What is Inquiry-Based Learning?

(Part One of a multi-part series)

"Tell me and I forget,

show me and I remember,

involve me and I understand."

-- Author Unknown

This quote bears the essence of inquiry-based learning. Inquiry implies that there is involvement that leads to understanding. Furthermore, involvement in learning implies possessing skills and attitudes that permit you to seek answers to questions and resolutions to problems while you are constructing new knowledge or skills.

Inquiry has been defined as "a seeking for truth, information, or knowledge -- seeking information by questioning." We carry on this process of inquiry from the moment we are born until we die. Learning by inquiry continues on, even if the individual does not reflect upon the learning experience or process. Infants begin to make sense of the world by inquiring. Watch how a baby begins to make sense of the world by grasping for objects, putting things in their mouths and then using their voices, arms, legs and feet. It is logical then, for inquiry to begin with gathering information and data through the application of the human senses - seeing, hearing, touching, tasting and smelling.

Unfortunately, our traditional educational systems seem to work in a way that discourages inquiry. Students are less apt to ask questions as they move through the learning process. In traditional schools if a student asks too many questions they may be scolded, even reprimanded or told to sit and listen, instead, to what is being told to them.

So, why would any teacher discourage inquiry-based learning? Typically this would happen because of a lack of understanding about the deeper nature of the inquiry-based learning process as a whole. There may even be a tendency to view it as "fluff" learning. Effective learning by inquiry is more than just asking questions. It is a complex process where individuals attepmt to convert information and data into useful knowledge. In order for inquiry-based learning to be effective, it must include several factors: a context for questions; a framework for questions; focus for questions; and different levels of questions. Well-designed learning produces a knowledge construct that can be widely applied by the student.

As a teacher, learning how to incorporate the factors of inquiry-based learning into the classroom setting will require some careful attention to the philosophy of the process as well as structure to set the proper environment and framework in place that will allow the student to ask questions. Without this, however, the learning experience will simply not be as effective as it could. If your students are adults, in particular, the learning experience must be inquiry-based in order to appeal to the adults needs and motivations.

Copyright M. A. Webb, 2005. All Rights Reserved

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