Enquiry-based Learning
Really nice to see a “natural” way of learning, learning through need, being promoted. “We want kids to be critical thinkers, problem solvers” – “it empowers them” Yep! Also a great example of Learning Intelligence (LQ) in action – learners managing their own learning environment to meet their learning needs.
We did it when I was in primary school but to hear the dissenting voices, you would think that enquiry-based learning was new, revolutionary and unproven.
The desire to give students of all ages more control over what and how they learn has been central to the concept of the new learning renaissance. The most difficult element of introducing enquiry-based learning has been that it requires teachers to operate in different and more facilitative ways to help each individual in the class to learn.
Our friends at Edutopia provide a useful guide: Inquiry-Based Learning: From Teacher-Guided to Student-Driven | Edutopia
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That’s a great article I must say that you have done great research on this topic. Inquiry-based learning starts by posing questions, problems or outline-rather than simply presenting accepted actuality or represent a smooth path to knowledge. The process is often assisted by a facilitator.
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Thanks Leesa. Have you explored LQ and the design process ( http://wp.me/p2LphS-40 ) or the Hero’s Journey adapted for learning ( http://wp.me/p2LphS-4q ) ? I think you will like the content as well as the narrative and approach.
One area I find teachers often find difficulty in adopting this approach is the independence of the learner, often seen as a lack of compliance rather than enquiry based behaviours. As you say the role of the teacher is more of a “facilitator” and requires a great deal of planning on the part of the teacher. Both fun and challenging though (and significant learning gains – especially in LQ)!
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