Using WebQuests involves tapping into students' Social and Emotional Intelligence especially when students take on Perspectives or Roles within a WebQuest!
This can be a very powerful thing! Students taking on a different perspective to solve the problems or issues presented in a WebQuest can get them to look at the problem in a way they have never considered before.
For example, I was team teaching in a NSW country school - a Year 6 (or Stage 3) class. We were getting the students to work with a WebQuest on Rainforests. I asked a particular boy (a rather big boy) to be a Logger as a perspective. He didn't want to take on this perspective as he pointed out to me that his family were "Greenies" (in a very strong Australian accent). I persuaded him to take on this role. After the lesson, he came up to me and said "I'm going to tell my Dad about you and this work!".
I was pretty taken back (and concerned about the size of the father!) but bravely said "What will you tell him?" And he replied, and blew my mind away... "Loggers they need jobs too!" He had emotionally connected with the perspective he was given and this had a great influence on his ideas and thoughts!
Remember the image of IQ and EQ:
When you are creating or using a WebQuest, be sure to take your student's EQ into account when allocating perspectives or roles!
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