Inquiry Teaching Model Including Application Using Web-questing “Inquiry is an approach to learning that involves exploring authentic experiences, that leads to asking questions and making discoveries in the search for new understandings. Students are engaged in active learning based on their own questions.” Sandra Owen, Georgia State University Lauretta Burton, DeKalb County Schools Copyright, 2006

John Dewey and Inquiry-Based Education 1859-1952 “ Learning should be hands-on and experience based, rather than abstract” This idea is the basis for a teacher as a guide rather than the teacher as "all knowing". Education begins with the curiosity of the learner. Inquiry leads to creation of new ideas.

Dewey’s Four Primary Interests of the Child 1. Instinctive desire to find things out 2. The enjoyment of conversation 3. Delight in making things 4. Gifts of artistic expression

Based on Dewey’s thesis that education begins with curiosity of the learner, we use a spiral path of inquiry : asking questions, investigating solutions, creating new knowledge as we gather information, discussing our discoveries and experiences, and reflecting on our new found knowledge.

Inquiry Process Ask: Focuses on the issue Investigate: Adds to insight through progressive questioning Create: Shapes significant new thoughts, ideas, and theories outside of his/her experience Discuss: Shares new ideas with others; ask others about their own experiences. Shared knowledge is a community building process Reflect: Looks back at initial issue, takes inventory, makes observations, and makes new decisions.

Assumptions of the Inquiry Model Questions arise out of experience; one question leads to another Materials are authentic, diverse, and challenging Activities are engaging hand-on, creating, collaborating Dialogue involves listening to one another, articulating Reflection expresses moving from new concepts into action

Initial Description Is your approach deductive or inductive? 2. Does your plan include a lesson or web quest? 3. How does the lesson include the inquiry cycle? 4. Is a combination of all five question types used? 5. Are students required to create a question map?

Asking Effective Questions Inference (“What do you know by looking at your three day food record?”) Interpretive (“How likely are you to put unnecessary stress on your legs if you fail to warm up or cool down for 30 minutes jog?”)

Asking Effective Questions Transfer (“You have learned the five components of fitness. What would you include in your personal fitness plan?”) Hypothesis (“While at a party, you are aware that a female friend has had three beers in the past hour. What alcohol related social behaviors do you predict your friend will encounter?”)

Asking Effective Questions Reflective (“While taking the SAT, you noticed a student nervously looking at the inside of his palm. What caused you to report this incident after the testing session?”)

What is a WebQuest? (http://www.ozline.com/webquests/intro.html) Challenges authentic critical-thinking, inquiry, and problem-solving; Encourages cooperative and apprenticeship learning; and Promotes the integration of technology skills.

What is a WebQuest? (Cont.) Includes five steps: introduction, task, process/resources, evaluation, and conclusion; Engages the teacher in developing the five steps of the WebQuest; Involves students in asking questions, investigating resources, and creating a solution.

A WebQuest exemplifies the Inquiry Model of teaching (http://www.lis.uiuc.edu/~chip/inqdef.shtml)

Student Question Mapping This is an ongoing investigation and discussion in the process of creating a solution to the problem. Transfer questions Hypothesis questions Solving the problem Inference questions Interpretive questions

Classroom Application “The complexity of the WebQuest problem determines whether the application will be short or long term.” Short Term WebQuests Designed to be completed in one to three class periods Long Term WebQuests Designed to take between one week and four weeks

WebQuesting incorporates NETS (National Educational Technology Standards) Basic Skills...knowledge/skills essential for effective use of technology Productivity...application of technology knowledge/skills to organize, display, and present ideas and information Communication...use of technology to share ideas/information within and beyond the classroom  

WebQuesting Incorporates NETS (National Educational Technology Standards) Societal and Ethical Issues...ethical behavior in the use of technology Research...obtain and integrate a variety of information sources to answering a research question Problem-solving/decision-making… collaborate with others in applying a variety of resources to solve an issue

Introduction Establishes the major problem to be solved Creates student interests Clearly sets up the situation

Task Clarifies the anticipated outcome of the WebQuest Provides an initial description of the roles within the WebQuest Identifies the type task (http://edweb.sdsu.edu/webquest/taskonomy.html)

Process/Resources Specifically describes each of the roles and responsibilities that students will assume during the WebQuest Includes teacher identified valid Internet and other resources for students (interviews, videos, articles) Provides guiding questions developed by the teacher to initiate group process

Evaluation Relates to the stated outcome of the WebQuest Provides clearly stated teacher developed criteria for grading the students WebQuest outcome Provides clearly stated teacher developed criteria for reviewing the student question map

Conclusion Promotes student reflection on the group process experienced during the completion of the WebQuest Encourages student reflection on additional questions that could have been asked in solving the WebQuest Challenges students to reflect on the quality of their final product

WebQuest Examples Examples can be found at: http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwche (click on webquests) http://www.spa3.k12.sc.us/WebQuests.html http://webquest.sdsu.edu/webquest.html