Inquiry-Based Learning

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Inquiry-Based Learning

• Sarah Davis Laura Oehler
• November 23, 2003
• EDTC 654, Dr. Lauren Cifuentes

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What is Inquiry?

• "Inquiry is the active pursuit of meaning
  involving thought processes that change
  experience to bits of knowledge. When we see a
  strange object, for example, we may be puzzled
  about what it is, what it is made of, what it is
  used for, how it came into being, and so forth.
  To find answers to questions such as these we
  might examine the object closely, subject it to
  certain tests, compare it with other, more
  familiar objects, or ask people about it, and for
  a time our searching would be aimed at finding
  out whether any of these theories made sense. Or
  we might simply cast about for information that
  would suggest new theories for us to test. All
  these activities---observing, theorizing,
  experimenting, theory testing---are part of
  inquiry. The purpose of the activity is to gather
  enough information to put together theories that
  will make new experiences less strange and more
  meaningful."
• (Suchman, 1968, p.1)

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Where did Inquiry come from?

• J. Richard Suchman (coined the term)
• Inquiry is the way people learn when they're
  left alone."
• http//scied.gsu.edu/Hassard/mos/7.4.html
• Dates as far back as Socrates and the Socratic
  Method.
• John Dewey
• Constructivism people construct their own
  understanding and knowledge of the world, through
  experiencing things and reflecting on those
  experiences.
• http//www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/co
  nstructivism/index.html
• Dewey's philosophy of education, instrumentalism
  (also called pragmatism), focused on
  learning-by-doing rather than rote learning and
  dogmatic instruction, the current practice of his
  day.
• http//lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/students/janicke/Dewey.htm
  l
• Dewey called for education to be grounded in real
  experience. He wrote, "If you have doubts about
  how learning happens, engage in sustained
  inquiry study, ponder, consider alternative
  possibilities and arrive at your belief grounded
  in evidence." Inquiry is a key part of
  constructivist learning.
• http//www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/co
  nstructivism/index_sub4.html

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Major Contributors (1 of 2)
http//www.css.edu/depts/edu/EDU3500/researchproj_
files/Web_pages/constructivism_inquiry2.htmlContr
ib
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Major Contributors (2 of 2)
http//www.css.edu/depts/edu/EDU3500/researchproj_
files/Web_pages/constructivism_inquiry2.htmlContr
ib
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Constructivism vs Inquiry

• Constructivism
• A theory about how people learn.
• People construct their own understanding and
  knowledge of the world through experiencing
  things and reflecting on those experiences.
• Encouraging students to use active techniques
  (experiments, problem solving) to create more
  knowledge, to reflect on and talk about what they
  are doing and how their understanding is
  changing.
• Inquiry
• Often used as a tool for constructivism.
• A seeking for truth, information, or knowledge by
  questioning.
• Emphasis on the development of inquiry skills and
  the nurturing of inquiring attitudes or habits of
  mind.
• Implementing inquiry into the classroom involves
  a context for questions, a framework for
  questions, a focus for questions, and different
  levels of questions.
• http//www.css.edu/depts/edu/EDU3500/researchproj_
  files/Web_pages/constructivism_inquiry2.html

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Project, Problem and Inquiry Based Learning

• Project-based Learning 
• An approach to learning focusing on developing a
  product or creation. The project may or may not
  be student-centered, problem-based, or
  inquiry-based.
• Problem-based Learning
• An approach to learning focusing on the process
  of solving a problem and acquiring knowledge. The
  approach is also inquiry-based when students are
  active in creating the problem.
• Inquiry-based Learning
• A student-centered, active learning approach
  focusing on questioning, critical thinking, and
  problem-solving. It's associated with the idea
  "involve me and I understand.
• These all may be considered Constructivist Methods

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Spiral Path of Inquiry
http//www.inquiry.uiuc.edu/index.php
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Discrepant Events Example of Inquiry

• Phenomena that seem to run contrary to what we
  normally expect. The outcomes or results are very
  different from what we might think would happen.
• Examples
• Mechanical bird that drinks water.
• Boiled egg that can squeeze inside a narrow neck
  bottle.
• Ice sinking in clear liquid.
• J. Richard Suchman (1962) developed the use of
  Discrepant Events as an inquiry technique for
  science teaching and learning.
• Long been used by science educators to stimulate
  students' interest and motivation.
• Human mind is intolerant of discrepancies.
  Observing something that does not fit with what
  one believes should be happening. Leaves the
  observer with a "wanting to know" feeling.
• Student centered. Requires the students to ask
  questions in their search for answers.

http//www.plu.edu/vedrosr/discrepant.html
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Suchmans Inquiry Training Model

1. The teacher presents students with a puzzling
   situation or event.  Students are allowed to ask
   the teacher questions that must be answered by a
   yes or no. The purpose of this phase is to
   verify the facts.
2. Students next gather information and verify the
   occurrence of the puzzling situation.  
3. Students identify relevant variables, hypothesize
   and test causal relationships.
4. Next, the teacher asks students to organize the
   data and formulate an explanation for the puzzle.
5. Finally, students analyze their pattern of
   inquiry and propose improvements.

