What is a WQ? Overview - What is a WebQuest? WebQuest Direct - The world's largest searchable directory of reviewed WebQuests

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WebQuests are activities, using Internet resources, which encourage students to use higher order thinking skills. WebQuests are effectively higher order learning tools.
Teachers around the world are making WebQuests for their own classes as well as to share.
Students of all ages and grades can use WebQuests.
Most, if not all, of the information used in WebQuests is drawn from the Internet.
Students are provided with online resources and are asked to use this information constructively rather than just cutting and pasting material into an assignment or project.
By eliminating the need to search or hunt for information the student is given more time to analyse, criticise and assess the information they find.
WebQuests are inquiry-oriented activities designed to make the most of the student's time.
Most schools cannot afford the time or resources required to allow students to search the Internet without a clear purpose in mind, and there is doubtful educational benefit in doing so. WebQuests allow students to use the Internet without the arduous task of filtering through the mountains of information contained within it. Teachers have done this work already!
Great WebQuests direct students to not only search for information but to debate, discuss or defend a particular stance with classmates.

WebQuests are designed:

From the perspective of student/learner
As coherent and relevant units - either as short term lessons (a few days/lessons) to long term projects
With a whole to part organisation
With the teacher as facilitator
With learning through the active construction of meaning
For flexible environments, and
To support learners' thinking at the levels of analysis, synthesis and evaluation.

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To learn more about WebQuests, here is an extensive list of articles.

Essential Components

There are six essential components of a WebQuest that are used to structure the activity and organise students. They are:

1. Introduction
An introduction that draws the learners attention to the topic and inspires them into action.

2. Task
A task that is drawn from the introduction and sets out the goal. It is the most important aspect of the WebQuest. There is often a Focus Question that defines the task.

3. Resources
Resources that are necessary for the task, most of which will be Internet links.

4. Process
A description of the process the learners should go through in accomplishing the task. The process will often be broken up into clearly described steps and may designate roles or duties to the learners.

5. Evaluation
An evaluation is the guidelines for how students will be assessed. It is usually in a Rubric. Evaluation rubrics come in many forms and rubrics designed by the teacher are the most authentic.

6. Conclusion
A conclusion brings closure to the quest, addresses the answering of the Focus Question, and possibly challenges the learner to act upon what they have achieved.