By: Todd Long
Submitted: 2010-11-23 09:33:04 | Word Count: 539
Inquiry based learning is based on John Dewey’s philosophy that education begins with the curiosity of the learner. This type of teaching practice uses instructional techniques that allow students to arrive at concepts themselves.
Perhaps one of the greatest strengths of problem-based learning is that responsibility for learning rests with the student. As a result, students determine what is needed to learn, identify resources, use those tools and can recognize progress.
University Teaching With Inquiry Based Learning
In some cases, students involved in an inquiry based course draft a learning contract, carry out the course work and the university instructor submits a grade when the contract is successfully completed.
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At McMaster University, a university that pioneered this type of learning, all first-year students can take inquiry based courses. Instructors act to coach students to begin the course, students learn course elements while engaging and refining inquiry skills.
McMaster describes the features of an inquiry based course:
Rather than being lead by a topic or thesis, the course is question driven.
The course starts with a general theme as a starting point or trigger for learning.
Good researchable questions are emphasized among students.
Good research skills develop, such as library, interview and web search capabilities, all of which build critical thinking skills for thoughtful review.
Instructors offers some tips so that students can monitor individual performance during a course including benchmark activities and minutes of group meetings if the course involves group work.
The instructor models effective inquiry, promotes reflection in students and draws on expertise and knowledge.
Problem-based, or inquiry based teaching examples are found across disciplines and courses of instructions at universities employing the teaching practice.
For example, in a chemistry laboratory, students can be presented a list of topics to explore or amend a topic to suite an interest. In this way, the student begins taking responsibility at the outset for starting work in a timely manner. In science work, a good inquiry based learning technique is to encourage students to take on projects where the outcome is unknown, even to the instructor.
Being uncomfortable with this uncertainty, and actually enjoying this phase of learning, builds curiosity the student which is the very essence of exploratory scientific work.
Learning Ideas for Problem-Based Learning Activities
In an undergraduate Biology class, students can be divided into small groups and presented a statement as a problem such as: "A 28-year-old man appears to have osteoporosis.” The instructor asks the groups to brainstorm causes and continuously provides feedback to each group by asking for data such as “ "If you could ask for just three test results from examination of this man, what would they be?"
A leader from each group can then write the leading hypothesis or needed information on a chalkboard or flipchart. Each response is discussed in the class with the instructor leading the conversation and keeping student enthusiasm high.
Slowly, the solutions emerge and groups can be asked to write a brief analysis to describe the biology involved in the case.
Inquiry based or problem-based learning continues growing in popularity as a university teaching practice because of its ability to generate energy and enthusiasm among instructors and students. As a result, universities are offering more resources to assist instructors to develop teaching plans using problem-based teaching techniques.
