in the middle of the night by a big jolt? You
then realize that it was an earthquake that startled
you. Many students have experienced earthquakes,
but most do not know what caused them. This is a
web quest all about earthquakes. Join us on this
journey to learn about the planet we live on and what
causes it to shake and quake!
The introduction
introduces the
WebQuest and grabs
the students‟ attention.
My Task:
• You are scientists and belong to a group of geophysicists.
The state of California has come to your group and has
asked you to create a guide to earthquakes of California.
This guide will be given to all students who move from other
states to the Golden State. This booklet must contain
sections on:
• What causes earthquakes?
• How often do they occur and why in California?
• What needs to be done to prepare for earthquakes and
how can you stay safe during one?
• You will be using the internet to find information on
earthquakes. You will then create a booklet using the word-
processing or publishing computer program available to
you.
This part gives the
students clear directions
on what the activity or
project will be.
My Process:
• You will be working as a group of three. Each person in your group has a job to do. All
three members will put their information together to create a booklet. Each member will
create one chapter of the booklet. Follow the steps below and get started on your project.
1. Assign a chapter to each member.
2. Use the links below and answer the questions assigned to you. Feel free to find your own
sites.
3. You may paste the questions in to a word-processing program and answer them as you find
the answers.
4. When you find graphics on line you may want to save them as well.
5. When you have all the information you need, edit it into a word-processing or publishing
program and add graphics (do not forget to reference websites you took graphics from).
6. Be creative and do not forget that other students of all ages will be the ones who be using
your earthquake booklets.
7. Put on your finishing touches such as a cover, title page, table of contents and
bibliography.
8. With you group evaluate you booklet using the rubric below(under Evaluation). Edit and
make changes as needed.
• Print out your booklet and turn it in.
The process gives the students the
steps they need to follow to
accomplish the task.
My Evaluation
I created a rubric
to let my
students know
how their project
will be
evaluated.
My Conclusion:
• I hope you enjoyed this Web Quest all about
earthquakes. You should now know what causes
earthquakes, why there are so many in California and
what can be done to protect your self from earthquake
hazards. If you would like to share your completed
booklets with other school districts in California or be
the recipient of earthquake booklets please have your
teacher e-mail me and I will arrange an exchange.
• Thank You,
This summarizes what the
students have learned and
what they accomplished.
My Credits and References
I would like to thank my guides in CU
and all of my fellow classmates online
who help me create this first web
quest. Your support and feedback is
greatly appreciated.
This section lists sources of
images, music or text used in
creating the WebQuest.
Step 2: Chose a California State
standard to focus on and do an
online search
• You can use the WebQuest matrix at this
site http://webquest.sdsu.edu/ or
http://www.bestwebquests.com to find
some good WebQuests
• You may also do your own search at any
search engine such as
http://www.google.com/
Step 3:Find a WebQuest that will
Suit you needs
• Chose one that is appropriate for you grade
level and content standards
• Bookmark sites as you find ones you may
want to use.
Step 4: Chose a California State
standard to focus on and do an
online search
• You can use the WebQuest matrix at this
site http://webquest.sdsu.edu/ to find
some good WebQuests
• You may also do your own search at any
search engine such as
http://www.google.com/
Step 5: Prepare to present it to
your class
• Make sure that you have everything required for
your students to complete the quest.
• You may want to bookmark the WebQuest for
your students or put a shortcut on the computer
desktop.
• Plan the appropriate amount of time needed, be
flexible.
• Check out all the links and make sure they all
work.
Step 3: Students Gather Data and
Information to Solve the Problem.
• Students use the pre-selected sites to gather the
information needed to complete the project.
• Students work in cooperative learning groups to
solve the open-ended problem that has been set up
on the Web Site by the teacher.
• This is a student student centered inquiry learning
• Click on the earth to see the page I developed
( You must be connected to the Internet in order for the link to work.)
The teacher‟s role in this is to answer
technical questions and to guide students to
the tools needed to complete the project.
Step 6: Do it with your students.
• Act as a guide to introduce your students to
their first WebQuest.
• Teach them the needed computer skills to
navigate the world wide web.
• Give them time to work in their cooperative
groups and guide them along.
Students Develop and Verify
their Solution
• Students present their work to the rest of class.
• Because the problem is open-ended, there is no
single solution and every solution is unique.
• Students have had the opportunity to participate in
the process of inquiry, and to discover that many
problems can be solved through this type of
inquiry method.
I can now use the
rubric to assess the
projects my students
created.
Summary of the WebQuest
Model
•WebQuests are a great way for teachers to incorporate
technology into the classroom and there are many
resources online for teachers to use to help them create
and adapt WebQuests.
•Students must work in cooperative groups to solve real
world problems.
•WebQuests give students the opportunity to use
unlimited resources.
•WebQuests can be used and adapted at most grade
levels and subjects.
Comparison of the two Models of Inquiry
Learning
Suchman WebQuest
Long-term
Short term Relies on access to Web
Can be done anytime, and teacher skills.
anywhere Student Research has already been
inquiry done and provided on
Teacher presents the
drives the online.
problem orally or on
learning.
board or paper. Teacher presents the
Teacher- process and problem on
Students gather data by
planned the WebQuest template.
asking yes and no
and
questions. Internet is used as a
initiated.
Teacher has the answers resource.
Teacher
and other resources. Students do all the work in
selects a
Students analyze problem cooperative groups.
effectiveness of their and Outcome is verification of
questions. conducts solution through a final
preliminar product.
y research.
Teacher evaluates final
product.
Now that you have learned more
about WebQuests I have just one
thing to say,
JUST DO IT!
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