Let's Go on a WebQuest

Sometimes, as tutors and as parents, we have the tendency to vilify the Internet. "Stop wasting so much time on the computer," we might tell our students. In many cases, though, this is the wrong thing to say. While it's true that students can get distracted by playing games or watching videos online, it's also true that the Internet is a powerful learning tool — and a powerful teaching tool. In the mid-1990s, researchers at San Diego State University developed a highly adaptable online teaching mechanism called a WebQuest. Not only do WebQuests work wonderfully in the traditional classroom, but they also make a great addition to nearly any tutoring repertoire.

At its most basic level, a WebQuest is a lesson that gives students support as they develop research skills. WebQuests are frequently utilized in differentiated-learning environments, as the levels of support can be increased for students who need additional help and, conversely, decreased for students who are working above their grade level. A tutor can create a WebQuest for a student on nearly any topic although science and social studies lessons can make for particularly robust WebQuests. For example, if a student is studying the plant and animal kingdoms, a WebQuest could require him to name the levels of taxonomy and to share interesting facts about certain members of each species. A more structured WebQuest would provide clues about where to look, while a less structured WebQuest would leave it up to the student to choose the appropriate sources.

Teachers across the nation have been using WebQuests, with great results and plenty of student engagement. Below are a few of my favorites from around the Web.

The Copacabana Restaurant: This WebQuest combines a nutrition lesson with plenty of practice for English Language Learners. Students are asked to search the Web — and to interact with one another — in designing a menu for the fictitious Copacabana Restaurant.

Space Science Academy: Students must develop an experiment that will be taken aboard a shuttle mission. Then, they must defend their experiment to a group of laypeople who also happen to be the project's financial backers. This WebQuest provides great experience in "translating science" into everyday language.

Students United for Humanity: In this WebQuest, students learn about the United Nations' humanitarian policies, and think of ways to make sure that their student body is treated as fairly and respectfully as possible.

Interested in hiring a tutor who can help to develop an individualized WebQuest for your child? Check out the many qualified instructors here.