Webquests & Inquiry Based Learning

Quite a while back, our class talked about and explored the use of Webquests and Inquiry Based Learning in the classroom. Overall, I think that this approach to learning could be very beneficial to students, especially with respect to long term retention. Webquests, specifically, seem to be a great way to create cross-curricular lessons which address a number of different standards in all different areas of learning. In particular, this lends to the opportunity for more real-world type learning experiences for students. Some of my favorite Webquests on the top sites questgarden.com and bestwebquest.com, we those that required students to participate in activities that would directly apply to them in their real lives, such as creating a floor plan, designing a budget for owning your own car, or even understanding the interest you pay and/or get paid on borrowed/invested money. As a high school math teacher, I know there will be many topics I teach my students that they will probably never use in their day to day lives (like graphing ellipses or finding the area under a curve) BUT there are still a number of math skills I would consider essential for their success in life. When students leave my class, I would really like for them to remember something about algebra or geometry. But if I have to choose, I would much rather them learn the logical thinking and real life skills they will need to really be successful and responsible adults throughout their lives. From this aspect, I think Webquests are a great way to bring real application into the classroom.
My only complaints about Webquests and Inquiry Based Learning are based on the issues of time and necessity. I never want to do things in my classroom just for the sake of doing them. I don't want students wasting my time, so why should I waste theirs with busy work and deny them learning. I think Webquests and inquiry based learning projects should have clear objectives and be very well defined if they are to promote real learning. Students should be fully aware of the learning objectives and teachers should make sure learning matches standards that are needing to be addressed as well. Despite how much I may like a project I've designed or how good I think it is for their learning, if students are not able to make the same relevant connections to their own lives, they will just see the assignment as one more thing to do, unrelated to any important learning or skill they will use again. Additionally, these types of projects often require a longer period of time to achieve a standard than would traditional teaching. While I really do like the idea of giving students the opportunity to learn and find answers for themselves, poorly designed activities can lead to lots of excess (and possibly wasted) time that we as teachers can't afford to lose. Despite these setbacks, however, I believed thoughtfully designed inquiry based activities can really enhance student learning and motivation in the classroom!