Post 2: Inquiry-Based Learning
What is Inquiry-Based Learning?
At its core, Inquiry-based learning is an instructional approach centered on the learners (Ai et al., 2008). It encourages them to actively explore the topic, ask questions, and develop their own understanding of the concepts. Often times, traditional lecture-based teaching methods are not very engaging to most learners and does not facilitate a deep understanding of a topic. Inquiry-based learning, however, promotes a learners deeper understanding of the concepts by facilitating active engagement through critical thinking and problem-solving. Essentially, a typical lecture-based learning is considered passive whereas inquiry-based learning is active. Ai et al. (2008) discuss a framework that explains the four crucial elements to the inquiry-based learning as this: inquire (ask questions, discuss), research/reflect (identify resources, access knowledge), evaluate (assess if the resources address the questions and if they raise more questions), and construct (reformulate, re-examine, and synthesize). An important element here highlighted by Queens University (n.d.) is that the teachers are facilitators, rather than direct information sources.
How does Inquiry-Based Learning Fit Into Our Health Education Topic?
So, how does our approach fit inquiry-based learning? Well, the topic of health and wellness provides a great opportunity to implement this approach as it often involves a ton of misinformation based on unverified sources. Thus, taking this approach will help learners do their own research, think critically about claims they see through social media, and make informed healthy choices based on evidence.
Specifically, we will encourage learners to engage in questioning and investigating common diet myths, analyze social media trends, and evaluate evidence from trustworthy sources such as Canada’s Food Guide. Additionally, they will apply what they find by participating in activities like creating meal plans, debunking misinformation through group presentations, and collaboratively analyze videos about fad diets or other myths. Learners will also assess real-world examples and compare them to Canada’s Food Guide, which will allow them to gain a deeper understanding of balanced diets and help them develop the ability to challenge what they are seeing online, rather than taking it at face value.
References
Ai, R., Bhatt, M., Chevrier, S., Ciccarelli, R., Grady, R., Kumari, V., … Wong, H. (2008). Choose your own inquiry. Lanham, MD: University Press of America.
Inquiry-Based Learning. (n.d.). Queen’s University: Centre for Teaching and Learning. https://www.queensu.ca/ctl/resources/instructional-strategies/inquiry-based-learning
Conrad, thank you for sharing your thoughts and findings on Inquiry-Based Learning. I agree that inquiry-based learning promotes a deeper understanding since learners are actively engaged in seeking and evaluating answers to their questions, taking information apart, and putting back together into something new. Thank you for sharing external sources to explore as well – so that we can do our own inquiry based learning!
The topic of health and wellness does present an opportunity for students to explore the wealth of misinformation available. Open-ended investigation of diet myths and social media trends, compared with evidence from trustworthy sources, might surprise quite a few learners. This is especially powerful when we think back to the video from a few weeks ago where learners had trouble learning new information about force directions just from being told and really needed to wrestle with the misconceptions they had. https://learntech.opened.ca/response-inquiry-approach-2/
Hi! Thank you for your thoughtful reply. I’m glad it resonated with you!
Hi Conrad!!
I enjoyed the part of your post where you explain the difference between traditional lecture-based teaching vs inquiry-based learning, I feel as if I personally benefit from a more active teaching style rather than something that is very passive. I also like your point about how teachers are facilitators rather than direct instructors, personally when I am a teacher, I am wanting to engage my students in more of a inquiry-based design in as many units and topics as possible so it stimulates curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking within the students.
Hi Ella, thanks for the response! It’s great to hear a real example of this, especially from a teacher like yourself!
Hey Conrad,
this is a great breakdown of what inquiry based learning is! you’re connection to our topic is very strong, especially in terms of misinformation in health. The use of information from your own inquiry especially from Canada’s Food Guide is very strong for the importance you put on questioning and evaluating social media myths. another topic you could maybe go into is the importance of balancing the independence of an individual with the guidance their given as lots of information conflicts on the web which can be confusing and overwhelming. Overall a very strong study on what inquiry based learning is congrats!
Hi Ethan, thanks for the response. Analyzing the value, autonomy, and accountability necessary to make one’s own formed decisions is a great point. There is an abundance of conflicting misinformation out there, which makes education crucial in forming individual opinions and decisions.