Web Quests can be great educational tools in any classroom. I had never really had the opportunity to view and learn about Web Quests until this year, and so far I am sold on the idea of them. While they may take a bit of time to develop, teachers will be able to use the Web Quest over and over again with their students. Web Quests are also not limited to any particular subjects. They may sometimes work better with particular subjects, but teachers can develop one about any subject they choose. Another great thing about them is that they can work well with almost any grade level. The other thing that may be an issue is if students are too young to not properly know how to use the computer. Either way, it is important for the teacher to be sure that the content within the Web Quest is on the appropriate grade level for the students.
One great website to get Web Quest ideas from is QuestGarden.com. The site contains a variety of different Web Quests in different core subjects as well as different grade levels. Most of them are free to use and alter by other teachers. I had the chance to explore the website a bit and to review one Web Quest. The title of it is "The Who and What of Oral Tradition" by Amanda Lloyd of Berrien Middle School. Overall, I am very pleased with how this English subject Web Quest would engage students. The students are given a clear sense of purpose in what they are doing. The instructions are clear and detailed under two different tabs in the Web Quest. The students also have an opportunity to be the "teacher" by the end of the Web Quest in which they will be teaching their peers about their particular topics. The Web Quest also includes a clear rubric in which the students will be graded on. With the rubric attached, the students should know what to expect. There are also questions attached in a conclusion tab in which the students should be able to answer upon completion of the assignment. The aspects of this Web Quest that I did not like were very minor. I am not a big fan of the color choice in this Web Quest. The pink background color is a no go. The color of the hyperlinks are also very hard to see and read. There was also a picture on the front page that did not load. Overall, the information and process included in the Web Quest is great. I would just change a few areas of the overall makeup of the Web Quest.
These are just my thoughts on it. Every teacher/potential teacher has their different opinions on the effectiveness of teaching methods. The website is definitely a worth a look though. It has TONS of example Web Quests for teachers of all subjects and grades!
More information and examples can be found about Web Quests at http://www.questgarden.com/
