Blog Post 2

In this blog post, I will give an overview of the research I gathered on inquiry-based design and explain how it is/is not applied to my group’s learning blueprint on Alzheimer’s disease.

Inquiry-based design

Inquiry-based design is a learning approach that encourages students to acquire knowledge to feed their interests on a topic (Queen’s University, 2024). This is a highly individualist learning approach- where the student takes charge of their education, rather than relying on their teacher to guide them through a lesson. In inquiry-based design, students can ask questions about the given material and its gaps, research to gather information to help them address their questions, evaluate their corresponding resources, and synthesise their knowledge (Lee et al. 2004). Inquiry-based design is non-linear and ever-changing. Learning outcomes and material can be adjusted depending on the direction the student’s research takes and their given findings. Based on my past educational experience with inquiry-based design- you definitely get what you put out. For example, the more research a student puts in or the can and effort put into asking/answering meaningful questions to determine that learning will achieved from their studies.

My experience with inquiry-based learning

Coming from a science background, inquiry-based design was something that was used a lot specifically in lab settings. In the previous animal behaviour class I took our final research project was to observe an animal species- choosing and describing the meaning of their movement patterns. This required inquiry-based learning design because we as a group had to research our specific animal species and narrow down the movement patterns we were interested in and wanted to study. Next, we had to spend hours observing the animals and recording when and what provoked certain movements. The more observations and knowledge we gain about the animals the more our research questions switch directions and evolve. Finally, we had to present our ideas and findings, using critical thinking skills to justify our results. Thus, not only does inquiry-based design teach students information research skills, but it always facilitates other important life skills such as; critical thinking, time management, and self-reflection (Queen’s University, 2024).

How inquiry-based design aligns with our blueprint

For our blueprint, my group chose to design a course teaching the basics of Alzehimers to university-aged students. In my opinion, I think that inquiry-based design principles are not very applicable to our lesson. This is because, in our course, we as teachers are very specific about our learning outcomes and the learning activities designed and are very tailored and specific to meet these needs. Therefore, there is little room for creative freedom and self-directed study. For instance, one of the learning and associated activities is to effectively understand/identify the brain regions affected by Alzheimer’s disease. With this specific example, students do not have much room to explore their personal interests on the subject- rather just stick to the material and answer the questions at hand.

References

Lee, V. S., Greene, D. B., Odom, J., Schechter, E., & Slatta, R. W. (2004). What is inquiry guided learning. In V. S. Lee (Ed.), Teaching and learning through inquiry: A guidebook for institutions and instructors (pp. 3-15). Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.

Queen’s Univeristy (2024). Inquiry-Based Learning. Queen’s University: Center for Teaching and Learning. https://www.queensu.ca/ctl/resources/instructional-strategies/inquiry-based-learning