Thoughts on Inquiry-Based Learning

After taking the Master's class on Inquiry Based Learning (IBL) this summer, I am fully convinced of its effectiveness to help students develop a deeper understanding of not only science, but whatever they investigate. Compared to traditional learning, you can see from the picture below how much more engaged and responsible a student is during IBL.

Spirou, C. (2012). Inquiry based learning pl faculties. [Slide] Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/CherineSpirou1/inquiry-based-learning-pl-faculties

Wilkes University (2016), highlights the strengths of IBL in their summary of this course:

"Wilkes Inquiry-based instruction is a powerful way for students to learn through active engagement with their environment. Teachers who engage in this form of instruction orchestrate a learning environment that allows students to develop deep understanding and enriched knowledge about selected topics. Inquiry should be one of the methodologies that teachers employ in meeting the challenges of today's academic expectations. We live in an era of rapidly expanding knowledge, which highlights the need for students to be lifelong learners. Inquiry skills support students' abilities to question and methodically investigate a wide range of subject matter. This course will explore Inquiry as a teaching technique, utilizing technology to support the various stages of the process."

As far as what I will do with IBL in the future, I see myself as keeping it at the forefront of my teaching as much as possible, especially in science class. IBL makes so much sense because it encourages and facilitates a student's natural curiosity to investigate, which everyone is born with. I just want to make sure that I never take the fun away from them by telling them what I learned from my investigations if they can do it themselves! It should be my job to do give them opportunities to investigate the questions they have (related to the curriculum) and provide the time, materials, and structure necessary for them to do so. To help me remember more specifics about implementing IBL in my classroom, I've compiled some highlights from my notes taken during this class:

Highlights of IBL

• IBL's Process (for students to go through)
• Ask – question out of curiosity, identify problem
• Investigate – research, study, experiment, observe, re-question
• Create – make connections & synthesize info to create new ideas
• Discuss – share new ideas, give & receive feedback, compare
• Reflect – look at big picture, analyze what was learned/created, determine new questions to investigate…
• 
  
• Building Community - in order for students to have the confidence to question phenomena, experiment with trial and error, and effectively communicate their findings to a larger audience, there needs to be values upheld and taught to them...
• respect for one's self, each other, and property
• active listening
• empathy
• encouragement, especially during problems & challenges
• cooperation
• supporting ideas with evidence & data
• positive, persevering attitude
• quality before quantity
• everyone's contribution is valuable

• Process skills vs. Content - process skills are just as important as the content learned, because the process skills are the vehicle to reach the destination of knowledge
• observing
• questioning
• planning
• investigating
• formulating explanations
• making predictions
• analyzing data
• communicating

• Facts & Concepts - the difference is important to understand when planning for IBL
• Facts = very specific pieces of information (Frogs are amphibians)
• Concepts = big ideas that connect multiple facts together (How the life cycle of amphibians is affected by the environemnt)

• Useful Web 2.0 Tools - ways for students to show learning and participate in the investigations
• Presentation (VoiceThread, Prezi, Google Slides)
• Video (YouTube Video Creator, WeVideo, iMovie)
• Mobile (Kahoot, Quizlet Live)
• Community (TodaysMeet, Google Apps for Education - the collaborative aspect)

• Scientific Explanation - how a student should explain their investigation's findings
• Declare a hypothesis
• Provide evidence for the hypothesis from the investigation
• Explain how the evidence connects with the hypothesis

• Backward Design Lesson Plan Method - thinking with the end in mind first, then deciding on the means to get there
• Start with identifying what the standards or learning objectives are
• Decide what evidence is necessary for students to demonstrate understanding of content and/or mastery of a skill
• Plan facts, concepts & skills for students to develop; list of materials; description of learning activities

• 5E Instructional Design Method - research-proven way to empower and equip students in scientific investigations
• Engage
• Explore
• Explain
• Elaborate
• Evaluate

• Formative Assessments - feedback given/recorded during the learning process to help the teacher appropriately adjust instruction for maximum student progress, and to help the student see where they are at to be able to better manage and focus their learning
• Define & explain expectations; set learning goals
• Observations
• Discussions (various questions used to gauge student understanding)
• Self-assessments
• Informal quizzes
• Checklists
• Single-point rubrics

• Summative Assessments - grading students at the end of a unit/semester/year to determine what they learned compared to the learning goals
• Unit test
• Culminating presentation
• Standardized achievement test

How the 5E Instructional Model Helps Support Inquiry-Based Learning

Denton ISD. (2016). The 5E Instructional Framework for Secondary Academics. [Infographic]. Retrieved from http://www.dentonisd.org/Page/185

The above infographic does a great job at summarizing the 5E Instructional Model for learning. The creator of the infographic, Denton ISD, a school district in Texas, also has a great accompanying PDF that further describes each part of the model, specific student behavior (questions & actions), and what the teacher can/should be doing to facilitate each part.

