Teaching Tools for the Classroom

Student WebQuests

On-line and real-life project-based learning for students using our web site and other selected sources.

We are pleased to offer these learning activities in cooperation with the Canadian Association for School Health (CASH). Review the list of webquests that www.sexualityandu.ca has developed for students and teachers with the support our sponsors.

Webquests are a great way for teachers to make use of this web site because many of the best features of this site are woven into these webquests.

A Webquest is an inquiry-based, group learning activity that motivates students to use the Internet to learn about an issue and to apply or demonstrate that new knowledge through an assigned set of activities such as research reports, writing letters to designated agencies, conducting class/school surveys, setting personal health goals, interviewing experts, evaluating their own health and preparing materials such as posters and displays for school-based activities.

Webquests use web-based resources and information but are also take the learner into the real world through assigned project activities. Through their careful design and structured tasks, webquests prevent students from being distracted while they are on the web. Webquests are geared to specific learning outcomes found in most Canadian curricula (and there is a handy link to Canadian curriculum documents). Student work is evaluated through rubrics (specific criteria) designed specifically for and linked to each webquest.

Short term webquests usually involve a student or pair of students for an hour or two in analyzing and summarizing information. A medium term webquest involves a group of students in several hours of work, with two or three assignments being required, such as preparing a poster or editorial. A long-term Web Quest can last up to a month and can involve several students, even the whole class in doing a major task such a school awareness campaign or preparing a student web site. Often such project activity can be used by the students towards their community service learning credits, a requirement for graduation in many provinces and territories.

Learn more about webquests by reading this summary. You can even publish your own webquest for your students by using the template on the CASH web site.

Last Modified: September 5, 2006