Nguyễn Thị Việt Hà
English Lecturer
Tôn Đức Thắng University
WEBQUEST
A STUDENT-CENTERED METHOD
Contents
1. What is a WebQuest?
2. The first WebQuest
3. Why is WebQuest a Student-centered method?
4. Critical attributes
4.1. Introduction
4.2. Task
4.3. Process
4.4. Evaluation
4.5. Conclusion
5. Useful advice
6. Writing your own WebQuest
7. Conclusion
responsible
use of
Internet
motivating
force
holding
learners'
attention
WEBQUESTS
1. What is a WebQuest?
 In 1995, WebQuests developed by Bernie Dodge
and Tom March at San Diego State University
Internet
•
•
•
•
scaffolding
authentic learning
critical thinking
cooperation
 Currently, hundreds of WebQuests in all subjects
and levels
1. What is a WebQuest?
 WebQuest is “an inquiry-oriented activity in
which some or all of the information that
students interact with comes from resources
on the Internet.”
(Schrock, 1996)
1. What is a WebQuest?
 Types of WebQuests:
 long-term
 short-term
2. The first WebQuest
 1995: Bernie Dodge and Tom March of San
Diego State University
 A WebQuest generally consists of these
following attributes:
 Introduction
 Task
 Process
 Evaluation
 Conclusion
3. Why is WebQuest a
Student-centered method?
 What is Student-centered method?
 Chart 1. Teacher-centered vs. Learner-
centered paradigms (Allen, 2004)
 Chart 2. Comparison of Teacher-centered and
Learner-centered paradigms (Huba and
Freed, 2000)
TEACHING-CENTERED versus LEARNING-CENTERED instruction
Concept
Teacher-Centered
Learner-Centered
Teaching
goals
• Cover the discipline
How
students
learn
• Listening
• Reading
• Independent learning, often in
competition for grades
• Based on delivery of
information
• Lecture
• Assignments and exams for
summative purposes
Pedagogy
Course
delivery
Effective
teaching
• Students learn:
o How to use the discipline
o How to integrate disciplines to solve complex problems
o An array of core learning objectives such as
communication and information, literacy skills
• Students construct knowledge by integrating new
learning into what they already know
• Learning is viewed as a cognitive and social act
• Based on engagement of students
• Active learning
• Assignments for formative purposes
• Collaborative learning
• Community service learning
• Cooperative learning
• Online, asynchronous, self-directed learning
• Problem-based learning
• Teach (present information)
• Engage students in their learning
well and those who can will learn • Help all students master learning objectives
• Use classroom assessment to improve courses
• Use program assessment to improve programs
Teacher-Centered Paradigm
Learner-Centered Paradigm
Knowledge is transmitted from
professor to students
Students construct knowledge through gathering and synthesizing
information and integrating it with the general skills of inquiry,
communication, critical thinking, problem solving and so on
Students passively receive information Students are actively involved
Emphasis is on acquisition of
knowledge outside the context in
which it will be used
Professor’s role is to be primary
information giver and primary
evaluator
Teaching and assessing are separate
Emphasis is on using and communicating knowledge
effectively to address enduring and emerging issues and problems
in real-life contexts
Professor’s role is to coach and facilitate
Professor and students evaluate learning together
Assessment is used to monitor
learning
Emphasis is on right answers
Assessment is used to promote and diagnose learning
Desired learning is assessed indirectly
through the use of objectively scored
tests
Focus is on a single discipline
Culture is competitive and
individualistic
Teaching and assessing are intertwined
Emphasis is on generating better questions and learning from
errors
Desired learning is assessed directly through papers, projects,
performances, portfolios, and the like
Approach is compatible with interdisciplinary investigation
Culture is cooperative, collaborative, and supportive
3. Why is WebQuest a
Student-centered method?
 Foundation: constructivist philosophy
 scaffolding: valid websites  quality time
 collaboration: share, negotiate, and discuss
opinions  reach a common aim
Learn
Understand
Apply to
the Task
3. Why is WebQuest a
Student-centered method?
 Cognitive practices  1 integrated activity
 problem solving: motivation, scaffolding,
technology integration, authenticity,
cooperative learning process
 thinking skills (Schrock, 1996)
 higher-order thinking (Bloom’s learning
objectives)
 ACQUISITION
3. Why is WebQuest a
Student-centered method?
 WebQuest is “a scaffolding structure that
encourages student motivation and
facilitates advanced thinking with
integration of an enriched learning
resources”
(March, 2007)
4. Critical attributes
4.1. Introduction
4.2. Task
4.3. Process
4.4. Evaluation
4.5. Conclusion
4.1. Introduction
 hook students' interest
 give preparation
 open-ended question or problem: based on
students' prior knowledge
 set the stage for further investigation &
exploration
 scenarios of the introduction:
 evaluating history
 bringing contemporary world problems into the
classroom
 creating products
 dealing with life's realities
 sparking students' imaginations
4.2. Task
 'doable' & interesting activities
 go beyond copying and pasting information
 Higher-order thinking skills: inducing,
deducing, comparing, classifying, analyzing,
building meaning-construction, synthesizing
from multiple sources of data, going beyond
data to make generalizations, etc.
 Formulating questions: challenging
4.3. Process
 given step-by-step guidelines: well-written and clear-cut
 learners' quality time  concentrate on using the
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