Inquiry-based learning is built on the foundation of students being at the center of their learning, having more ownership and involvement in their learning, and solving relevant investigations to develop deeper understandings and skills for life. The 5E Instructional Model definitely helps this method of learning, and puts some structure on it. To see how exactly that happens, we need to better understand how the 5E Instructional Model works.

As all teachers know, the best place to accurately understand something is to go to the primary source. So, most of my time learning about the 5E Instructional Model was from its creators, BSCS (Biological Studies Curriculum Study). I'm surprised that I hadn't heard of it before, even though it was created in 1987. But that just goes to show that there is a LOT of helpful information out there just waiting for discovery - by me and my students! Here is a quick and simple overview video of the 5Es from their site:

After taking time to watch some of the videos from BSCS and reading their descriptions, I tried my hand at defining each part of the model in my own words. I also included an example of how each would be used in a 4th grade science lesson on magnetism:

ENGAGE: The teacher connects students' prior knowledge to a new topic/concept to be investigated and understood. Students are drawn into the topic with an interesting 'hook' that pertains to their lives and heightens their curiosity.
This could happen by a teacher pulling out Doodle Magnetic Drawing Boards for students' to draw with and connect prior experiences with it and the topic under study - magnetism.

EXPLORE: This is when students are given the time, tools, and means to have a more in-depth, hands-on experience related to the topic so that they can prove/disprove pre-conceptions and create new understandings about the topic. 
This could happen by giving students a variety of magnets (including magnetic rocks), iron filings, and other materials that help them see and experience how magnetism works and what affects it's strength and forces.

EXPLAIN: Students are given the opportunity to share their observations and new understandings about the topic based on their explorations. The teacher/text can also provide some more explanation(s) to deepen the students' understanding.
This could happen by having students pair-share, document their learning in a journal/lab book, discuss their findings as a whole class, or even compare their observations and conclusions to a text or the teacher's knowledge.

ELABORATE: Students are challenged to take what they've learned through their explorations and explanations, and apply it to a more complex task, question, or investigation. Students develop a deeper understanding of the topic through a more rigorous and informed investigation.
This could happen by the teacher challenging the students to perform a multi-faceted investigation. The success and understanding of it will depend on utilizing everyone's skills and knowledge related to the topic. 


EVALUATE: The teacher and the students assess how the students performed during the investigation, what they ultimately discovered, what skills and understandings they developed and/or mastered, and what they proved/disproved.

This could happen by the teacher and students using a rubric or checklist. It could also involve a round-table discussion and analysis of each group's investigation results and performance.

Thumb Up. Social media and network concept.. [Clip Art].
Retrieved from Encyclopædia Britannica ImageQuest. 
http://quest.eb.com/search/186_1623253/1/186_1623253/cite

I really like the 5E Instructional Model because from my experience in the classroom, it really makes sense for a flow of learning, especially with science investigations. Because science investigations are best done using the scientific method and empowering students to learn as they experiment and observe with hands-on materials, the 5E lends itself perfectly to helping accomplish that. The ENGAGE part helps first connect students' background knowledge with the upcoming investigation. The EXPLORE part involves the kids in 'getting their hands dirty' in learning with their scientific investigation. The EXPLAIN part helps students show and articulate their evidence-based learning with peers, which helps cement in their mind what they've learned. It also provides students with strong motivation to further their understanding with research to prove or disprove other questions they have. The ELABORATE part challenges students to take their learning to the next level by applying their investigation in more real-world ways. This is Inquiry-based learning at its best, because the students are seeing how their learned knowledge and skills can help solve a real problem. The EVALUATE part hopefully provides an authentic audience who can listen to and/or view the students' findings, and give helpful feedback to affirm their work and propel them towards deeper understanding and improved methods for future investigations.

Overall, the 5E Instructional Method complements and helps accomplish inquiry-based learning with a deeper, more organized methodology. 

Web 2.0 Tools for the Classroom - Dropbox, GAFE & VoiceThread

For this week's focus in my Inquiry Based Learning class from Wilkes University, I looked at various Web 2.0 tools. According to Wikipedia (2016), Web 2.0 refers to websites that, "allow users to interact and collaborate with each other in a social media dialogue as creators of user-generated content in a virtual community, in contrast to Web sites where people are limited to the passive viewing of content. Examples of Web 2.0 include social networking sites, blogs, wikis, folksonomies, video sharing sites, hosted services, Web applications, collaborative consumption platforms, and mashups."

