Inquiry Explained

What is Inquiry-Based Learning?

Inquiry is the process of formulating questions, exploring and evaluating information, analyzing and synthesizing data, organizing ideas, and communicating findings and conclusions.

Inquiry-Based Learning:

• Is driven by questions of interest rather than general topics.

• Emphasizes asking good researchable questions.

• Coaches students as they go.

• Develops information literacy skills by through demonstration, practice, and feedback.

• Draws on expertise of the instructor / teacher librarian to model effective inquiry.

• Assesses student progress in developing inquiry skills as well as understanding of content.

With the emergence of the learning commons, students in kindergarten through to grade 12 follow the stages in this model to guide them through their inquiry:

Stage 1: Exploring

Students explore by Initiating the inquiry, choosing an appropriate and personally engaging topic, and developing deep questions around the topic chosen.

Stage 2: Investigating

Students investigate their topic by designing a plan for inquiry, finding sources and selecting appropriation information, and formulating a clear focus.

Stage 3: Processing

Students process what they have found by analyzing the information, evaluating their ideas and those from selected information, and organizing and synthesizing findings

Stage 4: Creating

Students create knowledge by making products that present the results of their inquiry, assessing their product and the process they use to construct it, and extending and transferring their learning to new contexts and inquiries.