Evaluation

= **Evaluation** = ==**This phase presents formative evaluation for the webquest online activity. It includes an evaluation plan, Data collection and analysis of qualitative findings using the Critical Discourse Analysis(CDA). Lastly, it draws a conclusion from the insights highlighted in the Qualitative findings.After the design ideas are fully developed and enacted, small group evaluations can take place in which the developer tries out the learning with learners to collect data across several authentic perspectives( Dabbagh& Ritland,2005:154).** ==

Evaluation plan
==Evaluation is the process used to judge the 'worthwhileness' of something in order to make informed decisions.( Clark,2000 cited by Dabbagh&Bannan -Ritland, 2005). For the case of the webquest prototype activity,a formative evaluation was used to establish its worth and usability.The formative evaluation is characterized as a judgment of the strengths and weaknesses of the instruction in its developing stages for the purposes of revisiting the instruction to improve its effectiveness(Tessmer cited in Dabbagh & Bannan-Ritland 2005:257). The formative evaluation was carried out with two sampled case study history education students and a history education content expert. ==

==Two case study students and a colleague(content expert) were purposively selected to provide feed back about the history education webquest prototype Using webquests in History education == ==The sampled case study students were drawn from those offering history education in the SOE, MU.These were purposively selected because they each had easy access to a computer, held accounts on the social networks, twitter and face book, had an email address and had used the internet for research to accomplish their course work assignments.The history content expert was chosen because she has done extensive research on 'approaches to history teaching.' I wanted her to establish the possibility of integrating webquests in the teaching and learning of History Education. == ==The first step, i took was to arrange an informal meeting with the case study students during which i introduced the idea of a webquest them. This was done to orientatiate the respondents to the webquest activity as they had had no prior experience of using it before.The second step was to take them through the details highlighted in the webquest and how to go about the task in the activity.I then requested the respondents to ask questions just in case they needed any clarification about the webquest task set ahead of them.Lastly, i dispersed them and informed them that i would send the webquest task as an attachment to the emails and they would come back after one week for the face to face interview.They were requested to follow all instructions highlighted in the webquest activity.The respondents were given a period of one week to accomplish the assigned task and also advised to consult the lecturer and each other in case they got confused in the process of accomplishing the task. Their responses were; [|Students responses] ==

==For triangulation purposes, another meeting was arranged with a colleague(peer) who is a content expert in history the education unit. During the meeting, I introduced the peer to my e-portfolio just to provide her with an indepth understanding of the webquest prototype activity.The webquest prototype was introduced to the peer and she was guided through the process of creating a webquest. She was told to click on the hyperlinks provided and try to attempt the questions highlighted in the webquest activity. Finally the peer was requested to provide comment about prototype webquest.Highlighting the opportunities, challenges and suggest ways in which the webquest can be improved to enhance the teaching and learning process in the history education unit,SOE,MU. ==

Data collection and Analysis
==For collection of data, the Qualitative methods;face to face interviews were used to gather data because interviews save time and provide in depth information that may not be easily obtained from other instruments like questionnaires. The interview session with was recorded using a CD just to make sure that i captured the real/actual information presented by the respondents. The qualitative responses (texts and artifacts) of the respondents and peer who engaged with the webquest prototype presented and analyzed using the Critical Discourse Analysis(CDA). CDA is an interdisciplinary approach to the study of discourse that views language as a form of social practice and focuses on the ways social and political domination are reproduced by text and talk(Fairclough,1989). The analytic procedures in CDA include a three tiered model that includes;description, interpretation and explanation of discursive relations and social practices at the local,institutional and societal domains of analysis(Fairclough,1992,1995). == ==CDA provides a description(text analysis),Interpretation(discursive type) and Explanation(social practice( Fairclough,1992).This implies that the reader of the text(responses) interprets (attempts to deconstruct the author's intentions). ==

The findings are in response to the interview guide questions for students, [|Interview guide for student]
==Similarly, the peer was requested to comment about the viability of the prototype webquest in the history Education unit ;[|Reviewers' comments]==