information, not seeking
suggest useful ways to use time efficiently, assign roles,
collect and analyzing data, using appropriate tools, etc.
even set deadlines
provide strategies
Links: pertinent, appropriate, of high-quality
Relevant materials: reference books, texts, places,
videotapes, and people
interview friends, teachers, parents, go to the school
library, a museum or a store, etc.
4.3. Process
 maximise the search engines
 a list of keywords and statements
 Google:
 In URL (htm|html|php), entitle: "index of" + "last






modified" + "parent directory" + description + size +
(doc|pdf)
E.g. searching all doc or pdf files for TOEFL material
Ask time: “what time is it Ho Chi Minh City”
Track flight status: “Jetstar Flight 502”
Metrics and conversion: “seconds in a year”, “5 euro in
us dollars”, “cm in inches”
Adding a tilde (~) to a search term will return related
terms: “~IELTS”
Use some specific terms: “better than”, “and”, “or”,
etc.
4.4. Evaluation
 checklist or rubric
 Criteria: clearly described, measurable, and
authentic
 illustrate precisely what learners have to do
to succeed
4.5. Conclusion
 Bring closure
 Extend
 Get feedback
5. Useful advice
(Benjamin, 2003)
 Align with your state standards in one or more subject areas,

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including technology
Demonstrate higher order thinking skills, including analysis,
synthesis, and evaluation
Be multidisciplinary (including technology)
Allow for collaborative tasks and for individual work. This
might include the exchange of email with experts in the field
of study.
Provide for a demonstrable outcome
Have a culminating activity
Be able to adapt itself to team teaching if this is one of your
goals
Demonstrate the use of various low level and high level
technologies
5. Useful advice
(Benjamin, 2003)
 Use more than one piece of software with a short learning

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curve just in case students have not used it before
Be curriculum specific
Provide self, peer, and teacher assessment rubrics that are
clear and objective
Provide for self, peer, and teacher evaluation that will allow
reflection on what has been learned, the process, and the
outcome
Engage the student through different roles that can be played
Provide a variety of activities for students with multiple
intelligences
Provide a variety of activities to accommodate different
learning styles
Give clear directions
5. Useful advice
(Benjamin, 2003)
 Require some pre-knowledge, i.e. the WebQuest requires that

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
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the student be familiar with some of the material
Be visually attractive
Incorporate graphics and sounds
Be free of cultural and gender bias
Allow the teacher to take on the role of facilitator; it should let
the students "do"
Require some off line tasks just in case of down time or inability
to access the Internet
Appeal to the students' sense of natural curiosity
Allow extension to the home so that parents and others can get
involved
Allow for adaptation and extended activities to challenge all
learners
5. Useful advice
 Find great sites
FOCUS
(Dodge, 2001)
 Use the medium
 Master a search engine
 People
 Probe the deep Web
 Conversation
 Don’t lose what you find
 Selective glitz
 Orchestrate your learners
 Scaffold high expectations
and resources
 Reception
 Organizing resources
 Transformation
 Organizing people
 Production
 Challenge your learners to
think
 Taking your learners to task
 Design
 Journalistic tasks
 Persuasion amid controversy
6. Writing your own WebQuest
 collaborate with colleagues  combine
curricular goals and extension learning
beyond classroom
 Consider:
 background information
 Interest
 Schemata
 reading proficiency and skills
6. Writing your own WebQuest
Schrock (1996):
1. Choose your WebQuest wisely
2. Gauge student technology proficiency
3. Determine prior knowledge/content understanding
4. Assess the availability of computers
5. Have a backup plan
6. Maximize class time on the computer
7. Clarify student roles
8. Continue working even after computer time is over
9. Make assessment clear to students
10. Be excited about the possibilities
6. Writing your own WebQuest
 "the more meaningful, the more deeply or elaboratively
processed, the more situated in content, and the more
rooted in cultural, background, metacognitive, and
personal knowledge an event is, the more readily it is
understood, learned, and remembered" (WebQuest)
 "putting a WebQuest together is not much different from
creating any kind of lesson. It requires getting your
learners oriented, giving them an interesting and doable
task, giving them the resources they need and guidance
to complete the task, telling them how they'll be
evaluated, and then summarizing and extending the
lesson" (Johnson & Zufall, 2004)
6. Writing your own WebQuest
 Work in groups of five and design a
WebQuest for your students on a favourite
topic
7. Conclusion
 The Internet: inspire the imagination, solve the problem





