Why WebQuests

A WebQuest is defined, by Bernie Dodge at San Diego State University, as "an inquiry-oriented activity in which some or all of the information that learners interact with comes from resources on the Internet."

WebQuests may be described as inquiry-centered or problem-centered learning or simply as activities that provide students the freedom to learn by accessing multiple resources. However they are characterized, WebQuests are reflective, adaptable, and dynamic. They provide teachers with the opportunity to integrate Internet technology into the course curriculum by allowing students to experience learning as they construct their perceptions, beliefs, and values out of their experiences.

WebQuests can be especially useful for teachers who are novices in the area of technology or in a new curriculum in that they offer prepackaged, self-contained lessons ready for implementation. The WebQuest site contains lessons, rubrics, and teaching tips. In this way, WebQuests allow the teacher to make an easier transition into using Internet technology with minimal stress and help new teachers begin to organize their teaching away from lecture and more on student discovery of knowledge.