Qualitative findings for students
=__//Students'responses// __= ==<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The qualitative responses(texts/artefacts) of the respondents who engaged with the webquest prototype are presented in sub themes.In analyzing the qualitative findings, CDA analysis was used by stating the text/artefacts(students' responses), interpreting the responses and finally stating the societal domains of analysis. == ==<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The qualitative findings are in response to the interview questions highlighted above and the peer's comments about the webquest prototype presented by the peer.The data from the different questions and responses was thematically presented under sub-themes which were drawn from salient issues raised from the interview questions and case study students' responses.Qualitative responses to questions 1,2,3,4 above were presented sub themes:Opportunities provided by using webquests; Acquisition of content knowledge, Collaborative learning,Ease to use and save time,computer skills and thinking skills. Challenges of webquests were also divided in to sub-themes that included;Network failure and slow internet, detailed content on the webquests,questions were ambiguous and some websites were abstract in nature. ==

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Opportunities provided by using webquests
=<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">1. Acquisition of content knowledge = ==<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The two case study sampled students revealed that, using the webquest enabled them to acquire large amounts information inform of content knowledge(content literacy) about using interactive methods in history teaching.The interactive methods they argued encouraged high-level student participation in the learning process as opposed to the passive teaching approaches reminiscent for most history lessons in Uganda.These findings are further corroborated by qualitative responses from the students who said that, == == //'<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;"> Frankly speaking,I have acquired vast knowledge and information about the group work method by just clicking on the hyperlinks provided. I must confess i have now become an expert in group work method in teaching history!' (student A, interviewed in October,2011) // ==

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//While another student asserted that,//
== //'I have been able to gain a deeper understanding of using inquiry based approach in teaching. I now reliably support independent student centered research where students control their own learning.' (student B,interviewed in October,2011)// == ==<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">These responses demonstrate that, through the use of webquests, vast amounts of content is covered and learnt about the topic of focus.This is because learners are given time to think,analyse and decide on the right answers in response to assigned tasks.This seems to concur with Seger&Verhoeven(2009) who claim that, webquests provide information space for active exploration of the web which cultivates in to students' positive construction of knowledge.These authors further expound that,webquests organize the learning process and provide the learner with a significant degree of learning autonomy with out denying the necessity of guidance. == =<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">2.Collaborative learning = ==<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The case study respondents indicated that they shared ideas with each other and even sent emails to the lecturer for clarification. They argued that,this was done to ensure that they typed the right answers so as to accomplish the required task. This is reflected in the students quotation below; == <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: center;">//'<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">I got stuck with question number six and i gave Samuel a call to tell me how he had approached that question //<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">. //We shared some ideas and i was relieved.//'( //Student B, interviewed in October,2011)//While another student confessed that, '//I attempted the webquest task while i was alone in my room, some questions were really tricky and i decided to send you(lecturer) an email and also copied it to John i wanted to get your views(Student A, interviewed in October,2011) .// ==<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Web quests are always available from any computer with an internet connection, students can therefore work together to complete the webquest assignment via the internet, phone call or sending email. They provide opportunities for cooperative,collaborative and conversational learning through guided discovery, which are essential for meaningful learning(Plessis,2007). Webquests enable the lecturer and students to work as a team,participating in an interactive process of knowledge construction that fulfills the individual and group interests( lADIS International conference ,2002). ==

=<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">3. Ease to use and saves time = ==<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The respondents indicated that, they liked the webquest activity better than using the search engines like Google for information.The highlighted its ease to use by clicking on hyperlinks provided and its ability to save time. This is further illustrated by the qualitative responses below; == <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: center;">//'<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">I have always spent alot of time searching for information on Google but this of the lecturer providing us with relevant websites makes the accomplishment of given tasks much more easier.' (Student A, interviewed in October,2011) //

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">While another student asserted that,
<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: center;">//'I was done with the task with in only 20 minutes, the idea is, just clicking on the hyperlinks provided and you get all the relevant information with ease.//'//(Student B, interviewed in October,2011)//

