Inquiry-based learning

Definition

Inquiry-based learning (IBL) is based on constructivist and socio-constructivist theories of learning (Eick & Reed, 2002).

Inquiry-based learning is often described as a cycle or a spiral, which implies formulation of a question, investigation, creation of a solution or an appropriate response, discussion and reflexion in connexion with results (Bishop et al., 2004). IBL is a student-centered and student-lead process. The purpose is to engage the student in active learning, ideally based on their own questions. Learning activities are organized in a cyclic way, independently of the subject. Each question leads to the creation of new ideas and other questions.

This learning process by exploration of natural or material world leads the learner to ask some questions and to do discoveries in the seeking of new understandings. With this pedagogical design, children learn science by doing it (Aubé & David,2003). The main goal is conceptual change.

IBL is a socio-constructist design because of collaborative work within which the student finds resources, uses tools and resources produced by inquiry partners. Thus, the student make progress by work-sharing, talking and building on everyone's work.

Models

Cyclic Inquiry model

The purpose of IBL is the creation of new ideas and concepts, and their spreading in the classroom. The activity often finish by the writing of a document which try to answer the initial questions.

Inquiry cycle is the process which try to permit the student to answer these questions with his collected information which allowed the creation of new ideas and concepts.

The cycle of inquiry has 5 global steps: Ask, Investigate, Create, Discuss and Reflect. I will give an exemple for each step with the example of the rainbow scenario from Villavicencio (2000), who works light and colors every year with 4 or 5 years old children.

from : [The Inquiry Page]

During the preparation of the activity, the teacher have to think about how many cycles to do, how to end the activity (at the Ask step) : to rephrase the questions or answer it and express the following questions.

Ask

Ask begins with student's curiosity about the world, ideally with their own questions. The teacher can stimulate the curiosity of the student by an early talk on their concepts. It's important that student has to formulate questions because they can show then concepts about the learning subject.

This step focuses on a problem or a question that student begins to define. These questions are naturally redefined again and again during the cycle. Step's borders are blurred :a step is never completely left when the student begins the next one.

Rainbow Scénario : The teacher gives some mirrors to the children, so they can play with the sunlights which are passing trought the classroom's windows. With these manipulations, the students can formulate some questions about light and colors

Investigate

Ask leads naturally to Investigate which consists in taking curiosity and continuing in the seeking of information. From then on, students or groups of students collect information, study, watch ressources, experiment, look, interview, draw,... They can already redefine the question, make it clear or take another direction, which could not be anticipated by the initial question. Investigate is a self-motivating process totally owned by the active student.

Rainbow Scénario : Once questions are asked, the teacher gives to the children some prismes which allow to bend the light and a Round Light Source (RLS), a big cylindic lamp with four colored windows through a light ray can pass. Then the children can mix the colors and see the result of their mixed ray light on a screen. They began to collect information.

Create

Collected information begin to merge. Student begins to do some links. Here, ability to synthetize meaning is the spark which make new knowledges. Student makes some new thoughts, ideas and theories which are not directly inspired by his own experience. Then he writes them in some kind of report.

Rainbow Scénario : Some links are created from collected information and children understand that rainbows have to be created by this kind of phenomenon.

Discuss

Since here, students share their ideas each other, and ask them about their own experiences and investigations. knowledge-sharing is a community process of construction and they begin to understand the meaning of their investigation. Comparing notes, discussing conclusions and sharing experiences are some examples of this active process.

Rainbow Scénario : children are often and spontaneously sitten around RLS. They discuss and share their new acquired knowledges in purpose of understanding the mix of colors. Then, they are invited to share their findings with the rest of the class, while the teacher writes notes on the blackboard.

Reflect

This step consists in taking time to look back. Think again about the intial question, the taken way, and the actual conclusions. Student looks back and takes maybe some new decisions : "Has a solution been found ?", "Have New questions appeared ?", "What could they ask ?",...

Rainbow Scénario : teacher and students take time to look back and see again the notions seen in the early steps of the activity. They try to synthetize and to plan further with the knowledge basis of their recently acquired notions.

Continuation

Here the first cycle is over and the students are on the Ask Step again they can choose between two options:

1. Ask : a new cycle begins fed by the new questions or the new formulations of the early ones. The teacher can make groups to stimulate discussions and interest.
2. Answer : the activity is ending. The teacher has to finish it by a broadening : The questions with their responses, the ones with a new formulation, the new ones appeared during the activity. Making a synthesis is always a better solution, even if this step is not the purpose of an entire cycle.

Rainbow Scénario : the teacher set students free to repeat their experiences or to try diffrents things. Some students try what they see their friends have done, others do the same things with or without variants. A new cycle begins.

The advantage of this model is he can be applied with lot of student's types and lot of matter. Moreover, the teacher can build the activity by focus on a part of the cycle or another, with one or more cycle,...

Most often, a cycle (formal or not) is not enough and because of that, this model is often drawn in a spiral shape.

Examples cases

• Le monde de Darwin : Internet educational environnemnt mostly for 8 to 14 years old students. The pedagogy is socio-constructivist, with treatment and organization of the information with collaborative work

Tools

• BGuILE
• WISE
• Microworlds

See Also

constructivism, socio-constructivism, Case-based learning, discovery learning, WebQuest, Le Monde De Darwin, Project-based science model, ...

References

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Internet: http://tecfa.unige.ch/staf/staf-i/lattion/staf25/memoire.pdf

Ackermann, E.K. (2004). Constructing Knowledge and Transforming The World. In Tokoro, M. & Steels, L. (2004). A Learning Zone Of One's Own. pp17-35. IOS Press

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Bishop, A.P.,Bertram, B.C.,Lunsford, K.J. & al. (2004). Supporting Community Inquiry with Digital Resources. Journal Of Digital Information, 5 (3).

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