Inquiry-Based Learning During COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic is having significant impact on schools, students and their families. It is not just remote learning that now looks and feels very different but also the very fabric of in-class inquiry-driven learning.
First it is important to say that it is okay that all of us are finding this new learning landscape difficult to navigate. Parents, teachers, and students have evidenced increased anxiety due to a complete change in patterns, social norms, and expected behaviours. Mental health and wellbeing are important and fundamental rights of children, but I will delve into that extensive subject in a subsequent article. Here, we will focus on Inquiry.
What is Inquiry Based Learning?
Inquiry based learning is more than asking a student what he or she wants to know. It’s about triggering curiosity. Activating curiosity is a far more important and complex goal than information delivery, the traditional form of teaching. Inquiry based education requires students to engage in a scaffolded process towards discovery and deeper understanding of a concept. These scaffolded cycles can look very different in each stage of a child’s development, but in each cycle we ask students to be the drivers of the learning process.
I propose that in the age of COVID-19 the only way that authentic curiosity is sustainable is when collaboration happens between the following 7 facets.
Facet 1: The student as researcher
As any parent knows, “Why?” is one of the first things children ask. It’s true, children of all ages are natural researchers; they actively desire to communicate with the surrounding world. They are engaged in their own pedagogy, that of observation and wonder. Inquiry for children is part of their natural evolution. Getting kids to inquire is the easy bit. Getting us to see them as researchers requires mindful practice.
Inviting students to become co-creators in the learning process provides opportunities for empowerment in their own learning journey. For example, Grade 5 teacher, Blaze Smith, organized a transdisciplinary Science/Math learning experience with Grades Five and Eight. The two grade levels were examining the caloric intake of different foods and collaboratively exploring the scientific method- each with very different depths of understanding being cultivated.
This shared learning experience sparked curiosity and wonder in students. It started the process of asking why. After experiencing this provocation and a few other key learning experiences, students were primed to co-construct the central idea for their upcoming unit of inquiry.
Students considered the transdisciplinary theme, chosen concepts, attitudes and attributes of the learner profile, and read curriculum outcomes that needed to be achieved. They then worked with Mr. Blaze to unpack a rich central idea which was shared by the class. Students then took responsibility for planning their inquiries and conferring with Mr Blaze if they need to refine or change their ideas. They reflected on their own learning throughout the process and gave feedback to others, offering improvements.
The role of the student:
- planning and organizing
- learning
- driving the inquiry process through their questions
- documenting learning
- learning reflections
- self and peer assessments
- action
Facet 2: The teacher as activator
The teacher is a researcher, data gatherer, and strategic contributor to the learning experience. The aim is to learn about each specific child. To understand their misconceptions, prior knowledge, personal connections and desires for action. We activate thinking by posing bigger questions, additions to thinking, we dig deep into the how and why of the child’s understanding. In this forum we are able to wonder about the big questions of life: Why are we here? Who am I? How am I connected to others? And of course, Who cares?
In Mr. Blaze’s classroom students are invited to document ongoing questions, ideas, and wonderings. He requests that student jot inquiries down and store them. This is so that they are able to revisit those notes in order to analyze, categorize and curate the quality of their questions.
The role of the teacher: Teachers support the development of knowledge, skills, conceptual understandings, learner profile attributes and considerations for action by nurturing these authentic learning experiences. To support agency, teachers might use multiple strategies, tools and resources when conferring to:
- spark interest
- create tension through provocation
- set up collaborations
- provoke investigations and reflections
- give specific and ongoing feedback on skills and understanding
- co-construct goals and next steps
- create agreements around timelines and self-assessment
- redirect learning as appropriate
- introduce new technologies
Facet 3: The caregiver as facilitator
Along with teachers caretakers can play a pro-active role in students’ lives. Before COVID-19 we filled kids after-school hours with piano, karate, soccer, art and thought that we were doing them favours by filling their time with ‘enriching’ activities. Not always so, if we are honest it takes concerted effort to facilitate the inquiry and investigations children have started at school. We have all glorified being busy- working to make money, but what if we worked less and spent more time playing WITH children? Rediscovering our own curiosity, our own maker selves. To begin to think again like designers, problem solvers, and engineers. What if piano lessons became about making instruments and an investigation into sound? What if we asked students what they wanted to investigate and let them lead the learning?
