QuestGarden - Where Great WebQuests Grow

Overview

• The introduction of QuestGarden below is 'borrowed' from the website: http://questgarden.com/author/overview.php [Accessed on 26/02/2011] I hope it can help you to gain a better comprehension.

• QuestGarden is an online authoring tool, community and hosting service that is designed to make it easier and quicker to create a high quality WebQuest. No knowledge of web editing or uploading is required. Prompts, guides and examples are provided for each step of the process. Images, worksheets and other documents can easily be attached or embedded in the WebQuest, and users have complete control over the appearance of the final lesson.

• QuestGarden is modeled after a community garden with all the resources needed to bring great WebQuests to life. Users are encouraged to comment on each others' work, to share links and images, and to build new WebQuests on existing ones. Rather than starting from scratch, users can bring a WebQuest written by another member of the community into their workspace, modify the content or appearance to suit their needs, and use it with their own students.  

• Attribution to the first author is maintained, and authors are notified when another member of the community makes an improved or modified version of their work.

Why is it Good?

1. As mentioned before, as an online tool, QuestGarden can help people to produce great WebQuests with high quality.
2. By using this tool, teachers can adapt any WebQuest to meet his or her own teaching context.
3. QuestGarden provides learners and teachers with various patterns to  help them create their own  WebQuests.
4. This tool is not difficult to learn and use, so it is very convenient for learners to use.
5. Task-based teaching methods can be greatly illustrated by  WebQuests on QuestGarden. 

How to apply it in class?

• Based on one sample of the pattern 'Travel Plan', I created a WebQuest called 'Travelling in UK' myself, with the purpose of improving students' ability of doing research and teamwork in the process of preparing their group presentations. Below is the quick shoot of the WebQuest.

• As the task I designed needs a great deal of online research, I panned to take at least 3 lessons for students to do it.
• In the first lesson, teacher can introduce the task to Ss and help them to solve any questions referring to the task. If time permitted, teachers can also help Ss decide group members.
• In the second lesson, teacher need help Ss check the progress of their research and preparation, and give further instructions on preparation for the next class.
• In the final lesson, the entire class time should give Ss for their presentations.
• It was the first time for me to make a WebQuest, so it may not that ideal and perfect. In my opinion, this attempt help learners to improve their ability of doing research and giving presentations at least.

Shortcomings

1. Either WebQuest or QuestGarden, Internet access is required.
2. As most tasks are not that easy, Ss with high level of proficiency is needed.
3. Not only creating a WebQuest, but accomplishing one is time consuming.