Inquiry Based Learning

Becoming Inquirers and Agents of Change

by Katie Strom

A co-autoethnographic narrative of an exploration between a student activist and teacher educator/researcher into... more A co-autoethnographic narrative of an exploration between a student activist and teacher educator/researcher into inquiry as liberators teaching and learning practice.

Hybrid spaces for science learning: New demands and opportunities for research

by Ole Smørdal

Co-authored with Jim Slotta, Ingeborg Krange, Tom Moher, Francesco Novellis, Alessandro Gnoli, Brenda Lopez Silva, Michelle Lui, Alfredo Jornet, Cecilie F. Jahreie
Symposia for ICLS 2012

“Hybrid spaces for science learning” refers to the merging of real and virtual worlds to produce new environments and... more “Hybrid spaces for science learning” refers to the merging of real and virtual worlds to produce new environments and visualizations where physical and digital objects co-exist and interact in real time. Learning science within hybrid spaces can be a fun, engaging, and reflective experience. Further, hybrid spaces are inherently social, facilitating dialogue and social exchange, as well as the construction of knowledge, paralleling the nature of contemporary science. This symposium brings together several research programs that address learning “across contexts,” that span classroom activities, museum visits, and engaging, embodied experience of science phenomena. We include an international set of presenters from Canada, USA and Norway, each engaged in design and empirical investigations of designs that blends conceptual learning with the development of inquiry skills and epistemological knowledge. Each paper presents the research context, method of design and evaluation, research progress, and science learning outcomes.

Understanding The Impact of an Apprenticeship-Based Scientific Research Program on High School Students' Understanding of Scientific Inquiry

by Mehmet Aydeniz

Beth Yeager, Irene Pattenaude, Marfa E. Franquiz, and Louise B. Jennings

by Louise Jennings

Integrating Reading, Information Literacy, and Literary Studies Instruction in a Three-way Collaboration

by David Mazella

Co-authored with Irene Ke and Laura Heidel. Published in The Learning Assistance Review 16 (2) 2011: 41-53.

This article describes a unique course-based collaboration involving an English professor, a Learning Strategies... more This article describes a unique course-based collaboration involving an English professor, a Learning Strategies Counselor, and a Librarian. The potential benefits and barriers of collaborative teaching in literature are reviewed. The article delineates a three-way instruction model built around an annotated bibliography assignment in a junior-level English class. The model integrates instruction in information literacy, critical reading, and literary studies to help students become effective readers and researchers. The results indicate that students benefit from this teaching model. The article also offers ways to make collaborative teaching work and provides suggestions for further research.

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT TOOLS FOR INQUIRY MATHEMATICS

by Kym Fry

“PS–Let's Get Back to the Book”: Students Inquiring into Their Own Literature Circle Discussions

by Louise Jennings

12. Rights, Respect, and Responsibility: Toward a Theory of Action in Two Bilingual (Spanish/English) Classrooms

by Louise Jennings

Exploring Research Data Interactively. Theme One : A Program of Inquiry

by Jon Awbrey

Awbrey, J.L., and Awbrey, S.M. (August 1990), “Exploring Research Data Interactively. Theme One : A Program of Inquiry”, Proceedings of the Sixth Annual Conference on Applications of Artificial Intelligence and CD-ROM in Education and Training, Society for Applied Learning Technology, Washington, DC, pp. 9–15.

If computer programs were smarter, they would, like people, recognize sequences of events, form models of their... more If computer programs were smarter, they would, like people, recognize sequences of events, form models of their environment, and formulate rules based on experience.  This paper describes the development of a program designed to address the difficult computational problems involved in integrating the inductive and deductive reasoning necessary to perform such tasks.  “Theme One” is a prototype program composed of “Index”, a learning algorithm for sequential data, and “Study”, an algorithm for building logical models.  The project goal is an interactive research tool that assists students and investigators in the exploration of qualitative data using artificial intelligence.

An Architecture for Inquiry : Building Computer Platforms for Discovery

by Jon Awbrey

Awbrey, S.M., and Awbrey, J.L. (May 1991), “An Architecture for Inquiry : Building Computer Platforms for Discovery”, Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Technology and Education, Toronto, Canada, pp. 874–875.

More and more we hear the complaint that the gap between research and instruction is widening and a vital sense of... more More and more we hear the complaint that the gap between research and instruction is widening and a vital sense of motivation is falling between the cracks. It is our vision that intelligent computing systems will become a partner in the reintegration of discovery and learning within the inquiry process. We will address certain issues that must be faced if computer media are to have the characteristics necessary to support this integration. The development of the computer to date has required a careful attention to the syntax and semantics of the rather limited symbol systems we have induced them to use. A capacity for communicating in multiple modalities with non-uniform communities of symbol users — for sharing in the discovery of a pluralistic universe — will demand a quantum leap in our understanding of the pragmatic dimensions of symbol use. In the future the capacity for inquiry must permeate the living architecture of the computer system. A computer program that begins to embody these ideas will be discussed.

Interpretation as Action : The Risk of Inquiry

by Jon Awbrey

Awbrey, J.L., and Awbrey, S.M. (Autumn 1995), “Interpretation as Action : The Risk of Inquiry”, Inquiry : Critical Thinking Across the Disciplines 15(1), pp. 40–52.

“We hope you will find these thoughts of ours both interesting and useful.” These are words spoken to express an... more “We hope you will find these thoughts of ours both interesting and useful.” These are words spoken to express an intention, a bearing in the mind of a person toward an object which is yet to be achieved. The readiest moment of human life involves the interplay of signs, ideas, and objects — more explicitly, the interrelation of signifying expressions, states and dispositions of the mind or person, and objects or objectives either actual or potential. Our work designing instruments to enhance the play of inquiry has attuned us to the themes of interpretation and intentionality which every inquiry seems to involve. We hear what sounds like familiar strains reaching us from the hermeneutic quarter. The purpose of this essay is to trace to their sources a few of these potentially common themes, to draw out one line of their historical development, and to gather what consequences they inspire for educational practice and continued inquiry.