==<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">These quotations demonstrate that, it is much more easier to use the webquest with a 'sheltered learning environment' (Seger&Verhoeven,2009:424)other then searching and browsing the internet for information which takes time.The structure of the webquest is streamlined so that not much time is required to find the required information(Dodge,1995;Baker,2000 cited in Castronova.nd). The structure also narrows the resources students are using so that the learning time is decreased. Ho<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">wever, i made an observation that it is very easy to 'copy and paste' information from the provided websites because the students always want to accomplish assignments with in a limited period of time. Lecturers should always set thought provoking questions/tasks that require the students to read and internalize the content provided and response to the questions using their own language. == =<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;"> 4. Acquisition of computer skills = ==<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The respondents revealed that, using the webquest improved their computer literacy skills because they were able to browse the internet, obtain relevant information required to accomplish the task and typed their responses in the coloured spaces provided. This is demonstrated by the students' quotations bel ow;== <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: center;">//'<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Browsing information from selected websites has enabled me obtain internet skills. I have also obtained typing skills because i have gotten used to the buttons on the computer i had not used before. I now have a big passion for internet research! ' (Student A, interviewed in October,2011) //

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">While another student claimed that,
<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: center;">//'This exercise has enabled me gain the skills of searching for information on the internet, analysing the information and typing the responses and saving them in a word document. I have also used my email to send back the completed task to you(i the lecturer).' Student interviewed in October, 2011)//

==<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Plessis(2009) shares similar sentiments with the above, he asserts that using webquests enable students to learn the basics of web navigation and enables them to become familiar with resources available online like the Google search engine. They also prepare students for more complex online internet based activities for the future such as designing their own webquests == =<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">5. Acquisition of thinking skills = ==<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The respondents indicated that they a<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">cquired higher level thinking skills. They argued that they had to evaluate a variety of information sources that contained multiple opini ions.==

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Salient among the responses was that,
<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: center;">//'The websites given about inquiry based learning were relevant and easy to understand. This gave me time to read the articles,digest it first and think about the responses that i provided in the coloured spaces provided//. '//(Student A interviewed in October,2011)// ==<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Webquests require students to make a judgment about the content provided in the articles and you come up with appropriate answers. Dodge(1995) claims that, webquest tasks always require higher level thinking that involve analyzing, problem solving, creativity and judgment on posting the right answers. == =<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">Challenges encountered by student respondents = =<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">1. Net work failure and slow internet =

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The two respondents revealed that they accomplished the task with difficulty because the slow internet .This is reflected in the quotation below:
<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: center;">'<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//I spent plenty of time clicking the refreshing and reconnecting button. I often lost internet connectivity this in a way delayed my progress.//' (//Student A, interviewed in October,2011)//

While another student complained that
<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: center;">//'<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">I was faced with the problem of slow web connectivity in my room and i decided to go to the computer lab but the situation was not different. //<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">' //(Student B, interviewed in October,2011)// ==<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">These quotations correspond with Halat, ( 2008) who observed that there is always a possibility of lack of access to the internet via a fast and reliable connection the affects the pedagogical situation. I believe that students can access information from the selected websites save it and print it out.Webquests should therefore be used rotatively on and offline. == =<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">2. Detailed content of the webquests = ==<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: left;">All the respondents complained about the detail content provided on the selected websites. This is reflected in the salient quotation below, ==

==<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: left;">//'I must confess that the task become demanding especially after attempting question four. I had to go through lots and lots of detailed information.' (Student B,interviewed in October,2011)// ==

==<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">This seems to concur with May(2002) who claims that some webquests are too detailed with no specific pages outlined, this calls for high readability levels for students. This implies that, creators of webquests should endeavor to provide and focus on relevant information that can assist learners accomplish their tasks appropriately. == =<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">3. Some questions were ambiguous = ==<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The respondents found some questions, complicated and ambiguous and it became a challenge to respond to them. This is reflected in the student's salient response below: == == //'<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">I personally found question 6 really tricky because, i did not know how to go about it, When they say argue the case for, what do they mean?' //<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;"> (Student B interviewed in October,2011) ==

=<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">4. Some websites were abstract in nature =

==<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;"> The case study revealed that, some websites highlighted in the webquest were very short, abstract and it was difficult to obtain relevant information to accomplish the assigned task. <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">This is reflected in the quotations below == '<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;"> //I failed to get the real idea behind the content in some websites because they were too abstract!'(Student A,Interviewed in October,2011)//

