Inquiry-based learning

Definition

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

Inquiry-based learning is often describe like a cycle or a spiral, which implies formulation of a question, investigation, creation of a solution or an appropriate response, discussion and reflexion about the result (Bishop et al., 2004).

This is so an learning process by exploration of natural or material world, which leads the learner to ask some questions and do discoveries in the seeking of new understanding.

With this pedagogy, children can learn science by doing it (Aubé & David,2003). The purpose is conceptual change.

Inquiry-based learning is so a students-centred process students-lead process. The purpose is to engage students in an active learning ideally based on their own questions. Learning activities are organized in cyclic way, independently of the subject. Each question lead to the creation of new ideas and other questions.

IBL follows from socio-constructivism because of collaborative work in which students find ressources, use tools ans ressources given by inquiry partners.Thus, students make progress by work-sharing, talk 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 response the initial questions.

Inquiry cycle is the process which try to permit the student to answer these questions with his collected informations 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, but the teacher can stimulate the student curiosity by an early talk on their concepts about the subject. The important is that student have to formulate questions because they show then their concepts about the subject.

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

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

Investigate

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

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

Create

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

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

Discuss

Since here, students share their ideas with the 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 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 colours. Then, they are invited to share theirs findings with the rest of the class, while the teacher write notes on the blackscreen.

Reflect

This step consists in taking time to look back. Think again about the intial question, the taken way, and the actual conclusions. Student look back and take 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.

Then

Here the first cycle is over and students are on the Ask Step again with two options:

1. Ask : a new cycle begins fed by the new questions or the new formulations of the early ones. teacher can make groups to stimulate discussions and interest.

1. Answer : the activity is ending. The teacher have to finished 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 was 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 doing, some ones do the same things with or without variants. A new cycle a so began.

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

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

Tools

Websites:

PostNuke Module :

See Also

constructivism, socio-constructivism, discovery learning, web quest,...

References

Lattion, S.(2005). Développement et implémentation d'un module d'apprentissage par investigation (inquiry-based learning) au sein d'une plateforme de type PostNuke. Genève, Suisse. Mémoire de diplôme non-publié
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

Aubé, M. & David, R. (2003). Le programme d’adoption du monde de Darwin : une exploitation concrète des TIC selon une approche socio-constructiviste. In Taurisson, A. & Senteni, A.(2003). Pédagogie.net : L’essor des communautés d’apprentissage. pp 49-72.

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

Chakroun, M. (2003). Conception et mise en place d'un module pédagogique pour portails communautaires Postnuke. Insat, Tunis. Mémoire de licence non publié.

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Eick, C.J. & Reed, C.J. (2002). What Makes an Inquiry Oriented Science Teacher? The Influence of Learning Histories on Student Teacher Role Identity and Practice. Science Teacher Education, 86, pp 401-416.

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Keys, C.W. & Bryan, L.A. (2001). Co-Constructing Inquiry-Based Science with Teachers : Essential Research for Lasting Reform. Journal Of Research in Science Teaching, 38 (6), pp 631-645.

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Villavicencio, J. (2000). Inquiry in Kindergarten. Connect Magazine, 13 (4), March/April 2000. Synergy Learning Publication.

Vosniadou, S., Ioannides, C., Dimitrakopoulou, A. & Papademetriou, E. (2001). Designing learning environments to promote conceptual change in science. Learning and Instruction ,11, pp 381-419.

Watson, B. & Kopnicek, R. (1990). Teaching for Conceptual Change : confronting Children Experience. Phi Delta Kappan, May 1990, pp 680-684.