INVOLVING OUR STUDENTS IN INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING
“Tell
me and I forget, show me and I remember, involve me and I understand”
Last time I spoke about growth mindset and its advantages for both
learners and educators in the classroom. To summarize, the growth mindset flips
the script on what it means to be successful. No longer in the education system
should the definition of success be a grade, but rather a comparison of where you have come from where you began. Through perseverance and grit, learners battle through failures
and achievements in order to build upon their knowledge, no matter where they start.
I mentioned that as long as you are on the staircase, no matter which step, and
willing to work your way up, you are on the path to success.
The
growth mindset allows learners to be creative as it welcomes failure, so long
as learners are willing to learn from it. One way, which allows learners to use
creativity while they formulate quality questions and gather authentic,
real-world problems, is inquiry-based learning. Inquiry-based learning is a student-centred
approach, which asks learners to be active participants in their own learning,
while investigating real-world problems, allowing students to extend their
knowledge beyond the four walls of their classroom (Drake, 2014). Below is a video of how to implement
inquiry-based learning into your classroom.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLjVOlnUoXU
By
involving students in active
exploration of real world problems, the hope is to create a sense of meaning and empowerment. Lay Leng and Polytechnic (2015) study shows that when students
find meaning in their education they are more likely to succeed both inside and
outside of the classroom. It shows that through problem-based learning settings,
students had enhanced engagement (active participation) and meaningful
learning. There is a plethora of research to backup the fact that students
engaging in the material in a problem or inquiry based manner, find greater
meaning and are more actively engaged.
So
how do we implement inquiry-based learning into our schools? Referring to the
adage at the beginning, it starts by involving
our learners in the classroom. Lecturing students on material out of a textbook
doesn’t give our learners a purpose, and therefore provides an education that lacks
meaning. By following the steps below, learners are able to ask questions, to
investigate, and to experiment, all while using and building critical thinking
skills.
I
had the opportunity to participate in a class where our entire structure was
case-based learning. We were given a case and divided up into different roles
so that as a group we were in contact with many professionals from the field,
research in the field, and opinions of those involved such as students and
parents. In this class, not only did I have the chance to personally connect
with the material, but also the cases allowed me to expand my knowledge outside
of our classroom at Brock University. The cases put the responsibility on us as
students to discover the different points of view and also gives motivation to
do the necessary work, as if you don’t you let your group down. While it was
most definitely a learning experience, I can say that I definitely found
meaning in taking control of my own learning and enjoyed learning through cases.
It
is said that failure is a necessary precursor to ultimate success. People say
that if you want to make it in the real world you must fail early, fail fast,
and fail often. I don’t buy into this. I think that through creative
investigation, group discussion, and personal reflection, all of which are a
piece to the inquiry-based learning pie, students have the chance to learn.
Replace each time it says failure with learning. I think that in order for learners
to be successful in the real world, the must learn early, learn fast, and learn
often. As educators we must involve our students in their own learning and one way
that we can do this is through inquiry-based learning.
Until next time,
Mr. Tiessen
Drake, S. M., Reid, J. L., & Kolohon, W.
(2014). Interweaving Curriculum and Classroom Assessment:
Engaging the 21st Century Learner. Don
Mills, ON:Oxford University Press.
Lay Leng, C., & Polytechnic, T.
(2015). Enhanced Student Engagement and Meaningful Learning: A Curriculum
Redesign. International Journal Of Pedagogy & Curriculum, 22(2),
1-13.