One of the resources I perused for Web 2.0 tools was Discovery Education, a multimedia site dedicated to helping teachers provide quality content and Web 2.0 capabilities to their classrooms. What was interesting about it was that some of the Web 2.0 tools contained on the site or referred to in the informational videos had either evolved significantly or shut down! The reason this was interesting was because the site was made in 2014, just two years ago! This is a clear reminder that you don't want to completely count on any Web 2.0 tool to stay the way you first learn how to use it, let alone keep operating. I know that is a bit frustrating, but usually the changes (updates) are needed and help improve the tool's use for the classroom. The downside to that (for cheap teachers like me) is when a Web 2.0 tool starts charging a subscription to use their tool.

The only tool I have actually felt was worth subscribing to, because I couldn't find a better (free) alternative, was Dropbox. I tried other cloud-based storage-sharing platforms, but none worked as smoothly as Dropbox. In my classroom it has been the easiest way to share files that are not created in GAFE, such as our Yearbook (using Adobe's InDesign) and the photos with it. Besides Dropbox, I feel that Google Apps for Education (GAFE) has supplied the Web 2.0 tools most helpful for my classroom. My students and I regularly use and collaborate with the following apps in GAFE:

1. Docs - writing assignments
2. Sheets - writing assignments, such as yearbook paragraphs
3. Drawing - art projects or visual aids for presentations
4. Slides - research presentations & music 
5. Classroom - writing prompt, assignment, & assessment platform; dialogue center
6. Blogger - daily classroom news & potential homework (communication to parents from the students and teacher)

I am confident that GAFE won't ever cost money, since Google is very supportive of education and has more money than they know what to do with.

In the context of Inquiry Based Learning, I am excited to incorporate VoiceThread into my Web 2.0 toolbox this coming year (pending our amount & access to Chromebooks). Here is an introduction to VoiceThread, in case you haven't used it before:



I played with it a little this week and re-discovered how easy it is to use, and how wonderful it is for giving and receiving feedback on presentations. I see it as a very effective tool for my students to share their investigations; explain their results with evidence using pictures, video clips, and comments; and then critique each other's. I could even have parents and real scientists log in and critique students' presentations! So, depending on how I end up using it with my students, it may be worth subscribing to for a classroom version that would help me moderate my students' work easier. Here is a VoiceThread explaining the benefits of the classroom version.



I particularly like the idea of my students being able to collaborate with students around the world in the education version of VoiceThread, because it would be a very safe, controlled environment with quality accountability. What do you think of VoiceThread?

Sources
Stacey. (2015). The Influence of Web 2.0 on Marketing and Sales - Part 2. [Infographic]. Retrieved from https://www.onehourtranslation.com/translation/blog/influence-web-20-marketing-and-sales-part-2

Web 2.0. (2016, July 20). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 18:52, July 24, 2016, fromhttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Web_2.0&oldid=730638388

Inquiry Based Learning - Week 3 Thoughts

Its been fun learning about Inquiry Based Learning (IBL) so far this summer, and I'm feeling more confident about using it more intentionally in my classroom now. Being a visual person, I learn and remember things well when I can see it in action. For example, my Master's classmates and I got to watch a video of a high school class learning about optics through inquiry.

Video link.

It was very helpful for me to see a real teacher using it, and it looked very effective. If you go watch it, you'll notice how the teacher empowers and challenges the students to take ownership of their learning (my favorite part of IBL). And when they ask him questions, he doesn't just answer them, but asks them questions to help them discover the answers for themselves. Plus, instead of just modeling how to work with optics, he puts the objects and tools in their hands and lets them investigate how to do it themselves. From my experience as a student and teacher (learner in both cases), any hands-on learning is more effective than lecture learning.


I love this picture below because it helps me visualize some of the understandings essential for IBL.

Inquiry Learning. (2016). Retrieved from http://inquirylearning428.weebly.com/uploads/1/8/8/3/18830120/9931927.jpg?312

My teacher, Professor Karen Johnson (2016), lists these understandings. Here are a few that can be supported from the above graphic:

• Different kinds of questions suggest different kinds of investigations.
• Current knowledge and understanding guide investigations.
• Investigations sometimes result in new ideas and phenomena for study, generate new methods or procedures for an investigation, or develop new technologies.

