Inquiry-based
learning uses a backwards design that interweaves assessment into curriculum
and learning. An inquiry based classroom should promote create problem solving
that is driven by student’s asking questions and gathering evidence to make
sense of their world (Drake, Reid & Kolohon, 2014). When you enter an
inquiry-based learning environment you should not expect a silent classroom
with students sitting in rows, you should expect to hear the sound of students
who are actively learning and engaged by asking questions, using critical
thinking and problem solving. In this environment the teacher is not standing
up at the front of the class lecturing, but is a rather a part of learning,
acting as a guide in students exploration who using learning prompts, while
also learning alongside the students (Wu, Tseng & Hwang, 2015). Inquiry-based
learning should foster deep engagement in students that leads to constant
collaborative learning (Sinha, Rogat, Adams-Wiggins & Hmelo-Silver, 2015). I
believe that it is important for teachers to work towards inquiry-based
learning because it offers the opportunity to move education away from
standardized testing and towards an enriching environment that creates an
educational community through collaboration. Inquiry-based learning is a
constant cycle that encourages students to ask questions, investigate, create,
discuss and reflect upon their learning. This cycle will allow for students
interests to be incorporated into learning by teachers using questions as
lesson prompts and will allow students to use their learning as a way to make
sense of the world.
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The
video below is a Ted Talk that was done by Brad Chumrau on inquiry-based
learning. Brad taught in the German education system for four years where he
was introduced to the idea as using the classroom as a sense of community and a
place for collaboration. The Primary Year Program implemented in Germany forced
teachers to collaborate to create relevant lessons which sky-rocketed student engagement.
Finally,
this video shows a practical perspective on inquiry based learning in
elementary classrooms from an elementary teacher and a program coordinator. It discusses
how an inquiry-based learning environment is based on the curiosity of the
students and that all students have this drive within them to always be
questioning. The goal is to ignite passion within students by allowing them to
explore something that they are interested in, with the teacher there as a
guide for learning.
References
Drake,
S.M., Reid, J.L., & Kolohon, W. (2014). Interweaving
curriculum and classroom assessment: Engaging the 21st century
learner. Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press.
Sinha,
S., Rogat, T.K., Adams-Wiggins, K.R., & Hmelo-Silver, C.E. (2015).
Collaborative group engagement in a computer supported inquiry learning environment.
International Journal of Computer Supported
Collaborative Learning, 10, 273-307. doi: 10.1007/s11412-015-9218-y
Wu,
J.W., Tseng, J.C., & Hwang, G.J. (2015). Development of an inquiry-based
learning support system based on an intelligent knowledge exploration approach.
Educational Technology & Society, 18(3),
282-300.
