What is Inquiry-based Learning

 

    The Inquiry-based Learning Model was developed in the 1960s, during the "discovery learning" movement. It is based on the idea that people learn by investigating scenarios, and problems, and through social experiences. With discovery learning as its backbone, inquiry-based learning encourages learners to satisfy their curiosity by conducting investigations. This helps the learner to build upon their knowledge base and develop their skills and mental frames. This is a contrast to the traditional methods of learning that relied on memorization and learning from printed text. 

    Inquiry-based learning can be viewed as a process that can potentially increase mental engagement and helps learners to deeply understand what they are learning. It urges learners to:

• Develop their questioning, research, and communication skills
• Collaborate outside the learning environment
• Solve problems, develop solutions and tackle real-life questions and issues
• Participate in creating ideas and adding to the knowledge base

These are the 5 Steps of the Inquiry-based learning

1. Ask - This is the first step and it begins with the learner's curiosity about what they would like to know. At this stage, the learner asks and formulates questions about the topic they are interested in.
2. Investigate -  Asking questions leads to an investigation as the learner probes into various situations.  At this stage the learner collects information, study, conduct experiments, look for answers, and/or interviews.
3. Create - At this stage, the learner conducts analyses and provides descriptions. The students start to make connections and synthesize the knowledge which provokes new knowledge and ideas. 
4. Discuss - At this stage, the learner communicates findings, verbally or in writing with others about their experiences and investigations. This helps to foster a community of knowledge.
5. Reflect - The learner thinks about the information and the knowledge obtained. They will look back at the initial question, the steps taken and the conclusions drawn. The learner may ask themselves whether or not their question was answered or are there new questions coming from the process.

This cycle can be continuous and one that students can engage in to learn more about a topic they are interested in. The cycle begins with a question and ends when the question is answered. However, there may not be a definite end as new questions may arise in the reflection stage of the cycle.

The principles of Inquiry-based learning

    These are the principles that govern inquiry-based learning:

Principle 1

    The entire process centers around the learner, instructors, technology, and resources are only there to adequately support the learner.

Principle 2

    All learning activities revolve around information-processing skills.

Principle 3

    Instructors are facilitators and aid in the learning process. They strive to learn about their students and the process of inquiry-based learning.

Principle 4

    The emphasis should be placed on evaluating the development of information-processing skills and conceptual understanding and not on the actual content of the field.

There are four forms of inquiry that are commonly used in inquiry-based instruction:

1. Confirmation Inquiry - Learners are given a question and a method by which the answer or end result is already known. The learner's goal is to confirm the results. This helps the learner to reinforce ideas that are already established and to practice their investigation skills.

2. Structured Inquiry - Learners have given the question and the method for getting to the answer or the end result but the goal is to provide an explanation that is already supported by the evidence gathered during and through the investigative process.

3. Guided Inquiry - Learners are only given a question. The main goal is to design the method of investigation and then test the question itself. This type of inquiry is not typically as structured as the previously mentioned forms of inquiry.

4. Open Inquiry - Learners must form their own questions, design investigative methods, and then carry out the inquiry itself. They must present their results at the end of the process.

    

In a learning environment, inquiry-based learning help instructors provide learners opportunities to fully explore problems and scenarios, to help them learn from the process and also the results. Learners are encouraged to ask questions, explore their surroundings, and obtain evidence that supports claims and results. This assists the learner in designing a convincing argument regarding the way they arrived at the end result.