 Inquiry-Based Learning Instructional Strategies Link to Video

Inquiry-Based Learning  "Tell me and I forget, show me and I remember, involve me and I understand.”

Inquiry-Based Learning  Inquiry-based learning is an instructional style based on the idea that learning may be facilitated by giving students the opportunity to explore an idea or question on their own. To arrive at an answer or to better understand the concept, students often collect and analyze data.

English/Foreign Language How to use it:  Socratic Seminar  1 or 2 Days Before: Students read an article or a portion of a larger text  Students also respond to a prompt based on the reading before the seminar  Teacher asks a thought-provoking opening question to begin  Students discuss and support their answers with evidence from the text- no “right answer”  Students have a follow-up assignment afterward Why it is effective:  Can be used in almost any subject area  Provides alternate ways for students to experience a text  Allows students to engage in ideas  Students sit in a circle and one person speaks at a time  Student-driven/Teacher facilitated  No grade is given for discussion

Math How to use it:  Student understanding is the focus  Students will actively participate by developing questions and investigations to find solutions  Teachers facilitate learning as students engage in active problem solving by asking probing questions relating to the work they are doing Why it is effective:  Inquiry based learning leads students to ask questions during investigating which will ultimately develop a deep understanding of the concepts used

Science How to use it:  Inquiry-based learning in a science class is any lab activity.  Students hypothesize and then develop a procedure to prove or disprove their hypothesis Why it is effective:  In the process of the experiment, students construct reasoning as to why the hypothesis is true or not

Social Studies How to use it:  Inquiry-based teaching provides the opportunity for more rigorous learning by using a discussion-based lesson  Calls for teachers to facilitate learning, not dictate it  Teachers pose open-ended questions and students interpret primary source documents to support their arguments to answer the questions  Interpretation of the document will not just call for “what does this document mean,” but “what does this document mean to you”  Leads to students posing questions of their own to explore Why it is effective:  Allows students to be more involved in their learning and keeps them motivated and engaged  Places value on student ideas, which is essential in shaping the lesson  Requires students to engage thoughtfully with information  Helps students to learn how to support their ideas with evidence  Provides skills needed for reading and writing  Allows for students to get deeper into the details and helps them become better thinkers and speakers

Business, Computers and Information Technology How to use it:  Try to center lessons & projects on real-world situations that make the students think like they are working in a specific industry  If creating a video game, give them specific features & requirements that a customer may have if they hired them to make a game  The student has to research what the customer wants & brainstorm ideas to discuss with the customer to make sure that the ideas match & the customer will be happy with the game  The student then has to create the game & submit it to the customer to test.  The customer gives the student feedback & then the student has to reflect on the feedback & make changes to the customer’s requirements Why is it effective: Requires students to go through the cycle below & be able to relate the classroom learning to the real-world, which helps them retain the information longer

Special Education How to use it:  Ensure your students are able to process question based information and able think ahead  Students need to be able to plan, formulate questions, and make predictions about outcomes  Use scaffolding if necessary Why it is effective:  Lets students shape the direction of the lesson  Allows for lesson to be adjusted and adapted based on monitoring what works for the student (formative assessment)  Lets lesson go where it needs to based on students different academic/ functional levels (differentiated instruction)

Examples of Use in Real Classrooms  English/Foreign Language  Video Video  Video Video  (focus on 9:54-12:00)  Math  Video Video  Science  Video Video  Video Video  Social Studies  Video Video  BCIT  Video Video

Additional Resources   dex.html dex.html  