Activities, assignments and assessment/Inquiry-based learning in the Open
John Hannon's presentation for AAAOpenConf2013.
Inquiry based learning activities are prolonged activities that require participants to individually or in groups, devise questions, conduct research, and form conclusions around a topic or subject. IBL activities can range from structured to unstructured, teacher directed to learner directed, depending on the objectives of the activity.
IBL puts into action approaches to learning that are driven by inquiry or research, in which students engage actively and collaboratively with their discipline, developing their inquiries by producing and sharing knowledge in both formal and informal settings. Hence IBL has a “real-world” aspect that extends learning outside the boundaries of the institution. Students are supported to formulate and manage their own inquiries, draw on their peers and a range of resources and expertise, with the goal of becoming graduates with the capabilities of professional practice in their discipline. To accomplish this goal, IBL curriculum needs to support collaboration and self-organisation over both physical and virtual spaces of learning. In this session I draw on international IBL practices to consider how universities can support IBL across physical and Web 2.0 spaces, and the potential for embedding real-world experiences into the curriculum.
Notes
[edit | edit source]Contextual Locations for John's talk
- FHS - origins in influences and models from Manchester university
- FBEL - influences Philipa Levy, University of Sheffield
- Study leave - University in Denmark that uses EBL across whole university.
Origins - different versions of doing things that moved away from individual transmission of content; student engagement in construction of learning.
Cluster of approaches - umbrella term for case study, project based, problem based learning. Open ended - multiple solutions - fit for purpose - divergent approach.
Dealing with real world problems , complex problems wikipedia entry for Inquiry based learning : Meta literature review - claim that it does not make any difference to learning - disputed.
Bring in experts - make the university 'more porous'
Participants - Learning Spaces - artefacts - self organisation - shared spaces for collaboration.
Peer assessment not a given with EBL.
In some universities EBL drives whole courses.
Some do hybrid models so students work between more traditional approaches
Q: Traditional science model to have prac classes - is it EBL by another name?
J: Yes
Q: Phasing out of prac classes on economic basis - is it reinventing the wheel?
J: Whether convergent or divergent meaning making the approaches have similarities.
K: PBL in the faculty since the 1980s, embraced across the faculty; EBL allows for greater diversity of interactions - learning through doing. Integrated into the community with real case studies.
M: Students using Mobile learning devices - survey about what they did. Facebook for group discussions, using them in class 30%. Drop box used.