As you can see, IBL encourages a variety of ways to achieve the learning goals. It is in a way like differentiating instruction because it allows students to sometimes dictate their own learning path, which can tap into their learning style, interests, and/or abilities. Not only that, but IBL in its freest sense (open inquiry) lets students investigate their own questions. Now when the teacher gives the context for those investigations, students, like these arrows, can arrive at similar conclusions even though they've asked unique questions that led to unique investigations.

Here is a great infographic that helps in simply describing the IBL process:

IBLibrary. (2015). The Cycle of Inquiry-based Learning. [Infographic]. Retrieved from http://www.peoplemagazines.net/wp-content/plugins/RSSPoster_PRO/cache/cdd5d_TheCycleofInquirybasedlearning.jpg

Here is another helpful graphic that lists questions for each category to help the participants know if they are thoroughly accomplishing each process.

The Inquiry Process. (2016). Planning for Inquiry Based Learning. [Infographic]. Retrieved from http://titleiidgrants.wikispaces.com/Planning+for+Inquiry-based+Learning

 The main questions I have in regards to IBL at this point in my understanding of it are "What are the roadblocks to successfully implementing IBL in the classroom?" and "What specific rubrics and/or formative assessments can I get my hands on to use in my classroom?"
What brought about these questions was an Inquiry Learning (2016) website that has a page dedicated to the limitations of IBL. Here is what caught my eye:
"During IBL, the learning is student centered and the teacher works only as a facilitator, suggesting that students may stray  from the task at hand. To combat this, it is suggested that teachers monitor all students during the investigations, ensuring students are staying on task and are heading in the right direction. 

In conducting an inquiry based investigation, teachers should be very prepared to meet students' needs during the investigation which involves a lot of preparation and planning time. Assessing the students who are conducting IBL can be very difficult, as all students can take their investigations to new places and go above and beyond the expected requirements. It is essential that students are given a rubric that can guide their learning and help them determine how successful they will be in their investigations."

I hope specific ideas to combat these challenges and ways to confidently assess IBL in the classroom will be addressed in the upcoming weeks of this class.


Sources

Annenberg Learning Center. (2000).The Physics of Optics. Retrieved July 7, 2016 from http://www.learner.org/vod/vod_window.html?pid=1414

Inquiry Learning. (2016). Limitations of Inquiry Based Learning. Retrieved from http://inquirylearning428.weebly.com/limitations-of-inquiry-based-learning.html

Johnson, K. (2016). Topic A: Abilities, Understandings and Process Skills in the Classroom. Retrieved form https://live.wilkes.edu/d2l/le/content/216356/viewContent/2262979/View

Inquiry Based Learning - 1st Week

I have greatly enjoyed this first week of learning about inquiry based learning because it totally makes sense as an effective learning method to use! To have a learning environment in which students take more ownership of their learning, ask genuine questions of curiosity, and are ‘guided on the side’ by their teacher has always been a goal of mine. To have motivated students is always a teacher’s goal, because that’s when students will really learn and remember their learning.

I really like Inquiry Page’s (2010) defense for inquiry based learning - “All learning begins with the learner. What children know and what they want to learn are not just constraints on what can be taught; they are the very foundation for learning.” Without investment from the student, the likelihood of them putting something into long-term memory is less than ideal.

I found myself agreeing on another point that Inquiry Page brought up – that a teacher’s (and community’s) job is to direct and mentor a student’s questions and learning towards the benefit of the community. To be more specific, Inquiry Page (2010) describes a simple, doable process:o   Ask – question out of curiosity, identify problem
o   Investigate – research, study, experiment, observe, re-question
o   Create – make connections & synthesize info to create new ideas
o   Discuss – share new ideas, give & receive feedback, compare
o   Reflect – look at big picture, analyze what was learned/created, determine new questions to investigate…
 This week’s study on inquiry based learning was another great reminder for me to not let myself slip into the all-too-comfortable lecturing role that traditional education uses to share information. I like to lecture and convey what I feel is important information to my students, and there is a time and place for that. But I also want to make sure to be more intentional about letting student questions and curiosity affect where the learning journey goes.

Now that I have become more confident about the definition and process of inquiry based learning, I want to see it in action. More importantly, I want to obtain some sample formal and informal assessment tools to use with this process, since it sounds more like project-based learning, which requires more self assessments, rubrics, and checklists, compared to traditional learning.

Sources

Inquiry Page. (2010). Definition of Inquiry. Retrieved from http://www.cii.illinois.edu/InquiryPage/inquiry/definition.html

Inquiry Page. (2010). Inquiry Process. Retrieved from http://www.cii.illinois.edu/InquiryPage/inquiry/process.html