Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Inquiry learning in Science....What exactly does that mean?

Inquiry based learning means many things to many people. I find that the "definition" that follows is most descriptive of the idea behind inquiry based learning. I think it's important to establish a "common" definition or understanding of a word or phrase before continuing down the road to discussions, debate, sharing and/or creating...

"Inquiry is central to science learning. When engaging in inquiry, students describe objects and events, ask questions construct explanations, test those explanations against current scientific knowledge, and communicate their ideas to others. They identify their assumptions, use critical and logical thinking, and consider alternative explanations. In this way, students actively develop their understanding of science by combining scientific knowledge with reasoning ad thinking skills."

-National Science Education Standards

Anyone have a response? What do you think the definition or meaning of inquiry based learing means, especially in the world of science?

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