| One of the primary goals of this class is to provide you
with the experience of learning through the inquiry process rather than through
traditional lecture and laboratory experiences. Throughout this course you
will construct your understanding of the process-oriented guided inquiry
methodology of science teaching. Teaching methodologies can be arranged on the basis of relative amounts
of teacher and learner contribution to the learning situation. At one end
of the spectrum is the expository method which is centered on the teacher
as the controller of the class and the imparter of knowledge. At the other
end is the free discovery method which is characterized by students
exploring subjects of their own interest in ways most comfortable to them.
The teacher is the facilitator.
Somewhere near the center of the spectrum is a broad band representing
the guided inquiry method. In guided inquiry, a teacher facilitates
student investigations of teacher-established topics in ways that are
comfortable to a student and that also stimulates a student to ask and
investigate additional questions suggested by the original explorations.
Guided inquiry involves learning by doing.
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| As illustrated in Figure 1, these three teaching methods represent a
continuum, from a hypothetical totally teacher-dominated expository on the
left to a hypothetical totally student-dominated free discovery method on
the right, with guided inquiry between them. Any given lesson can be
located somewhere on this continuum, depending on the relative degree of
expository and discovery activities in the lesson.
At first, this type of learning may seem uncomfortable and strange to
you. Keep in mind that studies have been done to show that students retain
knowledge better if they explore and learn the concepts in an inquiry
method. Your instructors will suggest open-ended activities that you will
pursue to find out what you are able to find out, inquire into what you
don't understand and develop your own conclusions as you construct your
own conceptualizations. The course will be hands-on and laboratory in
focus and typically feature small groups of students working together.
Students will work to construct meanings and discover concepts that are
new to them. Your text book is to be used as a reference guide for
valuable information.
Keep in mind that although a lot of the activities we will be doing may
be aimed at the "elementary level", you will be responsible for
explaining concepts at the "college level".
The inquiry method requires that you take responsibility for your own
learning. The instructors are available as resources and guides, but not
as the ultimate conveyors of knowledge that must be memorized. This may be
unfamiliar and even uncomfortable to you at the beginning of the course,
but hopefully you will see that this is a powerful instructional method
and results in a deep learning that is useful and will be retained. Our
ultimate goal is that you will use the inquiry method in your own
classrooms.
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