“The purpose of a WebQuest ist learning, not teaching” (statement of a fellow student in class on May 15th)

What does that mean?

Working on a WebQuest basically means that pupils learn on their own while guided by a teacher’s WebQuest. Pupils are not exposed to a traditonal class room situation where they mostly listen to what the teacher teaches them but they find themselves in a process of learning autonomously.

Positive aspects of WebQuests

  • Internet is often seen as more interesting
  • Pupils learn to work and do research online
  • Pupils are active
  • Often, group work and self-contained learning skills are trained
  • They work autonomously and in their own speed
  • Pupils work on an authentic and often current topic
  • WebQuest can be designed individually
  • Result of work can be presented online

Risks of WebQuests

  • Risk of using only online sources and forgetting about traditional media (books, newspapers)
  • Online sources are not always trustworthy, at what age can pupils judge them?
  • WebQuests might be difficult to grade
  • Pupils spend a lot of time online and often get distracted
  • Differentiating levels of computer skills