Focus on Inquiry: Using Inquiry to Enrich Student Learning

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Focus on Inquiry Using Inquiry to Enrich
Student Learning

• Rural Libraries Conference 2006
• Presented by Joanne de Groot
• (degroot_at_ualberta.ca)

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Information Literacy is

• the ability to find and use information from
  print sources, computers and other media.
  Information literacy is the keystone of lifelong
  learning. "Ultimately, information literate
  people are those who have learned how to learn.
  They are people prepared for lifelong learning
  because they can always find the information
  needed for any task or decision at hand." (ALA
  Presidential Committee on Information Literacy,
  Final Report)

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Information Literacy

• To be information literate, a person must be able
  to recognize when information is needed and have
  the ability to locate, evaluate, and use
  effectively the needed information.
• ALA Presidential Committee on Information
  Literacy

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Information Literacy

• To negotiate complex information formats, we must
  also be skilled in other literacies
• Visual literacy
• Media literacy
• Computer literacy
• Digital literacy
• Network literacy
• Basic literacy
• (Eisenberg, Lowe, Spitzer, 2003, p. 7)
• Together, this is information literacy

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Powerful Learning

• Think back to your own school experiences. Do
  you remember a favourite project?
• What made the experience so special?
• What feelings emerge as you recall that learning
  event?

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Inquiry-Based Learning is

• a process where students are involved in their
  learning, formulate questions, investigate widely
  and then build new understandings, meanings and
  knowledge. That knowledge is new to the students
  and may be used to answer a question, to develop
  a solution or to support a position or point of
  view. The knowledge is usually presented to
  others and may result in some sort of action
  (Focus on Inquiry, p. 1).

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Inquiry-Based Learning

• Research suggests that using inquiry-based
  learning with students can help them become more
  creative, more positive and more independent
  (Kuhne, 1995).

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Information Literacy/Inquiry Models

• There are many models that can be used to teach
  information literacy or to create an
  inquiry-based project.
• American schools, in particular, use The Big6
  model
• Canadian school divisions and provinces have a
  variety of models in Alberta, the provincial
  document is Focus on Inquiry

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Benefits

• Plagiarism
• Authentic Learning
• Skills to become a Life Long Learner
• Student-centered approach
• Cross-curricular
• Common language throughout the school and/or
  division

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Focus on Inquiry

• A Teachers Guide to Implementing Inquiry-based
  Learning
• Written by Dr. Dianne Oberg Dr. Jennifer
  Branch, Department of Elementary Education,
  University of Alberta
• Alberta Education approved resource
• K-12 cross-curricular

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Inquiry-based Learning

• Inquiry-based learning is not an add-on
• A way to achieve curricular goals in all subject
  areas
• FoI provides supports for implementing
  inquiry-based learning activities in the
  classroom and is intended for teachers working on
  their own or in teams, with or without the
  support of a teacher-librarian

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Inquiry-Based Instruction

• Developing emotional literacy
• Investing time in exploration
• Supporting students during their work
• The teaching role of the teacher-librarian
• Understanding the process approach to inquiry

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Why Use a Model?

• Scaffold for instruction
• Gauge for feelings
• Common language for teachers and students
• Guide for students
• Guide for monitoring

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Focus on Inquiry
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Focus on Inquiry

• Research shows that inquirers follow a general
  cognitive and affective pattern. However, the
  inquiry process is not linear or lockstep. It is
  highly individual, nonlinear, flexible and more
  recursive than might be suggested in traditional
  models of the research process. Through
  reflecting on the process, all learners can
  become comfortable with the nonlinear,
  individual, flexible and recursive nature of
  inquiry (FoI, 2004, p. 9).

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Inquiry Challenges Traditional Approaches

• Its messy
• It takes timeteachers, t-l, students
• Some do not perceive that it supports the current
  curricula and testing movements.
• It moves from teacher-centred, past
  student-centred, to a learning-centred model.
• The critical role of emotions in learning is
  acknowledged.

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Creating a culture of inquiry in the school

• Inquiry focuses on authentic problems within the
  context of the curriculum and/or community.
• It capitalizes on student curiosity.
• Data and information are actively used,
  interpreted, refined, digested, and discussed.
• Teacher, students, and teacher-librarians
  collaborate.

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Creating a culture of inquiry in the school

• Community and society are connected with the
  inquiry.
• The teacher visibly models the behaviours of
  inquirer.
• The teacher uses the language of inquiry on an
  ongoing basis.
• Students take ownership of their learning.

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Creating a culture of inquiry in a district

• Administrators (school/district) have a clearly
  articulated vision for inquiry.
• The vision for inquiry is carried forward despite
  competing pressures.
• Two or more champions promote the vision for
  inquiry.
• Resources and space for inquiry are readily
  accessible.

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Creating a culture of inquiry in a district

• Teachers collaborate and support each other.
• Teachers, students, and parents trust each other.
• Small, interdisciplinary teams of teachers work
  together.
• Problem-solving/investigative skills are valued
  in the school/ school system.

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Theory into Practice

• Lots of ways to incorporate inquiry into the
  classroom.
• One example is a Webquest, which supports inquiry
  based learning and information literacy in a
  slightly more structured way.

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WebQuests

• Inquiry-oriented
• Based on a doable, engaging task
• Uses pre-defined resources from the Web (and
  others)
• Can be short or long term

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WebQuests

• WebQuests should contain the following steps
• Introduction
• Task
• Process
• Resources
• Evaluation
• Conclusion
• Teachers Page

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Sample WebQuests

• Travel Fair WebQuest (by Bobbi Waldner)
• http//www.bwaldner.com/gradstudies/WebQuest/WQ1.h
  tm
• Solve it With Logic
• http//www.msu.edu/reethskr/myweb/gwq/cover_page.
  htm
• The Zoo Project (by Brenda Dillon)
• http//ca.geocities.com/teacherlibrarian2004/

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Sample WebQuests

• I am Unique-Especially My Name (by Suzanna Wong)
• http//www3.telus.net/public/suzawong/index.html
• WebQuest about Creating WebQuests
• http//www.bernardsboe.com/wams/academics/isaacs/w
  ebquests/index.html
• The WebQuest Page www.webquest.org
• QuestGarden

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Acknowledgements

• Thanks to Dr. Dianne Oberg and Dr. Jennifer
  Branchtheir presentation about Focus on Inquiry
  to the International Association of School
  Librarianship (IASL) in 2005 provided me with
  additional information, ideas, and content for
  this presentation.

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Thank you!

• Questions?
• Contact me
• Joanne de Groot
• email joannedegroot_at_shaw.ca