Inquiry:
Guided Research and WebQuests


Introduction

The inquiry process involves seeking information by questioning. It implies that learning leads to understanding by utilizing skills and attitudes that allow learners to seek resolution to questions and issues while constructing new knowledge. Further, critical inquiry involves seeking a variety of resources and assessing the authenticity of those resources as well as evaluating them to assess their appropriateness for a given task.   Using media as inquiry, consider focusing on questioning techniques, as well as ways that inquiry-based learning really pushes students to understand the cognitive levels of authentic learning.

 

 

The Technologies

 

(1)   WebQuests A WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented activity in which most or all of the information used by learners is drawn from the Web. WebQuests are designed to use learners' time well, to focus on using information rather than looking for it, and to support learners' thinking at the levels of analysis, synthesis and evaluation.                                                   
(taken from  http://webquest.sdsu.edu/overview.htm)

(2)   Research:  Inquiry based learning/research is a lot like WebQuests but the difference is that the resources on not pre-identified by teachers.  Students need to ask meaningful questions, and most importantly, learn to verify their research through a variety of sources. Like Web Quests, students interpret their research and present it in a meaningful format.  Learning how to find, assess and evaluate web resources is an important aspect of this type of inquiry-based learning.   Be sure to include strategies and/or examples of tools that students can use to evaluate web resources.

Resources

WebQuest.org website includes news, articles, and WebQuests
http://webquest.org/

Inquiry-Based Lesson plans                                       
http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/

The WebQuest page by Bernie Dodge                                 
http://webquest.sdsu.edu/

 

WebQuests for Learning

http://www.ozline.com/webquests/intro.html

 

A collection of WebQuests

http://www.techtrekers.com/webquests/

 

Inquiry Based Learning 
http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/month6/