Inquiry Learning: Is Your Selection Policy Ready?.

by Elizabeth Friese

Varieties of Reasoned Argument in Interpretive Inquiry Learning

by Evangelia Dimaraki

paper under review, please consult me before citing, comments welcome

Reasoned argument over knowledge claims is central to academic discourse that inquiry learning seeks to emulate in the... more Reasoned argument over knowledge claims is central to academic discourse that inquiry learning seeks to emulate in the classroom. However, the conception of reasoned argument that informs most research and practice of inquiry learning foregrounds a model of evidence-based theory selection most suitable for a specific type of science inquiry tasks. This article contributes to a more comprehensive conception by documenting reasoned argument in the context of Archaeotype, a computer-supported inquiry environment for history learning that centers around the interpretation of archaeological evidence. Our qualitative analysis of dialogic reasoning in a series of 6 teacher-led and 11 peer discussions, delineates several forms of argument: direct coordination arguments, nesting arguments, cohesion arguments, integration arguments, demonstration arguments, accommodation arguments, plausibility arguments, historical contextualization arguments and methodological arguments. These argument forms cannot be readily described within a uniform model, indeed some diverge drastically from the normative ideal of evidence-based reasoning. However, we demonstrate that Archaeotype participants used them productively to advance their inquiry. Our findings suggest that to understand better the potential of reasoned argument in inquiry learning across subject areas, we need to adopt a broader definition of reasoned argument encompassing a plurality of substantial arguments with different merits and to examine how actual arguments work in various inquiry situations.

An inclusive approach to transition in a research-led university

by Clara O'Shea

With Pearson, M., Roberts, P., & M. Lupton. (2002). Changing Agendas, the 6th Annual Pacific Rim First Year in Higher Education Conference. 7-10 July, 2002. Christchurch, New Zealand.

The Australian National University has identified transition from school to university study as a significant issue... more The Australian National University has identified transition from school to university study as a significant issue for retention, and for enabling entering students to make the most of the rich opportunities and resources offered by a research-led university. The University's approach has been informed by the findings of a number of sources including a study of the 1999 commencing cohort and the Boyer Commission Report (1998). Issues identified as significant for the ANU included the need to provide social and academic support for entering students that was more inclusive; to connect student learning support more strongly to the academic program; and to develop students as independent learners by embedding inquiry learning skills in curriculum. This paper discusses two major initiatives designed to address these issues: inquiry-based learning curriculum development in first year and a peer mentoring program for all commencing students.

Creating a Collaborative Science Learning Environment for Science Inquiry at the Primary Level

by Fiona Ching

Co-authored with Prof. Winnie So

Over the years, there has been much discussion of the use of groups to promote pupils’ academic and affective outcomes... more Over the years, there has been much discussion of the use of groups to promote pupils’ academic and affective outcomes through increasing the quality of interactions in the groups. Despite the emergence of numerous group work strategies, there is concern over the integration of group work and subject teaching. In this study, a collaborative science learning environment (CSLE) is designed to help teachers incorporate small-group learning with science inquiry. The CSLE engages pupils collaboratively in an active thinking and talking process in a scaffolding inquiry cycle. The changes in pupils’ competence in science inquiry, feelings of relatedness, and the challenges faced in the CSLE were discussed.

A draft of Viilo, M., Seitamaa-Hakkarainen, P, & Hakkarainen K. (submitted). Balancing structure and flexibility: Teacher’s orchestration in technology-enhanced collaborative inquiry process. A manuscript submitted for publication.

by Kai Hakkarainen

A draft of Viilo, M., Seitamaa-Hakkarainen, P, & Hakkarainen K. (submitted). Balancing structure and flexibility: Teacher’s orchestration in technology-enhanced collaborative inquiry process. A manuscript submitted for publication.

The present study analyzes the teacher‟s longitudinal process and challenges of balancing between structure and... more The present study analyzes the teacher‟s longitudinal process and challenges of balancing between structure and flexibility when aiming towards supporting students in taking their own responsibility for collaborative technology-enhanced inquiry practices in an ordinary elementary-level school. We examined also the teacher‟s reflecting between the collective activities about her preparing to create conditions for advancement of the project. Further, we were interested how the Knowledge Forum functioned in several roles during the longitudinal process. The analysis is based on the video recording and teacher‟s diaries. It is concluded that in activities where the teacher was present, the responsibility for directing the inquiry varied from collectively developed to teacher directed. Knowledge Forum, the networked learning environment, supported student authority and enabled the longitudinally emergent, knowledge advancement.

Creative Inquiry: Confronting the challenges of scholarship in the 21st century

by Alfonso Montuori

Futures 44 (2012) 64–70

It is becoming increasingly apparent that creativity and imagination are key to envisioning alternatives to the... more It is becoming increasingly apparent that creativity and imagination are key to envisioning alternatives to the problems of postnormal times. At the same time, educational institutions all over the globe are still mired in assumptions from the machine/industrial age, preparing students for reproduction and conformity rather than creativity. This article outlines the philosophical foundations of an educational approach in which creativity is central to scholarship, where learners move from being consumers to creators and from bystanders to participants in the postnormal dance of knowledge.

Learning to Reason About Distribution

by Dani Ben-Zvi

The Moral Consequences of John Dewey's Metaphysics

by Craig Cunningham

Inquiry-based English instruction: Engaging students in life and literature

by Richard Beach