Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) is an educational approach that puts students at the center of the learning process that aims to engage and play an active role in their own learning. Since this is self-directed and self-motivated, content delivery is most critical. While instructional learning allows the teacher to present the facts and their pre-mapped knowledge on the subject, this method makes it the learner’s responsibility to discover new knowledge.
What it involves
IBL has five main concepts, which are
Orientation: For the students to engage with and deep-dive into the topic, material is provided either through media, peers, or subject experts. At this stage, the educator focuses only on providing resources, building curiosity, and creating open mindedness.
Conceptualisation: The students create the big question/ hypothesis using concept mapping hosting Socratic seminars and brainstorming sessions. They use their analytical skills, gather and interpret data while going through the material provided earlier.
Investigation: In this phase, the students carry out experiments and hands-on activities to explore. They are curious, creative, interdependent and self-directed. They find evidence to support or disprove the hypothesis.
Reflection and designing: The stage includes reflecting on the end result and the process used to derive the end result. They predict the outcomes of the new experiment and reflect on how to further improve it. They compare the new knowledge to the earlier one.
Discussion, documentation, and share: Students elaborate and collaborate on their understanding through debates and discussions. According to Duran and Duran 2004, students may conduct additional investigations, develop products, and share information and ideas. It allows students to connect what they’re learnt in the classroom to the real world.
Advantages
- Encourage use of experiments, debates, hands on activities, field trips projects and team work thus making the classroom joyful and interesting.
- Connects the students to real world and allows them to relate to their learning, thus keeping them engaged in their own learning.
- The educator’s focus shifts from the content to the process. He/she encourages and motivates the students and creates room for them to explore, make mistakes and relearn.
- The students master skills and concepts and learn to research, analyse and interpret data.
- Retention of concepts learnt is better and more as the learning is self-directed.
- Students learn collaboration, and communication and to present their results and findings as a team. Not only does it encourage peer learning but also the use of different forms of expressions to present their result.
Inquiry-based Learning should be used in classrooms to help students develop 21st century skills. With this methodology, students learn to reflect on WHO, WHAT, WHY, WHOM, and HOW, and move forward to explore new ideas.
The writer is the Academic Advisor, Cyboard School
Published - June 03, 2023 03:21 pm IST
