Unit 1: Inquiry
Learner Outcome: Learners will be able to identify and define the meaning of inquiry-based learning (Verbal Skill).
Learner Objective: Given both print and non-print resources, students will be able to conduct research to discover the instructional topic of inquiry-based learning.
What is Inquiry Based Learning?
Lecture:
Inquiry, in general, can be defined as "a request for information", "an official effort to collect and examine information", and "the act of asking questions in order to gather or collect information" (Merriam-Webster). So, what is inquiry-based learning? The instructional approach is supported by lengthy research, and is being used all over the world. Inquiry-based learning is an approach which focuses on the role of the student in a given classroom. Rather than learning through the typical lectures and worksheets, inquiry-based learning has students placed in charge of their own learning. This means that students learn by "doing", through interactive, hands-on learning experiences which also include student interests and real-world meaning.
Watch the following video to further discover what inquiry-based learning is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLqi0raxldc
Task:Your job is this. Imagine you are describing inquiry-based learning to someone who has never heard of it before. How would you describe inquiry-based learning, what it looks like, and why a teacher might use such an approach. Find at least two sources to support your response.
Note: Other helpful sites on Inquiry-Based Learning
- http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/inquiry/
- http://teachinquiry.com/index/Introduction.html
- http://www.neiu.edu/~middle/Modules/science%20mods/amazon%20components/AmazonComponents2.html
