RSA #2: The Role of General Inquiry Knowledge in Enhancing Students’ Transformative Inquiry Processes in a Web-Based Learning Environment. & Guided Inquiry: School Libraries in the 21st Century

Link:

1.      http://cucproxy.cuchicago.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=cookie,ip,cpid&custid=s8419239&db=a9h&AN=94909550&site=ehost-live

2.      https://comminfo.rutgers.edu/~kuhlthau/docs/GI-School-Librarians-in-the-21-Century.pdf

 

Inquiry Based Learning (IBL) has been described as a student-centered and highly self

-directed constructivist form of learning (Mäeots & Pedaste, 2014). By asking students questions of inquiry, teachers can provide students with more meaningful learning experiences by having them apply their prior knowledge. In the article number one, the authors states “inquiry is a very useful and effective learning method, helping students’ better to understand the world around them” (p. 19). By involving students in the learning process, IBL provides students with learning experiences that are more likely to build and retain knowledge and skills students will use over time.

            In correlation to Mäeots and Pedaste’s article, Kuhlthau (2010) provides insight about the core of education in the 21^st century is evolving and how IBL can support students in this area. Because future careers are unknown, “The 21st century calls for new skills, knowledge and ways of learning to prepare students with abilities and competencies to address the challenges of an uncertain, changing world” (p. 17).  When they enter the work force today’s students will benefit more from having problem-solving skills than rote knowledge. IBL is a teaching and learning method that focuses heavily of the process of learning. Mäeots and Pedaste (2014) describe IBL as both the process of acquiring content knowledge and improving inquiry skills. The two resources make a strong statement about IBL involving students in the process of learning as well as providing students with the skills of inquiring.

            Inquiry Based Learning can be applied in the Family and Consumer Science classroom by posting a statement that a professional in the field would have to research, having students ask questions of inquiry, and having students research their questions. For examples, in a Child Development class the teacher could post the following statement for students “Women can experience complications during pregnancy and childbirth. They can involve the mother's health, the baby's health, or both. Some women have health problems before they become pregnant that could lead to complications. Other problems arise during the pregnancy.” An expert from a local hospital can visit the classroom to tell students about their experiences related to prenatal diseases and conditions.  Students would then be responsible for creating a list of questions based on the statement and speaker. Students would then pick one questions to research and create a report on the topic. Questions might include topics like: effects of alcohol on mothers and babies, gestational diabetes, ectopic pregnancies, breech births, etc. Students would be guided by the teacher when researching throughout the stages of the inquiry process.

            Implementing Inquiry Based learning into a classroom is reinforcing the 21^st century skills of problem solving and inquiry. IBL requires active student involvement as they examine higher level questions posed by teachers or students. IBL can be used in all content areas including Family and Consumer Sciences and these resources are tools to help start the process of implementing IBL into a classroom.

 

References

Mäeots, M., & Pedaste, M. (2014). The role of general inquiry knowledge in enhancing students’ transformative inquiry processes in a web-based [j1] [CK2] learning environment. Journal of Baltic science education, 13(1), 19-31.

Kuhlthau, C. (2010). Guided inquiry: School libraries in the 21^st Century. School libraries worldwide, 17-28.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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