Focus on Faculty: Promoting Interactive, Inquiry-based Environments in Online Education

1. Focus on Faculty:Promoting Interactive, Inquiry-based Environments in Online Education Presenters: Vince Schreck, Instructional Designer, CAE Professor Dan Johnson, Geography

2. Introductions • Vince Schreck, Ed.D. • Background in teaching and learning • Instructional design work • Why do you want to work with an Instructional Designer? • Dan Johnson, Ph.D. • Professor of Geography • CLAS Director of Online Programs

3. What is Inquiry-based Learning? “A student-centered, active learning approach focusing on questioning, critical thinking, and problem-solving. It's associated with the idea - involve me and I understand.” http://annettelamb.com/tap/topic43.htm

4. http://www.inquirylearn.com/Inquirydef.htm An Inquiry-based Process Learner asks question or questions Questions lead to the desire for answers to the question (or for solutions to a problem) and result in the beginning of exploration and hypotheses creation Hypotheses lead to an investigation to test the hypothesis/es or find answers and solutions to the question and/or problem The investigation leads to the creation or construction of new knowledge based on investigation of findings The learner discusses and reflects on this newly-acquired knowledge, which, in turn leads to more questions and further investigation

5. Inquiry-based Learning - Research “Several Studies have found that inquiry-based teaching & learning methods positively affect student performance (e.g., Thacker et al. 1994; Magnussen Ishido, and Itano 2000), and education reforms recommend incorporating inquiry into the classroom (NRC 2000)” Ciancioio 2006. • Thacker et al (1994) study “Comparing problem solving performance of physics • Students in Inquiry-based and traditional introductory physics courses.” • Compared problem solving (both quantitative and qualitative) between traditional, • physics students, and non-major physics students in a course emphasizing inquiry- • based problem solving. • The elementary majors “…performed significantly better than engineering students • and as well as the honors physics students on the two problems (quant./qual) used” • Thacker et al (1994).

6. Inquiry-based Learning - Research Magnussen Ishido, and Itano (2000). The impact of the use of inquiry-based learning as a teaching methodology on the development of critical thinking. Recognition of Assumptions, deduction, interpretations, evaluation of arguments. • University of Hawaii school of nursing. 50% of courses, at the time of the study, • had integrated IBL tutorial sessions. • Over a 4 year period, not all students showed improvements in critical thinking • skills, and some scores declined from pre to post test. • The study did show that students who performed poorly on the pre test, showed • improvement after the post test. This occurred in a similar study “Flannelly and • Inouye (1998).” • “In summary, the results suggest that this methodology appeared to be more • effective in developing critical thinking skills for students whose scores were low.”

7. Inquiry-based Learning - Research Cianciolo, J. Flory, L. Atwell, J. (2006). Evaluating the use of inquiry-based activities: Do student and teacher behaviors really change? • Compared and inquiry-based Biology course with a more traditional, lecture-based • classroom. Purpose was to determine the extent to which inquiry-based activities • promoted inquiry-associated behaviors in both teachers and students. • Study found inquiry behaviors occurred more frequently during inquiry-based • activities than during recitation sessions where traditional teaching methods were • implemented. Study also found that that teachers can also foster inquiry even in • traditional settings.

8. Inquiry-based Learning - Resources Magnussen L., D. Ishida, and J. Itano. 2000. The impact of the use of inquiry-based learning as a teaching methodology on the development of critical thinking. Journal of Nursing Education 39 (8): 360-64. National Research Council (NRC). 2000. Inquiry and the national science education standards. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. Thacker B., E. Kim, K. Trefz and S.M. Lea. 1994. Comparing problem solving Performance of physics students in inquiry-based and traditional introductory Physics courses. American Journal of Physics 62 (7): 627-33. Flannelly, L. & Inouye, J. (1998). Inquiry-based learning and critical thinking in an Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nursing Program. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 12(3), 1-8. Cianciolo, J. Flory, L. Atwell, J. (2006). Evaluating the use of inquiry-based Activities: Do student and teacher behaviors really change? Journal of College Science Teaching, November/December 2006, 50-55.