The purpose of the Introduction section of a WebQuest is two fold: first, it's to orient the
learner as to what is coming. Secondly, it should raise some interest in the learner through a
variety of means. It can do this by making the topic seem...

    relevant to the learner's past experience
    relevant to the learner's future goals
    attractive, visually interesting
    important because of its global implications
    urgent, because of the need for a timely solution
    fun, because the learner will be playing a role or making something

Task

The Task block in a WebQuest is a description of what the learner will have done at the end of the exercise.  It could be a product, like a HyperStudio stack or PowerPoint presentation, or it might be a verbal act, such as being able to explain a specific topic.

Process

The Process block in a WebQuest where the teacher suggests the steps that learners should go through in completing the task. It may include strategies for dividing the task into subtasks, descriptions of roles to be played or perpectives to be taken by each learner.

The instructor can also use this place to provide learning advice and interpersonal process advice,  such as how to conduct a brainstorming session.

Resources

The Resources block in a WebQuest is a list of web pages which the instructor has located that will help the learner accomplish the task. The Resources are pre-selected so that learners can focus their attention on the topic rather than surfing aimlessly.

It's important to note that resources for the students are not restricted to those found on the web.

Very often, it makes sense to divide the list of resources so that some are examined by
everyone in the class, while others are read by subsets of learners who are playing a specific role or taking a particular perspective. By giving separate data sources to learners, you ensure the interdependence of the group and give the learners an incentive to teach each other what they've learned.
 
 

Evaluation

Clearly, if we're going to justify the expense of using the web for learning, we need to be able to measure results. Since the learning we're looking for is at the loftier reaches of Bloom's Taxonomy, we can't gauge it (readily) with a multiple-choice test. An evaluation rubric is called for. Evaluation rubrics would take a different form depending on the kind of task given to the learner.

Conclusion

The Conclusion section of a WebQuest provides an opportunity to summarize the
experience, to encourage reflection about the process, to extend and generalize what was
learned, or some combination of these. It's not a critically important piece, but it rounds out the document and provides that reader with a sense of closure.

One good use for the conclusion section is to suggest questions that a teacher might use in whole class discussion to debrief a lesson.
 
 

Samples

Try out “A WebQuest About WebQuests” (http://edweb.sdsu.edu/webquest/webquestwebquest-hs.html).  Notice the parts of the WebQuest and how they support student learning.

Take a look at several completed WebQuests in your subject area/grade level (http://edweb.sdsu.edu/webquest/matrix.html).  Look for purpose, scaffolding, evidence of student learning, clarity, etc.

Return to WICSD WebQuest Page