RSA2: Learning how to design a technology supported inquiry-based learning environment

Resource of the Week: Learning how to design a technology supported inquiry-based learning environment by Meral Hakverdi-Can, Duygu Sönmez, Hacettepe University, College of Education, Turkey http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1001628.pdf

Topic

The topic of the week is inquiry-based learning. Inquiry based learning is a process that changes the traditional roles of the teacher and student. The student is put in charge of his or her own learning through the inquiry process, while the teacher is more of a facilitator to the process. There is also a shift from focus on content to a focus on the questioning. Students have to have an initial question on a particular topic; this can be solely generated by the student, or posed by the teacher. From here the student is responsible for gathering relevant resources that will help them to ultimately formulate an answer to the initial question. The student then has to vet the resources found. This means determining credibility and relevance to the initial question. During this process students may find they have additional related questions that need answering to help better understand the initial question. The final step of the process has students report on their findings, making them the expert through this inquiry process. Here students are not just repeating facts that have been provided to them through lectures and handouts from the teacher, but instead they are explaining the information that they have learned by applying the inquiry process.

Article

An article that supports the ideas of this week’s topic is entitled: “Learning How to Design a Technology Supported Inquiry-Based Learning Environment” by Meral Hakverdi-Can and Duygu Sönmez. (2012) This article discusses the experience of pre-service teachers learning the inquiry-based learning process and designing a technology supported inquiry-based learning environment. (Hakverdi-Can, 2012) These teachers created WebQuests that would help students follow the inquiry-based learning process. A WebQuest is an activity that utilizes the Internet to provide students with a topic and links to various resources for review. The students can use this to create their initial question, select the resources that are related to their question, review and interpret the information found and then report their findings. The study concluded that the WebQuest is an effective teaching tool and helps to set up a technology supported inquiry-based learning environment. (Hakverdi-Can, 2012)

Relationship

The Modified Moore Method (MMM) is a inquiry-based learning process that was originally created with mathematics in mind. This method was names after professor R. L. Moore of the university of Texas. (Schinck, 2011) This method purports “that student(s) is taught the best when told the least.”(Schinck, 2011) This frame of thinking is the foundation of inquiry-based learning and the article of the week displays this understanding. The teachers are preparing students to be investigators through the creation of WebQuests. These students will have to frame their own understanding through investigation and research. Though facilitated by teachers, students are empowered to be the thinkers.

References

Hakverdi-Can, M., & Sönmez, D. (2012). Learning how to design

a technology supported inquiry-based learning environment. Science Education International, Vol.23 (No.4), 338-352. Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1001628.pdf

 

Schinck, A. (2011). The road to present day inquiry-

based learning. The Academy of Inquiry Based Learning Retrieved from http://www.inquirybasedlearning.org/?page=Why_Use_IBL