introduction to inquiry-based learning
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Introduction to Inquiry-Based Learning. Nik Roberts Instructional Specialist California University 724-938-6022 [email protected]. How do you define inquiry?. Inquiry Defined. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Inquiry is a multifaceted activity that involves making observations; posing questions; examining…sources of information to see what is already known; planning and conducting investigations; reviewing what is already [known]; using tools to analyze, and interpret data; proposing answers; explanations and predictions; and communicating results.
National Academy of Science, 1996
“Inquiry is a simple three-syllable word that requires a paragraph to explain and a vision to make it real.”
National Science Foundation, 1997
Students’ curiosity about their world motivates their desire for education
Curiosity means exploration, investigation
Leading students into primary sources empowers their ability to learn, and to follow their interests
Inquiry-based learning
makes education more like
the PROCESS of learning
IBL models emphasize not only WHAT we know but HOW we know it.
Inquiry teaching leads students through the experience of inquiry.
Our “experience of inquiry” surrounds a project.
According to Stuessy & Thomas (1998), Students build their understandings through direct experience with materials, by consulting resources that include experts, and through argument and debate among themselves.
Observations and questions
Hands-on experiences
Reflecting on what they have observed or measured to make meaning from their experiences
Applying and extending their findings to new questions or problems
When did were the photos taken? Why? By Whom? What is different from today? What would it be like today without this
item/event? Who is missing? What is surprising? What does this remind you of?
Exploring, adventure, reading the evidence, and following the lead are exciting storylines
The Library of Congress’s mammoth website is rich in sources from the humanities, the arts, music, drama, geography, anthropology, and the sciences
Students can use sources from across many disciplines to find answers, and to ask new questions
Directed inquiry - teacher guides students along
Guided inquiry - teacher sets up a structured experience for the students
Open inquiry – project-based and problem-based learning; students identify questions; students determine what to do and how to do it
Assess prior knowledge Ask guiding questions, without providing
answers. (“Wait time” is important.) Arrange classroom to promote
collaboration Provide opportunities for open-ended
investigations Model analysis techniques Foster reflection and critical thinking skills Provide real-world connections and
integration with other subjects
1) Connecting past knowledge and experiences with a problem
2) Investigating problems through research
3) Designing a pathway to find an answer to a problem
4) Constructing meaning through evidence and analysis