Web Quest Thoughts

For me, web quests provide students with an opportunity to research and explore a topic on their own, with minimal guidance (in the form of websites and guiding questions) from the teacher. Web quests also allow for the possibility of collaborative work and a project based assessment at the end. Ideally, after introducing students to web quests and having them complete a few, it would be great to have students create their own web quests and have their classmates complete them. Student created web quests would really demonstrate student understanding of technology and the purpose of a web quest.

I do not think that a web quest is a "mind tool." For me a mind tool helps students make connections and understandings in an organized way unique to the student. I view the web quest as an activity to explore a particular topic on their own. Connections and understandings might be a by product of the web quest, but it doesn't fall into my definition of a "mind tool."

I do not believe that web quests stray to far away from traditional classroom settings. The use of a web quest does not alone make a teacher progressive versus traditional. Using a web quest as one of many methods and approaches makes a teacher progressive. Does a web quest allow students to learn information from something other than a chalkboard? Yes. But that is assuming our definition of a traditional classroom setting is students sitting in rows, with notebooks out, while the teacher writes notes on the board.

Web quests are fun for students, but they are not this great method of teaching. What makes a web quest worth doing is with students is the fact that they are in charge. They are exploring. They are researching information. They are creating a project. When students take ownership of they learning, they typically learn better and take an interest in school.