Inquiry through Blended Learning

1
Inquiry through Blended Learning

• Norm Vaughan, PhD
• Teaching Learning Centre, University of Calgary
• nvaughan_at_ucalgary.ca

2
Reflecting on Inquiry Based Learning
?
?

Inquiry Based Learning
?
?
3
Inquiry Defined

• Essential Features
• problem or question driven,
• involves critical discourse,
• requires self-directioni.e. students take
  responsibility for their own learning,
• incorporates research methods such as information
  gathering, synthesis of ideas, and communication,
• evaluation of the student is appropriate to
  foster Inquiry Learningit must include
  reflection on the learning experience of the
  student, what they have learned, and why the work
  is relevant (to their discipline).
• Inquiry Learning Action Group

4
Learning Plan University of Calgary

• That inquiry-based learning approaches be at the
  centre of the undergraduate learning experience.
• All students must have the opportunity to
  participate in communities of inquiry
• Learning technologies (i.e., eLearning) offer
  opportunities to enhance the campus experience
  and extend learning through the innovative use of
  on-line resources, asynchronous collaborative
  learning opportunities

5
Blended Learning

• Thoughtful integration of face-to-face and online
  learning.
• An opportunity to enhance the classroom
  experience and extend learning through the
  innovative use of Internet information and
  communications technology.
• Not an add-on redesign approaches (e.g., reduce
  lectures, add online activities)

6
eLearning Tools

• Blackboard Learning Management System
• Elluminate Live!
• Macromedia Breeze
• Wikis, Weblogs and Podcasting
• Custom tools (e.g. Peer Review Tool, WISPR)

7
Scenario One - Economics

• Introductory Micro and Macroeconomics
• Goal to increase
• student engagement with course material outside
  of class time
• opportunities to apply theory to practical
  problems
• access and quality of tutorial resources
• Solution
• Replacement of scheduled classroom tutorials with
  interactive online tutorials and assignments
  (Blackboard and Aplia.com)

8
Scenario Two Communication Culture

• International Development Studies
• Goal to increase
• Student peer interaction and critical dialogue
  during class time
• Solution
• Lectures replaced by Macromedia Breeze
  presentations (narrated PowerPoint with embedded
  videos and self-assessments) accessed outside of
  class time
• Class time used exclusively for group work (60
  students - 20 meet on Monday, 20 on Wednesday and
  20 on Friday)

9
Scenario Three Nursing

• Child and Youth Health Promotion in Schools
• Goal to increase
• Course scheduling flexibility
• Exposure to diverse perspectives
• Solution
• Weekend course workshops
• Online guests and discussions

10
Questions, Comments, Discussion