Inquiry and Problem-Based Learning in the Online Environment
Using the Internet to Augment Inquiry and Problem-Based Learning
Many instructors who have integrated inquiry and problem-based learning into their teaching have found that the online environment provides an effective means to augment these assignments. In particular, instructors find that the collaborative potential of online learning tools and the public archiving and documentation of these assignments is extremely beneficial to the inquiry process. Other instructors go further and develop online tutorials, resources, and “webquests” so that students have a full suite of resources to accomplish the assignment.
Collaborative work with inquiry assignments is very effective in aiding the acquisition of critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The interaction and development of arguments necessary in collaborative work reinforces the problem-solving goals of an inquiry assignment. Online tools such as discussion boards, file sharing, and shared web pages provide an excellent means for students to work collaboratively on an assignment. By using these tools, students can meet virtually, jointly work on documents, and share their experiences and questions. Furthermore, these tools provide a source of documentation and record for both students and instructor to learn from and critique the processes by which the problem was tackled. Illinois Compass and WebBoard provide the necessary tools for this type of work.
Keeping a record of how a student progresses in their inquiry assignment can be challenging and overwhelming if done only on paper. Many instructors prefer to use online forums to define both the stages of the inquiry process as well as keep an up-to-date record of how the student is doing. These forums are generally set up in a templated fashion to allow students to post periodic updates, responses, and assessments for certain milestones in the lesson. Some instructors who have their students working collaboratively combine the communication tools with a forum so that other groups can keep abreast of how their colleagues are progressing. Illinois Compass can easily be set up to provide this type of inquiry template format.
Developing online resources for students involved in inquiry exercises can take a variety forms from simple instructions, to fully developed tutorials and web sites. We suggest that instructors should have some directions and pointers posted for students who engage in inquiry assignments. These will help students complete their tasks more efficiently and cut down on procedural communications and email. For instructors who wish to developed more enhanced resources, there are a number of different approaches and peculiarities depending on the discipline, and we suggest contacting a consultant at CITES EdTech to fully explore options.
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