McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, uses the practice of self-directed inquiry as a teaching tool across a range of different disciplines. Hundreds of students from freshmen to graduate students in professional majors have used Inquiry as a learning method. Inquiry gives students the opportunity to take a more active role in their own education and more responsibility for what (and whether or not) they learn. Students learn not only content, but also how to ask good questions and identify areas of interest, resources, and underlying assumptions.
This short article covers:
- What is Inquiry?
- Why Teach Inquiry?
- What features characterize the Inquiry approach?
- How is Inquiry related to engaging research?
- Who takes responsibility for learning?
- How do Inquiry and Problem-Based learning differ?
Teaching through “inquiry” involves engaging students in the research process with instructor support and coaching at a level appropriate to their starting skills. Students learn discipline specific content but in doing so, engage and refine their inquiry skills.