Inquiry Based Learning
- is student-centered and teacher-guided
- engages students in investigating real world questions that they choose from within a broad thematic framework
- demonstrates student thinking and makes their learning visible
- teaches problem-solving, critical thinking skills, and disciplinary content
- promotes the transfer of concepts to new problem questions
- teaches students how to learn and builds self-directed learning skills
- answers the question, “When are we ever going to use this stuff?”
- involves students in meta-cognition (thinking about thinking)
"The power of an inquiry-based approach to teaching and learning is its potential to increase intellectual engagement and foster deep understanding through the development of a hands-on, minds-on and ‘research-based disposition’ towards teaching and learning."
Neil Stephenson (2011)
Neil Stephenson (2011)
"Boiled down to its essence IBL is a teaching method that engages students in sense-making activities. Students are given tasks requiring them to solve problems, conjecture, experiment, explore, create, and communicate..."
Academy of Inquiry Based Learning (Maths)
Criteria for a successful inquiry
(borrowed from Jeffrey Wilhelm, author of "You Gotta Be The Book" and "Hyperlearning")
1. Start with a guided exploration of a topic as a whole class.
2. Proceed to student small group inquiry about an open-ended, debatable, contended issue.
3. Encourage students to ask personally relevant and socially significant questions.
4. Work in groups to achieve diversity of views.
5. Predict, set goals, define outcomes.
6. Find or create information...look for patterns.
7. Instruction serves as a guide to help students meet their goals.
8. Create a tangible artifact that addresses the issue, answers questions, and makes learning visible and accountable.
9. Learning is actualized and accountable in the design accomplishment.
10. Arrive at a conclusion...take a stand...take action.
11. Document, justify, and share conclusion with larger audience.
(borrowed from Jeffrey Wilhelm, author of "You Gotta Be The Book" and "Hyperlearning")
1. Start with a guided exploration of a topic as a whole class.
2. Proceed to student small group inquiry about an open-ended, debatable, contended issue.
3. Encourage students to ask personally relevant and socially significant questions.
4. Work in groups to achieve diversity of views.
5. Predict, set goals, define outcomes.
6. Find or create information...look for patterns.
7. Instruction serves as a guide to help students meet their goals.
8. Create a tangible artifact that addresses the issue, answers questions, and makes learning visible and accountable.
9. Learning is actualized and accountable in the design accomplishment.
10. Arrive at a conclusion...take a stand...take action.
11. Document, justify, and share conclusion with larger audience.