WebQuest is an assignment which asks students to use WWW to learn about and synthesis their knowldge of a specific topic.
Critical thinking skills are utilized in a WebQuest to interpret, analyze, evaluate, and draw inferences from the information obtained from Internet resources. By thinking critically during a WebQuest, students are able to:
- Identify the similarities and differences among Internet resources as well as the bias, purpose, and point of view of different web sites.
- Assess the credibility of the information collected, decide what to believe about an issue, and evaluate the beliefs of others.
- Interpret the significance of the information collected and synthesize the information to generate hypotheses, form conclusions, and complete a specific task.
Webquests tend to be student-oriented and collaborative, with students engaged in constructivist activities resulting in shared learning experiences and new knowledge based on enquiry-oriented language use and Web research skills.
Cooperative learning is another essential aspect of WebQuests since WebQuests encourage students to take ownership of their learning and use a collaborative process of discovery to facilitate the learning that is taking place. Cooperative learning fosters a communal learning environment, allowing for constant comprehension checks and ample opportunities for exchange of ideas.
Project-based learning (PBL),is one of the enduring approaches to education that supports the use of webquests, is focused on the learner constructing meaning and knowledge from an assigned activity.
When it is used fully, WebQuests can promote reflection, collaboration, cooperation, open minded thinking, multiculturalism, critical thinking, problem solving and an interdisciplinary approach.
