Week 7 - Final Thoughts About Inquiry-Based Learning

This course has helped me develop a new understanding of inquiry-based learning. When this course first started, my knowledge of inquiry learning was limited to thinking it was just asking questions. As the weeks progressed, I have learned that there is much more than questioning in an inquiry-based learning environment. Inquiry learning also includes a focus on abilities and understandings along with process skills that play an important role in this type of learning environment.

In the beginning of this course, I learned that inquiry-based learning requires active learning and teaching. Building community in the classroom is an important part of any inquiry learning environment. Students need to feel safe, know they can take risks, and that their opinions are valued. Expectations need to be established early on and modeled by the teacher. Students also need to know that failure is okay and that second chances will be given.

As the weeks progressed, my idea of instruction and student engagement changed. This course provided examples of different types of inquiry learning, from teacher-directed to teacher-student shared to student-direct. There is no right or wrong way to practice inquiry learning. Flexibility in instruction and curriculum in this type of learning environment is key to making inquiry learning successful.

This course gave me the opportunity to explore several web 2.0 tools that foster inquiry. There are technology tools that can be used in each phase of the 5E instructional model to gauge student knowledge and understandings, engage students in their learning, and to assess what students have learned. I also learned about formative and summative assessments and how to use web 2.0 tools to assess students.

The last few weeks of the course provided me with the chance to create an inquiry-based lesson and unit plan that I will be able to use with my students. By doing this, I learned about the 5E’s of inquiry – engagement, exploration, explanation, elaboration, and evaluation. Through the creation of the lesson plan using the 5E model, I was able to practice Backward Design.

I do hope to implement various inquiry strategies into my own classes or classes that I co-teach. I had mentioned in a previous blog post that I did not know how to assess students in an inquiry-based learning environment. I now know that using rubrics to assess students is a direction I would like to take in my classes. In addition, I plan on continuing to use technology in my classes, but I want to make these technology-based assignments more inquiry focused. I would also like to look over lessons I teach and see what changes I can make so they are more student-directed.

I am very pleased with everything I have learned in this course. The knowledge I gained has helped me grow as an educator. I’m excited to start implementing inquiry learning into my classes.