How is the fortune put into a fortune cookie?
http//www.pwcs.edu/curriculum/sol/suchman.htm
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Students in Inquiry-Based Learning

• Students view themselves as learners in the
  process of learning. 
• Students accept an "invitation to learn" and
  willingly engage in an exploration process. 
• Students raise questions, propose explanations,
  and use observations. 
• Students plan and carry out learning activities. 
  
• Students communicate using a variety of methods. 
  
• Students critique their learning practices. 

http//www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/inq
uiry/index_sub2.html
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Teachers in Inquiry-Based Learning

• FACILITATOR OF LEARNING.
• The teacher reflects on the purpose and makes
  plans for inquiry learning. 
• The teacher facilitates classroom learning.
• Teacher models inquiry by asking leading
  questions.
• The teacher allows for diversions from the
  intended goal values what the students want to
  learn.

http//www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/inq
uiry/index_sub2.html
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Questions Teachers Might Ask

• What does this make you think of?
• In what ways are these different?
• In what ways are these the same?
• What materials did you use?
• What would happen if you ...
• What might you try instead?
• Tell me about your ...?
• What does it look like?
• What does it remind you of?
• What does it feel like?
• What can you do next time?
• What can you tell me about it?
• Tell me what happened.
• What could you do instead?
• Which one do you have more of?
• Is one object longer/shorter than another?
• What is it made of?

• What do you call the things you are using?
• What can you tell me about the things you have?
• Tell me what it looks like.
• How are you going to do that?
• What do you feel, see, hear, taste, smell?
• How did you do that?
• What will you do next after you finish that?
• Is there anything else you could do/use?
• How do you know?
• What are some different things you could try?
• Show me what you could do with it?

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Strengths of Inquiry

• Emphasis is put on understanding and learning,
  not on memorization.
• Students have understanding of the larger
  concepts related to specific concepts.
• Inquiry develops the mind for a lifetime quest of
  knowledge and understanding
• Inquiry activities can be more engaging and
  interesting to students than chalk and talk.
• Works with any age group so it can be applied in
  many different educational settings.
• Builds off all experiences and knowledge that
  students bring to the classroom, no matter how
  diverse these may be.

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Weaknesses of Inquiry

• Enough specific topics may not be covered in a
  school year when only Inquiry is used.
• Many students do not know how to ask questions so
  teachers first attempts at Inquiry may seem
  difficult or discouraging
• Inquiry focuses on helping children ask
  questions. Therefore, instructors must learn the
  art of asking good questions.

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Implications for Instructional Designers

• When designing instruction, designers must take
  care to identify situations where active
  learning, constructivism and inquiry are
  appropriate.
• Inquiry learning IS a structured environment and
  can be supported by various technologies and
  educational situations.
• Inquiry based instruction should provide for
  appropriate amounts of exploration, inquiry and
  understanding by the learners.
• Inquiry might be very appropriate in situations
  where learners like to find answers for
  themselves, not be fed a lot of facts.

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Research Question
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Web-Resources

• A professional development activity to show how
  inquiry learning differs from other types of
  hands-on activities http//www.exploratorium.edu/
  IFI/activities/foam/foamtext.html
• http//www.annettelamb.com/tap/topic43.htm
• http//www.exploratorium.edu/IFI/resources/inquiry
  desc.html
• http//www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/inq
  uiry/index.html
• http//www.youthlearn.org/learning/approach/inquir
  y.asp
• http//www.exploratorium.edu/IFI/
• http//www.plu.edu/vedrosr/discrepant.html
• http//www.inquiry.uiuc.edu/index.php
• http//www.css.edu/depts/edu/EDU3500/researchproj_
  files/Web_pages/constructivism_inquiry2.html
• http//scied.gsu.edu/Hassard/mos/7.4.html
• http//www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/con
  structivism/index.html
• http//lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/students/janicke/Dewey.html
  
• http//www.pwcs.edu/curriculum/sol/suchman.htm

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John Dewey Books

• My Pedagogic Creed (1897)
• The School and Society (1900)
• Child and the Curriculum (1902)
• Democracy and Education An Introduction to the
  Philosophy of Education (1916)
• How We Think A Restatement of the Relation of
  Reflective Thinking to the Educative Process
  (1933)
• Experience and Education (1938)