ABSTRACT

Introduction The internet offers a vast and ever-increasing range of information resources. A recent estimate suggested that there are now over 33 million websites and in excess of one billion web pages.1 Most of these resources are free and available 'any time and any place'. 'Surfing the net', in which websites are accessed to meet self-directed learning needs, is a popular activity. In 2000, surfing by Canadian men at home was 11.5 hours a month.2 Almost all healthcare professionals in the United Kingdom have access to the internet, either at home or at work, and two recent surveys of primary healthcare professionals note that they are making increasing use of it as a method for self-directed education but measures of the full extent are not available.3'4

The Web Quest approach uses internet resources as an essential, and integral, component of the learning method. In this chapter I describe the approach and offer suggestions on how it can be used by GP educators.