LearningLearningThrough Through InquiryInquiry: :

What Teachers What Teachers Need to Know Need to Know

What is Inquiry-Based Learning? What is Inquiry-Based Learning?

• Originates with John Dewey’s philosophy that education begins with the curiosity of the learner and focuses on guiding students through a process of finding answers to questions.• Is driven by questions of interest rather than general topics.• Emphasizes asking good researchable questions.• Coaches students as they go.• Provides research journal to help students monitor their progress. • 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.

What Inquiry Skills are Needed?What Inquiry Skills are Needed?

Redefining Literacy: The 3Rs become the 4EsRedefining Literacy: The 3Rs become the 4Es

ReadingReading Writing Writing Arithmetic Arithmetic EthicsEthics

Exposing Exposing knowledge knowledge

Decode info. Decode info. esp. multimediaesp. multimediaConstruct digital Construct digital

libraries libraries

Expressing Expressing ideas ideas

Competing Competing contentcontent

Be compellingBe compellingUse multimedia Use multimedia

Employing Employing information information

Use numbersUse numbers to to solve problems solve problems Use software to Use software to manipulate info.manipulate info.

Ethical Ethical useuse

Information is Information is power and power and property:property:

assess, respect, assess, respect, and maintain itand maintain it

Warlick, D.F. (2004). Redefining literacy for the 21st century. Worthington, OH: Linworth.

Sanger, L. (2010). Individual knowledge in the Internet. EDUCAUSE Review 45/2, 14-24.

Finding a fact is different from understanding a topic. Developing understanding and

knowledge requires critical study.

I am familiar with this inquiry research model.

0%

0%

Yes No

1. Yes

2. No

Students find most of their information by searching Google.

True

False

0%0%

1. True

2. False

Googling in K-12 Classrooms

Web searching is the first choice for finding

information for all ages around the world.

Young Canadians in a Wired World – Phase II (2005)

Looks at the online behaviours, attitudes, and opinions of more

than 5,200 children and youth from grades 4 to 11, in French and

English language schools, in every province and territory.

http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/research/YCWW/

The Google generation is experiencing literacy problems.

0%

0%

Yes No

1. Yes

2. No

The Google LandscapeThe Google LandscapeA StoryA Story

George, L. (2008, Nov. 17). Dumbed down: The troubling science of how technology is rewiring kid’s brains. MacLeans, 121/45, 56-59.

Having difficulty concentrating? Signs of ADHD? No mental initiative?

Constant exposure to technology has created a brain gap in a single generation. While some neural pathways are reinforced enabling speed and multi-tasking, others are suppressed causing difficulties with problem-solving, thinking, and task completion.

What percentage of Canadians have low literacy skills?

25%

25%25%

25%

10-20% 20-30% 30-40% 40-50%

1. 10-20%

2. 20-30%

3. 30-40%

4. 40-50%

Literacy today means the ability to analyze information, understand abstract ideas and acquire many other complex life skills.

Canadian Council on Learning. (2008). Reading the future: Planning to meet Canada’s future literacy needs. Retrieved September 6, 2010 http://www.ccl-cca.ca/pdfs/ReadingFuture/LiteracyReadingFutureReportE.PDF

Google Generation?Google Generation?Williams, P & Rowlands, I. (2008). Information behaviour of the researcher of the future. Commissioned by the British Library and JISC (Joint Information Systems Committee) from the Report Centre for Information Behaviour and the Evaluation of Research.

A new study overturns the common assumption that the ‘Google Generation' is the most web-literate. The first ever virtual longitudinal study carried out by the CIBER research team at University College London claims that, although young people demonstrate an apparent ease and familiarity with computers, they rely heavily on search engines, view rather than read and do not possess the critical and analytical skills to assess the information that they find on the web.

My research skills are good enough to teach high school students how to do research.

0%

0%

Yes No

1. Yes

2. No

For which tasks should you not rely on a Google search?

0%0%0%0%

Finding the lates... Finding a review ... Conducting a lite... All of the above.

1. Finding the latest stock prices.

2. Finding a review of the latest Booker prize novel.

3. Conducting a literature search for an essay.

4. All of the above.

Which of these organizations does this URL represent:

www.green.ox.ac.uk

0%0%0%

The UK Green Party Oxford University Green Academic Pu...

1. The UK Green Party

2. Oxford University

3. Green Academic Publishing

Which site has the most primary source information?

0%0%0%0%

Government... Google Yahoo All of the...

1. Government of Canada

2. Google

3. Wikipedia

4. All are about the same.

Which is the best indicator of website validity?

Site

is on a unive

rsity

se...

Site

has five

-star r

ating ...

Site

has been re

viewed ..

0% 0%0%

1. Site is on a university server.

2. Site has five-star rating.

3. Site has been reviewed by a third party external to site.

Which is a guaranteed indicator that a .org site is valid?

0%

0%

0%

0% 1. URL has organization name.

2. Site focuses on the organization.

3. Email address contains organization name.

4. None of the above.

How big is the invisible web that Google is not able to search?

1. Too small to worry about.

2. Twice as big as surface web.

3. 100 times bigger than surface web.

4. 500 times bigger than surface web.

Surface Web

Invisible Web

Bergman, M.K. (2001). White Paper: The Deep Web: Surfacing Hidden Value. Journal of Electronic Publishing, 7(1).

300+ billion database-driven pages (92%) are completely invisible to Google

(What is the invisible web?: About.com, December 2010)

What New Skills do We Need to Teach?What New Skills do We Need to Teach?Topic: CocooningWhat potential problems do you see with this inquiry topic from

Grade 10 Careers?

Exploring: Stage 1Exploring: Stage 1Exploring: Stage 1 in the inquiry modelCollaborate with your teacher-librarian!