To push on the keys of a piano over and over and over to learn how to play music is one thing, to investigate the larger concepts of musical form and function is another. To wonder about where it is found around us, in running water, though hollow wood, in how it is produced by the creation of instruments- this brings a richer understanding that transcends music to all aspects of life.
The role of the caregiver: Family members are encouraged to contribute their expertise and feedback where possible. They can support their child to:
- explore ideas
- listen and question for clarification and deeper understanding
- prioritize goals
- establish timelines
- browse and suggest suitable resources
- designate check-in times to see how learning is progressing and discuss next steps
- share their inquiries with extended families or friends
- celebrate learning and daily achievements.
For families with multiple children, a family inquiry, rather than multiple personal inquiries could be planned and carried out. Members involved with this inquiry could collaboratively agree upon an area of interest.
Facet 4: The documentation as visible thinking
Documentation of learning makes thinking visible. It provides opportunities for children to revisit, extend, and change their constructed knowledge. Documentation is a process that involves observation, reflection, collaboration, interpretation, analysis, and through practice becomes second nature to the teaching and learning cycle. Continually adding to and taking away from the multiple forms of documentation: photographs, iPhone videos, iPad apps, note taking and the actual product of a child’s work create an iterative space of wonder. Posting the documentation within the classroom and home encourages the entire learning community to develop and celebrate an ethos of inquiry.
Journals can be created using various digital and non-digital tools including:
- different digital programmes to add images, audio, links etc to create presentations in different forms
- mixed art mediums (e.g. folder, poster, portfolio)
Inquiry journals can:
- facilitate feedback between both teacher and student and student to student (this can be online or face to face)
- support analysis and evaluation of information collected
- create reflection space for personal learning goals and achievements.
Facet 5: The curriculum
With the expectations of the government, parents and administrators to reach the standards sometimes teachers feel it is a daunting task to take on inquiry based learning experiences. I think that Kath Murdoch says it best.
Facet 6: The environment
Take a look around your classroom, or your child’s room. What is set up as a provocation for curiosity and exploration? Examine the look and feel of the space. Think like a designer. Environment is considered the “third teacher.” A learning space should be inviting, challenging, creative. Documentation of children’s work, plants, and collections that children have made from former outings should displayed both at the children’s and adult eye level. Common space available to all children in the school or home provide an opportunity for a welcoming environment that encourages a child to engage in wonder and discovery. And it is not just for the little learners. Primary, secondary, high schools as well as large corporate offices are taking on new and innovative learning spaces (that actually, closely resemble early learning environments).
Facet 7: The clock
Many schools have devoted a portion of each day for “Free Choice”, “20% Time”, “Whitespace”, as this time is essential for the development of natural curiosity, investigations, conversations and the building of relationships. Too often we shuttle kids in school from one subject to another, even when we are forced to learn remotely we expect students to be held to schedules that trap them in front of a screen or keep them beholden to subject specific content. Students need time to take their ideas further. In the video below the student used CoSpaces 3D rendering and Merge Cube to create a video, uploaded it to iMovie, added his explanation and then shared his product on Flipgrid. A QR code was generated and added to his original research to engage viewers. Pretty amazing really. This student took time to develop and share their idea beyond two dimensions.
Learning about specific kids, planning in order to drive the inquiry, all of this comes from the time teachers step back in their classrooms and provide opportunities for kids to explore. This time is not aimless but rather intentional and dedicated time for children to express, learn, explore, extend and revisit a given project.
In the time of COVID-19 resist the urge to fall back on traditional teaching methodology. Provide time each day set aside for investigation. Turn the iPads into research and documentation tools. In both physical and remote learning environments, personal inquiries can provide an opportunity for students to focus on their own interests and be motivated to drive their own learning. Personal inquiries seek to actively ignite passion, inspire relevance and develop agency in students.
If you would like to learn more, feel free to connect with me on Twitter at @toscakilloran
