The WebQuest as an evaluation tool

Abstract

In the current cultural landscape, dominated by the web and the massive use of digital devices, we are in-creasingly moving towards the use of new teaching methods, centred on the learners that are the protagonist of their own learning process. These new methodologies aim to encourage learning and collaboration. The recent situation, unfortunately, characterized by the Covid-19 pandemic, has placed even more emphasis on this type of active teaching methodologies. Among them is the WebQuest, a guided online research for learning various disciplines. The WebQuest is divided into several phases rang-ing from the sharing of websites to obtain information, up to the preparation and presentation of a group work obtained by processing the information found on the pointed out websites. The WebQuest therefore allows participants to spend time processing the suggested information rather than searching for it. This study consisted in the experimentation of a WebQuest designed for two groups of students from both the University of Salerno and the University of Napoli “Parthenope”, in order to verify its potential also as an evaluation tool. From this carried out experience, it emerged that the methodology of the WebQuest, in addition to avoiding the disorientation of free navigation, favoured a formative use of the in-ternet, by placing the comparison with the data available on the web and cooperative learning on significant tasks at the centre of the didactic action. Moreover, it has proved particularly effective also as an evaluation tool, clearly highlighting the skills acquired by the students during this experience.