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">while another said
<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: left;">//'Some internet sources were not relevant and i could not ably get reliable information to respond to the questions.'(Student B,interviewed in October,2011)// ==<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;"> This implies that,Lecturers have to be familiar with the main websites that the students have to engage with in a webquest. They should make sure that the content in the various sections and pages is relevant to the topic under study. Lecturers should therefore identify and evaluate the level and appropriateness of websites to be included for their webquests(Plessis,2007). ==

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #0000ff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Peer's qualitative findings
==<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The peers' responses/texts are in relation for questions 1,2 and 3 highlighted above were analyzed according to the Fairclough(1992)CDA analysis. These responses to the questions were then presented sub themes: Enhance student-centered activities,webquests are easy to make,enable acquisition of computer skills. Expected challenges were also discussed in according to sub themes;Low internet connectivity,poor questioning techniques and limited computer and internet skills. ==

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Opportunities provided by using webquests
=<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">1. Enhance student-centered activities = ==<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Webquests increase students motivation and they can stimulate students' imagination. They are student-centered with students learning at there own pace, learning through discovery and synthesis with the quest. This is reflected in the qualitative findings below; == <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: center;">//'A webquest is such an innovative idea! They seem to arouse students' interest .History has been referred to as 'dull,boring and irrelevant!' I believe that webquests change our teacher-led methods of instruction to interactive and engaging student-centered approaches.'(Peer's comment, October,2011).// ==<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Webquests tend to be student-centered with students' minds tending to be more alert and ready to make connections as the lecturer scaffolds the students through the learning process. They foster cooperative learning through guided discovery (Zlatkovska,2010).Through a webquest assignment, a student is given a task to direct his/her inquiry with content. This approach allows the instructor to direct the student-centered learning experience without too much control over the process(Vanguri,R etal,2004). ==

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">2. Webquests are easy to make.
==<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">They follow a particular pattern of Introduction, process,Task,Evaluation,Conclusion.Most webquests are tied to standards and can therefore be substituted for textbooks. This is demonstrated by the quotation below, == <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: center;">//'Webquests seem so easy to create because follow a similar pattern like lesson plans.//' (Peer's comment, October,2011) ==<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Webquests enable the teacher to sequence lessons,follow a logical and systematic order. This structured format shifts focus to student centered learning through instructor-facilitated instructor guidance.May(2002) shares similar sentiments with the quotation above as he states that, webquests follow a similar structure to lesson plans that teachers already creat e.==

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">3. Ability to practice computer skills
==<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Encourages effective and structured use of internet time.The advantage of webquests is that, they learn the valuable ICT skills while designing webquests. They start to use ICTS in an integrative manner with in their learning areas. T<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">hese skills include searching the internet by making use of search engines(Rechtfertig,2002 cited in Plessis,2007) .==

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;"> Expected Challenges(peer's response)
=<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">1. Slow internet and limited number of computers in the History Education unit = ==<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The respondent(peer) revealed that, integrating webquest in the HE unit would face a challenge of few computers and slow internet connectivity. This is reflected in the quotation below;== //<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">'<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: center;">'It is an excellent idea of integrating webquests in the teaching and learning of History education! However, we have very few computers in the faculty lab and also the slow internet may affect the success of the activity.' //<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> (Peer's comment, October,2011)

==<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The problem of slow bandwidth limiting access to the internet and also few computers in the affects the use of webquests in the teaching and learning process. This was also observed by the student respondents above and proponents of webquests like Tom March,(2002). ==

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">2. Limited computer and internet skills
==<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The respondent(peer) also indicated that,the successful integration of webquest activities in the History Education pedagogy may be limited by lack of adequate computer and internet skills. This is reflected in the quotation below; == <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;"> ' //I believe some lecturers and students still lack adequate computer and internet skills to rightfully search information'// (//Peer's comment,October,2011//). ==<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The successful integration of a webquest requires lecturers and students to possess computer and internet skills to enable them rightfully search for information so as to accomplish their goals. ==

