Ask, Find Out, Act: The Benefits of Inquiry-based Learning

Science labs. Rock climbing. Student-led projects. The Amazon Field School. What do these have in common? They are all taught at KPU with an inquiry-based learning model. Or have the potential to be. Inquiry-based learning puts students in the driver’s seat and has them explore and share an experiential research or creative process/project that holds relevance to their identity and passions.

When I started teaching at KPU in 2002 I held tight to a script. I described things the same way, in the same order, to the same conclusion. This felt safer. Being neurodivergent, I appreciated a clear plan to follow, where things unfolded in a familiar routine. Unfortunately, this rarely served my students. Like a go-to recipe, I’m sure some students readily consumed this approach, especially those happier to be more passive in the learning process, and less eager to challenge concepts or the instructor. However, I suspect many preferred to be fed something else, or even come up with their own ingredients for learning, even as they nodded their heads or said they had no questions for me, the authority figure. I can’t say for certain which method they preferred, because back then I didn’t ask.

One provocation that shook my teaching practice is a customer service story my wife told me. It goes like this: if you have five minutes with a customer, spend the first four minutes finding out what they want, and the last minute directing them to where they need to go. Translated to education, this means getting to know your learners, building relationship and community, and meeting students where they are at. Then offer guidance, while students lead the way.

Inquiry-based learning (IBL) takes a similar approach. Originally designed to parallel the scientific method, IBL is applicable in any discipline. Students share their curiosities, ask questions, tell you where they want to go, and then you guide them toward their destination.

Six key frameworks for inquiry-based learning:

1. Learner-centred. Students are in the driver’s seat, and are central to the design, implementation, and assessment of their own learning.

• Active. Unlike transmission-based lecture, learning is largely experiential, and students make their own connections to personal or real-world issues.

• Reflective. Students develop and examine their own learning process and adapt their approach based on self-refection and instructor feedback.

• Curiosity-driven. The instructor creates a learning environment where students can take risks, follow their own curiosities, and tackle authentic tasks.
• Process-based. Although a final product or solution is typically part of the IBL approach, the process is where most of the deeper learning takes place.

• Constructivist. The theory that learners need to construct knowledge for themselves, through experience and reflecting on this experience. Learning is seen as an active and social process, with motivation central to students’ ability to learn.

At the post-secondary level, inquiry-based learning has shown dramatic effects on student achievement. One example: in a study published in the International Electronic Journal of Mathematics Education, algebra students taught through IBL significantly improved their performance; in addition, the retention rate was 92% for students taught via IBL, and 32% for those taught via lecture. Another study published in the Canadian Journal of Higher Education reveals that inquiry-based learning fosters student ability to access and use refereed articles and specialized research databases, concurrently being less reliant on Wikipedia and instructors for information.

Eight benefits of inquiry-based learning.

Inquiry-based learning can also address issues specific to higher education.

1. Identify gaps in student understanding. Being process-based enables regular feedback from the instructor and reflection by the student, which can help pinpoint misconceptions.
2. Lack of student motivation. Since students are more involved in the process, those taught via IBL show greater motivation, engagement, retention, and achievement compared to traditional (or transmission-based) approaches to teaching.
3. Surface learning. Metacognition and active learning help facilitate a deeper engagement and understanding of concepts and ideas.
4. Diverse student needs. Universal design for learning aligns well with IBL, allowing more learner autonomy and ways for students to express their learning.
5. Community building. The collaborative nature of IBL, group work and discussion, and sharing of knowledge helps strengthen relationships within and beyond the classroom.
6. ChatGPT. The design of IBL deters plagiarism and the inappropriate use of AI tools. Learning that is relevant, co-created, and reflected upon is less likely to involve plagiarism.
7. Disciplinary silos. IBL can provide interdisciplinary bridges and cultivate critical thinking that links theory with practice.
8. Mental health. Many learners struggle with mental health. IBL helps facilitate a meaning-making process and can build learner confidence and self-esteem.
9. Employability. IBL cultivates numerous skills considered important to project management, communication, creativity, problem-solving and teamwork.
10. Wicked problems. Complex and multifaceted problems such as the climate crisis, public health, and global inequity can be difficult to authentically address. The collaborative and reflexive approach of IBL is better able to tackle—and make germane—various wicked problems. 

There are different frameworks for inquiry-based learning. The model developed by Trevor MacKenzie, a local educator and international expert in IBL, is outlined in this infographic (for full details, visit the Teaching and Learning Commons Inquiry-based Learning resource ). Here, we can see the importance of learners developing their own questions to follow. Instructors can support them by offering multiple opportunities to reflect on their inquiry journeys, and encouraging a final sharing with the class or community.

Ask. Find Out. Act.

Although inquiry-based learning can occur in a single assignment, or within a single lab period, it can also stretch into community and social justice issues. Another model for IBL is socio-scientific inquiry-based learning (SSIBL). This links inquiry-based science education, the examination of social issues connected to sustainability or other environmental or scientific issues, and active citizenship. SSIBL is sometimes broken into three steps: ‘Ask’ authentic questions, ‘Find Out’ by collecting evidence and different perspectives, and ‘Act’ by directly engaging with community or through political action. SSIBL facilitates community engagement and helps learners become agents of change.

This model is adaptable to any discipline. ‘Ask’ your students what they are curious about. Help them ‘Find Out’ more about this topic by providing a supportive and reflective learning environment. Have students ‘Act’ on their inquiry journeys by presenting or sharing their ideas and creations with the community.

 

Want to increase student motivation, agency, and confidence? Inquiry-based learning is an educational model that let’s students write the script. Transformation often follows.

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Reference: 

Beavington, L. (2024, September 11). Ask, find out, act: The benefits of inquiry-based learning. Reposted with permission via email correspondence. Retrieved from https://wordpress.kpu.ca/tlcommons/ask-find-out-act-the-benefits-of-inquiry-based-learning/

This resource is shared by the Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching and Learning (GMCTL), University of Saskatchewan, under a CC BY-NC-SA license.