Transcript
Inquiry based learningIt’s implementation within the classroom
Cherine Spirou – LMC NSWDEC
Tell me and I forget,
show me and I remember, involve
me and I understand.
Wherever there is a child there is curiosity and where there is
curiosity there is science.
"Questions and inquiry make way for innovation. When you already have the answer there is no longer a
reason to innovate."Twitter: @ktenkely
Inquiry Based Learning – what is it?Inquiry Based Learning is a student – centred instructional
method that is based on substantially increased student
involvement in the learning process.
INQUIRY
Understanding
Involvement Skills & Attitude
New knowledge
Definition of Inquiry“A seeking for truth, information or knowledge –
seeking information by questioning”
“Involving the learner and leading him/her to understand”
Students become less prone to ask questions as they move through the higher years of education.
For example: kindergarten children will ask hundreds of questions; while students in Year 9 may ask one or two questions depending on the reason behind it.
“To inquire into specific scientific
phenomena, students need to
draw upon a foundation of experience”
What is Science Inquiry? 1) What does Science inquiry mean to you?
2) What is the difference between a traditional classroom and an Inquiry Based classroom?
Traditional ClassroomWhat would the teacher be
doing?
What would the student be doing?
Inquiry Based ClassroomWhat would the teacher be
doing?
What would the student be doing?
So what’s the difference between IBL & traditional classroom practice?
Inquiry Based Traditional
Principle Learning Theory
Constructivism Behaviourism
Student Participation Active Passive
Student involvement in outcomes
Increased responsibility Decreased responsibility
Student role Problem solver Direction follower
Curriculum goals Process oriented Product oriented
Teachers role Guide/facilitator Director/transmitter
Effective Inquiry Effective inquiry is more than just asking questions.
It involves:
A Context of questions
A framework of questions
A focus on questions
Different levels of questions
Essential Elements of Inquiry Based Learning1. Meanings should not be deceptive to beginners
(easy to understand)
2. Useful knowledge should be structured
(easy to map out)
3. Structured knowledge should be applicable,
transferable and accessible to a broad range of
applications & students.
(easy to use and be shared easily)
4. Structured knowledge should be easily retrieved so
that new knowledge can be gained without too much
effort.(can relate to others and to further new
knowledge)
“Students open exploration leads to a range of interests and
questions that lead into deeper investigation and
understanding”
“Exploring ways that inquirers collect and record first hand data, and observe and raise questions, make
predictions, test hypotheses and develop understanding
allows us to formulate student patterns and
relationships”
Inquiry Learning – Is it happening in your classroom?
1. Make a list of what you think regularly happens in your science class by reflecting on a lesson you did recently.
2. What were you doing? What were your students doing? Was it inquiry based or traditional learning?
3. Use the following table to assist you in reflecting on your answers:
Question Answer Traditional or IBL
Are students exploring?
What questions were asked?
Did students ask questions?
What type of questions did students ask?
Are students working with
materials?
What did you do to facilitate student
thinking?
The 5 E’s Learning Cycle
ENGAGE!Students need to:
First encounter and identify the task
Make connections between past and present
learning connections
Need to be asked a question or to define a
problem to be engaged and focussed.
EXPLOREStudents:
Have the opportunity to get directly
involved
Develop a knowledge and get experience
in task
Build a base of common experience
Learn to share and communicate with
other team members
Allow the inquiry process to drive the
instruction
Have the teacher as the facilitator – to
provide materials and guide their focus.
EXPLAINStudents:
Begin to learn to put the experience into a
communicable form.
Have the teacher there to help with the
language needed to communicate and “explain”
the task.
Students:
Expand on the concepts they have learned
Make connections to other related concepts
Apply their understanding to the world
around them
ELABORATE
EVALUATEStudents:
Allow the teacher to determine if they have
reached understanding of concepts and
knowledge.
Give the teachers a chance to revisit any
misconceptions that student may have received
from the inquiry process.
Starting the Inquiry Process in the classroom.
1. How do you motivate your students when starting a topic?
2. How do you engage your students?
3. How do you assess your students’ level of understanding of a new topic?
4. How do you know what your students want? (Using the method KWL (What do we Know, what do we Want to know and what have we Learnt) method for the beginning of a topic is always an easy way)
Focus the InquiryWhat do we Know
(K)What do we want
to learn (W)What have we
learnt (L)
Once you have designed a KWL chart, you can use that to design your investigation or start the topic.
1. Select one or two of the questions from the KWL chart that you could use a launching activity for your class.
2. Discuss the two questions on how you would use these questions to build upon your topic/lesson.
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