34 Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL)
Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) is a student-centered approach that encourages learners to explore questions, problems, or scenarios actively. Rather than passively receiving information, students construct their own understanding through curiosity-driven exploration and reflection. This method fosters critical thinking, problem-solving, and the ability to apply knowledge in meaningful contexts.
Key principles of IBL include:
- Curiosity as a Catalyst: Learning begins with students’ natural curiosity and interest in a topic or problem.
- Active Engagement: Students take an active role in asking questions, investigating, and reflecting.
- Knowledge Construction: Emphasis is placed on building understanding rather than rote memorization.
- Collaboration and Communication: Students often work in groups, sharing insights and learning from diverse perspectives.
Theoretical Underpinnings
IBL is rooted in the theories of constructivism and social constructivism:
- Constructivism: Based on the work of John Dewey and Jean Piaget, this theory posits that learners actively construct knowledge by connecting new information to their prior experiences and understanding.
- Social Constructivism: Lev Vygotsky emphasized the role of social interactions in learning, suggesting that students construct knowledge collaboratively and benefit from scaffolding provided by peers or instructors.
Bell and Banchi’s framework outlines the progression of inquiry levels, guiding instructors to scaffold learning appropriately while promoting student autonomy.
The 5E Learning Cycle
The 5E model provides a structured approach to scaffold the inquiry process. Originally developed for science education, this model can be applied across disciplines to deepen understanding and engagement.
- Engage:
- Capture students’ interest with a compelling question, problem, or scenario.
- Activate prior knowledge to create a foundation for new learning.
- Example: Pose a thought-provoking question or present a surprising phenomenon.
- Explore:
- Provide opportunities for hands-on investigation or data collection.
- Encourage students to observe, hypothesize, and gather information.
- Example: Students analyze case studies, conduct experiments, or explore primary sources.
- Explain:
- Facilitate discussions where students articulate their findings and reasoning.
- Introduce new concepts or terminology to build on students’ discoveries.
- Example: Students present their conclusions while the instructor provides clarity and context.
- Elaborate:
- Challenge students to apply their knowledge to new contexts or complex problems.
- Encourage deeper exploration and connections across topics.
- Example: Students design their own experiments or solve real-world problems.
- Evaluate:
- Provide opportunities for self-assessment and instructor feedback.
- Assess understanding through formative and summative assessments.
- Example: Use reflective journals, presentations, or project-based assessments.
Levels of Inquiry
IBL progresses through distinct levels of inquiry, enabling students to build skills and confidence incrementally:
- Confirmation Inquiry:
- Students confirm a known result by following a prescribed procedure.
- Example: Replicating a classic experiment to verify its findings.
- Role of Instructor: Provides all materials and instructions.
- Structured Inquiry:
- Students investigate a teacher-presented question through a step-by-step process.
- Example: Analyzing a dataset to answer a predefined question.
- Role of Instructor: Defines the question and provides the procedure.
- Guided Inquiry:
- Students investigate a teacher-presented question but design their own procedures.
- Example: Exploring environmental data to determine factors affecting local ecosystems.
- Role of Instructor: Provides the question and guidance, but students take the lead in designing their approach.
- Open/True Inquiry:
- Students formulate their own questions, design and carry out investigations, and communicate their findings.
- Example: Designing and conducting an independent research project on a topic of choice.
- Role of Instructor: Acts as a facilitator, providing support and resources as needed.
Progression Through Levels: Students typically begin with lower levels of inquiry, such as confirmation or structured inquiry, and advance to guided and open inquiry as they develop critical thinking, research, and collaboration skills. This progression ensures that students are equipped with the tools and confidence to tackle complex, open-ended problems independently.
Inquiry-Based Learning is not a one-size-fits-all approach but a flexible framework that empowers students to take ownership of their learning journey. By incorporating the 5E model and adapting to various levels of inquiry, instructors can create dynamic and engaging learning environments that cultivate curiosity, critical thinking, and collaboration.
Inquiry-Based Learning in Action: Examples and Benefits
Designing Beverage Containers in Materials Science
Dr. Ines Basalo uses an inquiry-based approach in her Materials Science course, where students take on the role of industrial designers for a fictional company, FancyBev. The task? To design a beverage container. This project is embedded within a narrative conveyed through a series of emails, adding authenticity and engagement. Students must collaborate, ask effective questions, identify and synthesize resources, and present their findings persuasively. This structured inquiry method fosters teamwork, problem-solving, and real-world application of course concepts.
Exploring Gentrification in Public Health
In Introduction to Public Health, Dr. Matsuda tasks students with advising the mayor of Miami on solutions to gentrification in Wynwood. Through group work, students leverage local resources like the Miami Herald and community organizations to investigate the problem and propose solutions. They apply public health concepts in a real-world context, culminating in presentations and written executive summaries. This guided inquiry process promotes critical thinking, collaboration, and civic engagement.
Professional Projects in Environmental Policy
Professor Rick Reibstein engages his Environmental Law and Policy students in open inquiry by challenging them to create professional-quality projects for local environmental or public health agencies. Students propose their own project ideas, work collaboratively, and present progress individually to peers for feedback. Projects like a guidebook on carbon credits, research on pesticide impacts on bees, and a legislative proposal for a lead litigation bill are showcased publicly and often used by community clients. This approach develops critical thinking, communication skills, and professional portfolios while making tangible community impacts.
Inquiry Through Play in Early Education
Dr. Megina Baker incorporates structured inquiry into her Learning to Teach Science to Young Children course. Using science notebooks, students document hypotheses, observations, and reflections from hands-on investigations, such as heating materials on a stove or collecting textured objects outdoors. Inspired by Harvard’s Project Zero research on play, these experiential tasks spark curiosity, creativity, and ownership of learning. Virtual presentations and reflections on these experiences encourage students to adopt similar approaches in their own teaching.
Virtual Dissection in Veterinary Medicine
Dr. Puliyur MohanKumar addresses challenges in veterinary education, such as large class sizes and limited lab access, by integrating BodyViz, a 3D virtual dissection tool. Students investigate real clinical cases reconstructed from MRI and CT scans, generating questions like, “Why am I learning this?” and “How does this knowledge apply?” Open inquiry drives collaboration and critical thinking as students virtually dissect models to deepen their understanding of anatomy. This innovative approach improves engagement and comprehension while adapting to modern educational constraints.
Sources and Attribution
Primary Sources
This section is informed by and adapted from the following sources:
- Spronken-Smith, R. Experiencing the Process of Knowledge Creation: The Nature and Use of Inquiry-Based Learning in Higher Education. University of Otago, New Zealand.
- Available at: Ako Aotearoa Knowledge Centre
- University of Miami, Academic Technologies. Inquiry-Based Learning Overview.
- Available at: University of Miami Website
For a full list of references and additional resources, please follow the links above.
Use of AI in Section Development
This section was developed using AI-assisted drafting to synthesize and clarify key insights from the source materials. ChatGPT (OpenAI) was used to:
- Summarize and structure best practices for implementing inquiry-based learning (IBL) in higher education.
- Clarify strategies for engaging students in active inquiry, fostering curiosity, and promoting knowledge construction.
- Enhance readability and coherence, ensuring that the discussion on IBL is research-supported and practically applicable.
While AI-assisted drafting provided a structured foundation, all final content was reviewed, refined, and aligned with evidence-based recommendations to ensure accuracy, effectiveness, and alignment with best practices in inquiry-based learning.
