• Use active learning techniques - where students work through information, issues and insights. Webquests are based on this inquiry-based learning that uses projects and problems to engage students. See the page on project-based learning.
   

• Engage students in cooperative learning - that empower and train students to work together. Webquests are based on students working in small groups.
   

• Create simulated situations - situations imitating life through the arts, drama, music. Webquests, through their access to the web create opportunities for students to examine works of art for what they can tell us about life, health and ourselves.
   

• Ask students to reflect - on what they have learned and the implications for their lives. Our webquests make extensive use of a Personal Health Journal and an autobiography, "It's All About Me". These tools encourage youth to record their private thoughts, as well as require them to report on their insights about the webquest.
   

• Make use of media and technology - Webquests, by their nature, create vicarious learning experiences as students take quizzes, download real-life data, view images, audio and video clips and play games or simulations. The emphasis in our webquests is less on gathering, understanding and retelling facts and more on working with the information in meaningful ways.
  
  Please note, however, that our webquests in health also seek to take students back into the real world so that their web-based activities can become more meaningful. See our list of student project tasks on our student tools page.

The learning outcomes that are part of most webquests are also very appropriate for health education. Research has shown that health behaviours an a healthier environment are both enhanced by education that seeks to promote:

• Functional or practical knowledge - about the health issue. Sometimes, in our enthusiasm, we include far too many extraneous, medical or other facts about a health issue. Webquests, because they are more selective in choosing specific web pages and structuring it very carefully, can focus on the practical things that can truly influence health.
   

• General and specific skills and aptitudes - Research has shown that general skills such as decision-making, problem-solving and media literacy, as well as specific techniques such as refusal skills or assertiveness should be taught in health education. Or webquests through the web and real-life project activities enable students to identify, learn and practice these skills.
   

• Attitudes and beliefs - that motivate behaviour or system change. Research in health education indicates that individual attitudes can be influenced by group work, discussions, ranking and categorizing. These are all activities performed often in webquests.
   

• Greater self-knowledge and self-esteem - Through extensive use of the  Personal Health Journal and in many of the webquest tasks and activities, students are able to identify their own traits, measure, monitor and compare their attitudes and behaviours to others and learn about various social and psychological influences on their health.
   

• Easier access to health services and information - Several of our webquests include activities where students visit health clinics, pharmacies and other places that offer services. Each webquest includes a reference to who the students can call for help. And, of course, the webquests take students to websites that are aimed at youth. As well, many webquests have the students working on activities that disseminate the information to their class or school.
   

• Overcome barriers to social support  - from parents, trusted adults and others. Many of our webquests include activities that have students interacting with parents, friends and others on health issues. Some webquests include advocacy projects where students seek changes to their schools and neighbourhoods such as improving cafeteria food, discouraging bullying and learning how to talk with their parents about health issues.
   

• Different ways to handle specific situations or risks - Many of the health webquests address specific situations or challenges that students can face such as refusing alcohol at a party or assessing their relationship for potential abuse. The webquest format allows for presentation of these problematic situations with practical tips on how to respond or avoid them and where/who to call for help.

Research on health education shows that behaviour change is facilitated by group work, self-monitoring, identifying benefits, setting goals and targets, devising coping strategies, accessing health services, benefiting from social support from others and overcoming physical, economic and practical barriers to change. All of these activities are easily incorporated into webquests.

To conclude this rationale for using webquests, go to the summary of other practical reasons for using webquests in health education. The summary notes that young people use the web often for school work and do not often search for health information on their own.  Further, the relatively low cost and convenience of webquests for teachers makes them an excellent tool for independent and group assignments for students.