Inquiry Inquiry Learning Learning

in an in an ICT-rich ICT-rich

EnvironmentEnvironment

Jan-Marie Kellow

Research Questions How do teachers use ICTs to support their

students’ learning when involved in the inquiry process and what are their perceptions of this use?

How do students use ICTs to support their learning when involved in the inquiry process and what are their perceptions of this use?

Common Elements Student-centred learning An investigation into a question, problem,

conflict or idea Authentic, meaningful learning Student ownership Students construct meaning Scaffolding to support learning Teacher modelling Teacher as guide or facilitator

“Inquiry is a systematic

investigation or study into a worthy

question, issue, problem or idea.”

www.galileo.org/inquiry-what.html

Authentic learning is …

“Construction of knowledge, through disciplined inquiry, to produce discourse, products and performances and that have

meaning beyond success in school.”

Wehlage, Newman & Secada

“It is sentimentalism to assume that the teaching of life can be fitted always to the

child’s interests just as it is empty formalism to force the child to parrot the formulas of

adult society.

Interests can be created and stipulated.”

Bruner

QuestionsQuestions

Student ownership

“Relevance does not have to be pre-existing for the student. Not all students arrive at the

classroom door interested in learning about verb constructs, motion and mechanics, … or

historical timelines, but most students can be helped to construct understandings of the importance of these topics. Relevance can

emerge through teacher mediation.” Brooks & Brooks

The Opoutere Learning Journey

1. Set the Scene• Prior Knowledge• Motivation

2. Task• The Question• Brainstorming• Subsidiary Questions• Plan

3. Find and Gather• Sources of Information• How to find Information• Accuracy

4. Sort/Sift/Analyse• Sort and Sift• Analyse • Apply to task

5. Create and Communicate• Create a product and/or take

action• Communicate to others

6. Evaluate• Evaluate Product

(effectiveness)• Evaluate Process (efficiency)

Inquiry

Should we clone endangered animals?

Should Marineland be allowed to get a new dolphin?

www.opoutere.schoolsonline.co.nz/

username & password: exgroup2

“You’ve got to go in there and have a look at the sites that mainly you’re going to be using. I liken it to taking the kids down to Te Papa and saying “Okay guys go for it.” They might know what they’re looking for, but do you want them to meander their whole day looking for the information, or do you want to point them in the right direction?”

(Teacher)

Complex ConceptsComplex Concepts ResourcingResourcing

Decision Decision makingmaking

Topical Topical IssueIssue

Primary Primary SourcesSources

Internet vs Books Preference

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

Both Internet

No. of Students

The The internet internet is easier is easier to use.to use.

The internet The internet is not usually is not usually out-of-date.out-of-date.

You just You just have to pick have to pick up the book up the book and look at and look at

a page.a page.

Books don’t Books don’t have those have those

stupid ads that stupid ads that pop up on the pop up on the

screen.screen.

Books are Books are easy to find easy to find

sometimes. So sometimes. So long as you long as you

don’t have to don’t have to go to the go to the

library and go library and go through all the through all the

books.books.

There There aren't many aren't many good books good books out there.out there.

You can get You can get a lot more a lot more informationinformation

The The net net is is

fastfast

Google Search Results

“Unless students are trained to use the

advanced features of search engines like Google, they tend to gather huge piles of

pages that contribute little to

understanding. Some have likened these

piles of information to a landfill.”

Jamie McKenzie (fno.org)

"Children who are in this concrete-"Children who are in this concrete-operational stage seek information operational stage seek information

that exactly matches their own search that exactly matches their own search terms or the terminology used by the terms or the terminology used by the teacher or in the assignment. In other teacher or in the assignment. In other words, they are concrete thinkers and words, they are concrete thinkers and have trouble with anything that is not have trouble with anything that is not

an exact fit with their understanding of an exact fit with their understanding of the question."the question."

Hirsch, 1999

My Task Log

Our Key Question: Should we clone endangered species?

Week 4: What we did:Read the book “How to clone a sheep”Visited websites: www.synapses.co.uk/science/clone www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/02/14/cloned.dolly.dies/index.html

What we found out: Scientists cloned a sheep called Dolly. It took 100s of attempts. Dolly has no father.Dolly died aged six. Sheep usually live to 10 or 12.She died of a disease that young sheep don’t usually get.

What next?Confirm facts on Dolly’s death from two other sources.Find out if any endangered animals have been cloned.If they were, how long did they live?

Adapted from Task Log developed by Rob Petrie

http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.phphttp://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php

Self-Self- AssessmentAssessment

Enjoyment & Difficulty Levels Group 1

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Start Finish Overall

Rating /10

Enjoyment

Difficulty

Enjoyment & Difficulty Levels Group 2

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Start Finish Overall

Rating /10

Enjoyment

Difficulty

Parents

Very helpful

Helpful Neither Helpful

nor Unhelpful

Unhelpful Very Unhelpful

Not Used

How helpful was it for your child to be able to view resources related to their project at home via the KnowledgeNet?

5 2 0 0 0 1

How helpful was it for your child to be able to work on their project at home via the KnowledgeNet?

3 4 0 0 0 1

How helpful was it to be able to see, via the KnowledgeNet, what your child was working on at school?

4 3 0 0 0 1

Issues and Solutions

Passwords & pages

Slow dial-up & computer

problems

Demonstration

Group not class

Weblinks and resources for all

Filamentality or

Class wiki

RostersRosters

Work in groupsWork in groups

Flexible timetablingFlexible timetabling

Use computers in other classesUse computers in other classes

Allow more timeAllow more time

Pub charitiesPub charities

Mobile laptop podsMobile laptop pods

Only one Only one computer?computer?

Reading Levels

•Preview and bookmark sites

•Use child-friendly search engines & sites

•Used a wide variety of resources including

books, videos etc.

•Students work with a more able buddy

•Teacher reads articles onto tape

•Shared reading of difficult sites

Student Skills

• Model inquiry/ Shared & Guided inquiryModel inquiry/ Shared & Guided inquiry

• Preview & bookmark suitable sites Preview & bookmark suitable sites

• Model & demonstrate note-taking, Model & demonstrate note-taking,

skim & scan etc. skim & scan etc.

• Model uses of ICTModel uses of ICT

• Buddy/partners Buddy/partners

• Peer tutoringPeer tutoring

““When schools put the When schools put the cart before the horse - cart before the horse - buying technology for buying technology for the sake of technology the sake of technology without asking critical without asking critical

questions about questions about purpose, use and the purpose, use and the classroom impact of classroom impact of such tools - they are such tools - they are

inviting inviting disappointment.”disappointment.”

Jamie McKenzieJamie McKenzie

www.fno.org/jan02/overequipped.html

Useful ICTs

Internet Computers Data projector LMS eg

KnowledgeNet IWB eg ACTIVboard Digital camera Scanner

Summary

Authentic learning involves knowledge construction

through disciplined inquiry and outcomes that have

meaning beyond success in school

Topics do not have to be student-initiated for students to

have ownership Guided inquiry is essential for young students and those

new to inquiry

Making weblinks and resources available to

students is really helpful

The internet provided access to primary sources

ICTs aided the decision-making process

ICTs helped overcome the problems caused by

the difficulty level of the topic

ICTs helped overcome resourcing issues

The full model is likely to work only if a high % of

students have broadband internet at home

This model should work effectively with a small

group eg. reading group

www.inquiringmind.co.nz

jkellow@xtra.co.nz

References & weblinks available on my blog www.efellows.org.nz/?q=blog/18