What is ThinkQuest?

What is ThinkQuest?

ThinkQuest is a protected, online learning platform that enables teachers to integrate learning projects into their classroom curriculum and students to develop 21st century skills.

It includes:
The Oracle Education Foundation (OEF) provides ThinkQuest as a free service to K-12 schools globally. No advertising or spam is allowed (learn more about OEF).

Benefits of ThinkQuest Projects

Benefits of ThinkQuest Projects include:
  • Protected: Schools must go through an application and verification process in order to join. Member accounts are password-protected, and content is only visible to members. In addition, the environment is kept virus-free thanks to a partnership with Symantec Corporation.
  • Easy to Use: The tools are designed with a technology novice in mind. Teachers can easily create projects within minutes.
  • Versatile: Members can upload a variety of different file types, including photos, documents, presentations, and audio and video files.
  • Supports Accountability: All content is attributable to its author (no anonymous content). Students are identified by first name and last initial, and it's easy to contact any student's school if problems arise.
  • Teacher-Mediated: Teachers can see all content created by students. In addition, any teacher can "flag" the content of any student if it is deemed inappropriate. Flagging a content item makes it invisible to students and notifies the offending student's school.
  • Authentic Global Audience: Participating in ThinkQuest Projects gives students an authentic global audience, motivating them to do their best work.
  • Web-based: Members can log in from any computer with internet access. Internet-connected schools do not need to purchase any special software or equipment.
  • Focused on 21st Century Skills: Life and work in the 21st century demand that students learn how to use technology, clearly communicate their ideas, and interact effectively with people from different cultures. Via their participation in ThinkQuest Projects, students will hone each of these important skills. Learn more about 21st century skills

Benefits of the ThinkQuest Competition

Benefits of the ThinkQuest Competition include:
  • Teacher-Mediated: All teams must be coached by a teacher or other adult employed by an eligible school. The Coach is responsible for facilitating the team and ensuring that students' work meets competition standards.
  • Educational Focus: All entries must be developed for educational purposes. Competition rules prohibit content that is inappropriate or commercial in nature.
  • Supports Student Privacy: Competition Rules prohibit teams from publishing students' last names or personal contact details.
  • Authentic Global Audience: Participating in the ThinkQuest Competition gives students the opportunity to become published web-authors in the ThinkQuest Library, visited by millions of learners from around the world each month.
  • Focused on 21st Century Skills: Life and work in the 21st century demand that students learn how to use technology, clearly communicate their ideas, and interact effectively with people from different cultures. Via their participation in the ThinkQuest Competition, students will hone each of these important skills. Learn more about 21st century skills

Benefits of the ThinkQuest Library

Benefits of the ThinkQuest Library include:
  • By Students for Students: All of the websites were created by young people from around the world.
  • Educational Focus: Websites are organized into educational categories, including Books & Literature, History & Government, and Science & Technology. In addition, content that is inappropriate or commercial in nature is prohibited.
  • Versatile: Teachers and students can use the ThinkQuest Library for school projects, assignments, or personal research. Many sites include lesson plans, multimedia resources, and educational games and activities.

21st Century Skills

Our global society has become much more reliant on creative thinking, innovation, and new technology. Employers in the 21st century need employees armed with the knowledge and skills that will enable them to be successful in this society.

The Oracle Education Foundation has identified seven core skills that students need to develop to be successful in the 21st century. By participating in ThinkQuest, students will develop each of these important skills:

  1. Critical thinking: Ability to use multiple perspectives to analyze an issue or problem, create an intervention plan, and evaluate the results of the intervention
  2. Creativity: Ability to demonstrate the process of generating new ideas or concepts
  3. Teamwork: Ability to work cooperatively with others to achieve a shared goal
  4. Cross-cultural understanding: Ability to recognize and correctly react to people or situations that are open to misunderstanding due to cultural differences
  5. Communication: Ability to demonstrate the process of exchanging information and ideas
  6. Technology: Ability to use a range of technologies to create, store, analyze, and transmit information
  7. Self-direction: Ability to demonstrate work behavior characterized as self-starting and proactive

For information on using ThinkQuest Projects to develop students' 21st century skills, visit the Project Setup section.

For information on using the ThinkQuest Competition to develop students' 21st century skills, visit the Narrative Competition section and the Website Competition section.

What is the Oracle Education Foundation?

A nonprofit organization funded by Oracle, the foundation delivers ThinkQuest - a widely acclaimed education technology program - to K-12 schools globally. ThinkQuest is a protected, online learning platform that enables teachers to integrate learning projects into their classroom curriculum and students to develop critical 21st century skills. For more information, visit http://oraclefoundation.org.