& encourage discussion
 nurture students’ critical thinking skills
incorporate WebQuests into the syllabus: authentic
environment, ‘invigorate a curriculum’ & ‘enliven a class’
WebQuests: maximize teachers and students’ creativity
& productivity
5 key elements: Introduction, Task, Process, Evaluation,
and Conclusion
‘learning can and should be fun’ (Benjamin, 2003)
Teachers = facilitator  promote student-centered
paradigm
References
 Allen (2004). Assessing Academic Programs in Higher Education.
Retrieved July 2nd, 2013, from
http://assessment.uconn.edu/docs/TeacherCenteredVsLearnerCe
nteredParadigms.pdf
 Benjamin, J. Y. (2003). A Checklist for Evaluating WebQuests.
Retrieved July 2nd, 2013, from http://www.techlearning.com/fromthe-classroom/0015/a-checklist-for-evaluatingwebquests/41271#sthash.OTZH2GMJ.dpuf
 Bloom's Taxonomy. Retrieved July 2nd, 2013, from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloom%27s_Taxonomy
 Dodge, B. (2001, May). FOCUS - Five Rules for Writing a great
WebQuest - Learning & Leading with Technology. ISTE
(International Society for Technology in Education), 28(8), 6-9+58.
References
 Huba & Freed (2000). Learner-Centered Assessment on
College Campuses. Retrieved July 2nd, 2013, from
http://assessment.uconn.edu/docs/TeacherCenteredVsLear
nerCenteredParadigms.pdf
 Johnson, D., Johnson, R. & Holubec, E. (1998). Integrating
New Technologies into the Methods of Education. In Time.
Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Retrieved July 2nd, 2013, from
http://www.intime.uni.edu/coop_learning/ch9/default.htm
 Johnson, D., Johnson, R. & Holubec, E. (1998). Cooperation
in the classroom. In Time. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Retrieved July 2nd, 2013, from
http://www.intime.uni.edu/coop_learning/ch9/default.htm
 Johnson, D., & Zufall, L. (2004, March/April). Web watch –
Not just for kids anymore: WebQuests for professional
development. Reading Online, 7(5). Retrieved May 22nd,
2013, from
http://www.readingonline.org/electronic/elec_index.asp?H
REF=webwatch/webquests/index.html
References
 March, T. (2007). Revisiting WebQuests in a Web 2
World. How developments in technology and
pedagogy combine to scaffold personal learning.
Interactive Educational Multimedia, 15, 1-17.
Retrieved July 2nd, 2013, from
http://www.ub.edu/multimedia/iem
 Putranto, B. P. D. (2012), Using ICT to Teach English Towards Learner-centered Learning, Training for
English Teacher, MDIS Tashkent.
 Schrock, K. (1996). WebQuests in our Future -The
Teacher’s Role in Cyberspace. Retrieved July 2nd, 2013,
from http://kathyschrock.net/slideshows.htm
References
 Strickland, J. (2005). Using webquests to teach content:
Comparing instructional strategies. Contemporary Issues
in Technology and Teacher Education, 5(2), 138-148.
 WebQuest. Retrieved July 12th, 2013, from
http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/webquest
 Winn, K., Money, A., Henderson, K., & Flores, A. A Day in
the Life of a Student in the United Kingdom. Retrieved July
2nd, 2013, from
http://zunal.com/webquest.php?w=153664
 Yoder, M. B. (1999, April). The Student WebQuest: A
Productive and Thought-Provoking Use of the Internet.
Learning and Leading with Technology, 26(7), 6-9.
Thanks for your attention!
2. Why is WebQuest a
Student-centered method?
Build up these following thinking skills
(Schrock, 1996):
 Comparing
 Classifying
 Inducing
 Deducing
 Analyzing errors
 Constructing support
 Abstraction
 Analyzing perspectives
2. Why is WebQuest a Studentcentered method?
Bloom’s taxonomy
(1956)
Evaluate
Synthesize
Analyze
Apply
Understand
Remember
Evaluating history
 Topic: wars, major tragedies, disasters, or
periods of exploration
 Task: teachers challenge students to imagine
themselves as eyewitnesses
 E.g. WebQuests on the Civil War, the sinking
of the Titanic, the Great Depression, and a
range of historic voyages from Noah's Ark to
Apollo 7
Bringing contemporary world
problems into the classroom
 Topic: environmental, political, or sociological
issues
 Task: Students are given a real problem, one
that currently troubles a local or the world's
population.
 E.g. WebQuests on polluted rivers, human
rights, endangered animals
Creating a product
 Topic: anything from whales to Bach, to the
first printing press
 Task: creation of concrete items
 E.g. WebQuests on images of murals or
flower beds, multimedia productions, or
menus for multicultural dinners
Dealing with life's
realities
 Task: something a student might actually
encounter
 Resources: online employment pages, airline
schedules, and money-exchange charts
 E.g. WebQuests on finding a job, buying a car,
traveling to another city or country
Sparking the imagination
 Topic: a trip through outer space, a journey
back in time, a visit to the ocean's bottom, or
a journey through the human body
 Students might be given superpowers such as
the ability to fly or to become invisible. They
may have time machines or submarines