WebQuests and Wikis – Engagement in Engineering Education

To enhance students’ learning experiences by integrating computer technology to keep track of learning skill development in online formats.

WebQuests and wikis are inquiry-based, online learning activities that require learners to interact with internet resources.

inquiry-based, constructivist, problem-based

WebQuest is an alternative option for traditional online learning platforms as a means for interdisciplinary integration.
WebQuests promote high-level thinking and problem-solving skills. In WebQuests, students construct knowledge through acquisition and integration in a guided manner. WebQuests, as inquiry-based activities, require students to seek answers to relevant and important questions.
WebQuests can also be designed to apply content within a single discipline or with an interdisciplinary approach, connecting content to other material in a substantial manner.

WebQuests may be short term or long term. A short-term WebQuest can be completed in less than a week, while a longer-term WebQuest can take anywhere from one to four weeks. Usually, the task requires students to develop a product or answer the questions that can be presented publicly. They can be used in conjunction with Mini-Projects.
The task, which is the most important part of the WebQuest, directs students’ attention to the activity’s goal. Tasks should be manageable, engaging, and promote the integration of knowledge. The task could be designed to be completed by an individual or a small group. It is critical that students are familiar with some of the terminology they will encounter while conducting their searches, so the ‘‘resource’’ section should be provided if necessary.
A WebQuest has six components: (1) an introduction to capture student interest; (2) a description of the task(s) that learners will complete; (3) the process, broken down into steps that learners will follow to complete the task(s); (4) the information sources required to complete the task(s); (5) an evaluation guideline that informs students of how their work will be graded (often in rubric form); and (6) conclusion. The guided tasks should be suitable for meeting the learning objectives and interdisciplinary applications.
Teachers should be aware that designing and implementing WebQuests has some specific requirements, so background knowledge or guidelines should be provided.