The problem of no question:• What information are you looking for? Copying of facts leads

to patchwork information and no interpretation.• Problem with the notion of "knowledge telling" (Bereiter &

Scardamalia, 1985) that dominates broad inquiry tasks.

Bereiter, C. & Scardamalia, M. (1985). Cognitive coping strategiesand the problem of “inert knowledge”. In S. F. Chipman, J. W. Segal, &

R. Glaser (Eds.), Thinking and learning skills: Research and open questions (vol. 2, pp. 65-80). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum

Evaluate

Evaluate

Purpose of the TaskPurpose of the Task

Use Finding Tools- which index/resource?- entry point on the web- which keywords apply

Resources?- identify types- what’s needed- keywordsPurpose

of the Task

What to Record?to Present?- how much- what’s important- what’s missing

What Makes a Good QuestionWhat Makes a Good QuestionYour criteria

Words to search related to topic of cocooning

Group words by concept

Creating Good QuestionsCreating Good Questions

• Concept map on ideas about what you want to know. Smart Ideas (OSAPAC) or bubbl.us (free). Create questions around the ideas.

• Questions at higher level of Bloom's Taxonomy encourage critical thinking.

• De Bono’s Six Hats

Strategy: model process of creating a concept map; create list of questions to ask when making one (checklist); students do their own to begin an inquiry project; they upload to course webpage; following day review checklist; analysis of maps in pairs so each students gets feedback; hand in revised map with project.

Creating Good QuestionsCreating Good Questions

Form of AssessmentForm of AssessmentWhat will you look for?

How will you write the assignment so students know what you want? What to include?

How will you give formative feedback?

How will you assess the work?

WordleWordle

Investigating: Stage 2Investigating: Stage 2Investigating: Stage 2 in the inquiry modelWhich resource? Statistics? Databases? Web? Knowledge

Ontario? Which keywords? Will you use Wikipedia?

Examples of Google Search TipsExamples of Google Search Tips intitle:”genetically modified foods” research Canadaallintitle:”global warming” “Mexico City”

Google Scholar, Google Earth, Google Books

inurl:bbc “middle ages” or intitle:bbc “middle ages”Finds sites with both bbc and middle ages in the URL or the title.

link:www.google.ca for pages pointing to that site-site:com To remove commercial sites.

related:www.google.com for similar pages

define:for words in the order you type them

Use advanced search for visual prompts to focus search.Use advanced images for size and colour.

Knowledge OntarioKnowledge OntarioA suite of programs and services designed to meet the information and learning needs of all Ontarians. The first ever collaboration of 6,500 university, college, public, school, and government libraries.

• Irrelevant websites.• Lack of text: short-term memory. • Need to interpret the visual and explain it verbally. • The best sites need to have visuals accompanied by a verbal

explanation.

The problems with Wikipedia: truncated text, accuracy?

Is this relevant? The problem of truncated text. Inappropriate readability; advertising; sound byte information

with unrelated, disjointed facts.Look for continuous text.

Is this a useful dictionary resource?

Deconstructing the ProcessDeconstructing the Process

Processing: Stage 3 in the inquiry modelSteps in teaching evaluation.

• How to evaluate information? Meaning?• Select 3 websites and a create list of evaluation criteria.• Class creates evaluation checklist.• How to decide what are good criteria (purpose of the task –

what is good/useful information)• Test your criteria by ranking 5 sites.• In groups, take on specific role (author, bias, content) and

compare ranking of sites across groups.• Include criteria for inclusion on inquiry project.

Deconstructing the ProcessDeconstructing the ProcessHow to take notes:

• Teach on paper first by highlighting important points and taking jot notes.

• Notes can be taken online but do not allow cut and paste as no learning transfer takes place.

• Practice writing online commentary to be able to respond in a wiki or blog. Online tools to highlight important sections such as Diigo, Evernote, and Wallwisher can help to highlight and practice commentary.

Diigo

Evernote: group projects

Deconstructing the ProcessDeconstructing the Process

Creating: Stage 4 of the inquiry model

Format for presentation can change what is learned.

A PowerPoint presentation can work against learning as it does not require evidence of critical thinking (cut and paste)

Consider including:• concept map with key questions• annotated bibliography • notes• critical thinking exercise for other students. E.g. questions

that audience must answer to show their understanding.

De Bono’s Six De Bono’s Six Thinking Thinking

HatsHats

Online Tools to Help YouOntario Ministry of Education. Think Literacy Subject Documents (7-12).

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/studentsuccess/thinkliteracy/

Toronto District School Board. Research Success @ Your Library:

A guide for secondary students.

Education Library: Z675.S3 R47 2010

and online in QCAT.

Toronto District School Board. Imagine the Learning!

Elementary Research Success @ Your Library. 2006.

Education Library: Z675.S3 I33 and online in QCAT

Ontario Model Ontario Model for Inquiry for Inquiry LearningLearning

Ontario School Library Association. (2010). Together for learning: School libraries and the emergence of the learning commons: A vision for the 21st century. Toronto: OSLA.http://www.accessola.com/data/6/rec_docs/677_OLATogetherforLearning.pdf

Newly proposed model for Ontario schools to enable inquiry:… a complex process of constructing personal meaning, applying critical thinking skills, solving problems, creating understanding, and questioning:

Key features:• Physical and virtual spaces• Equitable access• Learning partnerships• Technology in learning

Learning CommonsLearning Commons

Ontario School Library Association. (2010). Together for learning: School libraries and the emergence of the learning commons: A vision for the 21st century. Toronto: OSLA.http://www.accessola.com/data/6/rec_docs/677_OLATogetherforLearning.pdf