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;"> 3. Poor questioning skills
==<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">It was indicated that, some lecturers may have poor questioning skills that may that may not test higher cognitive skills of the learners. Students have to evaluate a variety of information sources that contain multiple opinions, make a judgment and come up with appropriate answers to accomplish the task. This is demonstrated by the quotation below; == //<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">'The webquest activity may not achieve its intended purpose because of the poor questioning skills of the lecturers //'//( Peer 's comment,October,2011).// ==<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">This implies that, lecturers should ask questions that go beyond fact finding,but rather focus on supporting learners with thinking at the levels of analysis,synthesis and evaluation(May,2003). Webquests require higher level thinking through summarizing,synthesis,analysis of the content presented not just 'copying and pasting' from the internet. ==

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Possible ways of improving the prototype webquest online activity
=<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">1. Use CD-ROMS and pair up students = ==<span style="color: #404040; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;"> To solve the problem of slow internet access, CD-ROMS should be used so that one does not need to be online to access webquest information. This is reflected in the quotation; == <span style="color: #404040; display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: center;">//' <span style="color: #404040; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">I think,Webquests can be used on and off line, we can use CD-ROMS, cannot they work?' (Peer's comment, October,2011) // ==<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">This implies that one does not have to be online to use the webquests. One can also access information from the internet save it and access it offline. If you have a CD-ROM then you already have a range of webquests available so basically it is not necessary to be online to use a webquest( International Society for Technology in Education,2002). The problem of limited computers can be solved by pairing up students(one computer shared by four students). Rotating them for different activities could also provide a remedy in the sense that, while some access information from the internet others can refer to print materials while others refer to texts books and historical sources. == =<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">2. Questions should be clearly and logically set =

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The questions should be clearly stated and to the point,
'//<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Both lecturers and students should easily obtain meaning from the questions set.' (Peer's comment, October,2011) // ==<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">This implies that, lecturers should set questions that capture student's understanding from the known to the unknown. Bloom's taxonomy(1956) six levels of Comprehension,knowledge, Analysis, Evaluation,Synthesis and Application(Plessis,2007). Bloom 's taxonomy attempts to divide the cognitive objectives in to subdivisions ranging from the simplest questions to the most complex. The questions should assess students' understanding from the know to the unknown .==

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">3. Need for training in relevant computer and Internet skills
==<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: left;">The respondent(peer) also indicated that, since low computer and internet skills limit webquests to be rightfully integrated in the teaching and learning process of History Education. There is need for short training courses and seminars on relevant computer skills. This is demonstrated by the quotation below; ==

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: center;">'//Both staff and students need to be trained in computer skills. I believe this will provide them with the confident to engage with webquests effectively.'// (Peer's comment, October,2011). ==<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">There is a need for professional developing, training of both staff and students to integrate ICT in pedagogy and an encouragement and support in the appropriate use of webquests(Halat,2008). ==

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Conclusions
==<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The use of the internet as a teaching and learning tool plays an important role of linking lecturers and students to ICT.The lecturers and students work as a team, interact and engage with the webquest. (Retrieved from, http//www.webquest.com.br)<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">. The Instructional challenge of limited interaction between the lecturers and students caused by large class size can be bridged by the use of webquests. The case study students continuously consulted from each other and from the lecturer through sending emails to each other. They were able to make meaning of the information provided about the interactive methods of history teaching(group work and inquiry) other than spending time on searching from the vast information available on the internet.The educational value of the webquest lies in the student developing his own understanding about a topic through extensive resear ch. <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Students are encouraged to use higher order thinking as they worked on the task and reach a final conclusion. The webquest activity required the students to access information,summarize their findings and type their responses in the coloured spaces provided .<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">They were able to obtain relevant up-date information about interactive methods in history education(Group work and inquiry based learning). ==

==<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Although all the respondents cited slow internet as a main challenge in using webquests. Vanguri, R (2004)claims that, the success of the webquest has nothing to do with the bandwidth or excellence of the websites linked to. The most important factor is the lecturer to know their students, their prior experiences,knowledge and learner centered needs. Similarly webquests can be used with few computers,students can be divided in to groups and keep on rotating around with different interactive activities.==

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">May,( 2002). Webquests can be worked on at home in the library.
==<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Plessis,A(2007). Designing and Exploring different levels of cyberhunts. SchoolNet South Africa Bloemfontein Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University ==