This week, I was supposed to be treated to what I’m sure would have been a fascinating conversation with Jeff Hopkins, founder of the Pacific School of Innovation and Inquiry (PSII) located here in Victoria. The idea of inquiry-based learning is not something I was exposed to before entering this program, but now that I’m here, it seems to be everywhere I look. The whole inquiry process has definitely caught my attention as a new and exciting way to individualize learning. It would’ve been interesting to listen to somebody who interacts with high school students navigating that process on a daily basis. Unfortunately, mother nature had other plans and the high winds knocked out my internet for most of the day.

Even though I wasn’t able to able to connect during the discussion, I did go through the pre-class materials and found a lot of interesting stuff in there. One of the biggest drawbacks and concerns I have with an inquiry-based curriculum is the inherent openness and flexibility which has the potential to overwhelm some students. On the other hand, these exact qualities are what makes this kind of learning so exciting. I was interested to see what a practical application would look like and I was pleasantly surprised by the documents and assessment frameworks on the PSII website. These allowed for a flexible environment based on starting where the learner is at and embracing their individual interests while still providing some structure and outlining expectations.

One of the things I liked most about Jeff’s introduction video was the idea that learning is organized by competencies instead of courses. Everything is driven by questions, but those questions are not forced into a singular subject area. This principle is reflected in the fact that the evaluation and assessment of students’ work is not done by an individual, but by a team of teachers. This aligns nicely with the interdisciplinary nature of inquiry projects.

In my search to find out more about inquiry-based learning, I found this YouTube which I think is pretty helpful:

I like this video for a few reasons. First, it starts with a Harry Potter metaphor which is always an effective hook for me. Second, it clearly lays out phases of inquiry similar to those found on the PSII website. Third, it presents a ‘spectrum of inquiry’ with heavily structured, teacher-centered inquiry on one end. This is a kind of confirmation inquiry where the teacher teaches the concepts, creates the initial questions, models the process for students so they can essentially just learn how inquiry works. This seems like an ideal place to start with younger students or for those who struggle with more freedom.

On the other end of the spectrum is truly open, student-centered inquiry. This is where students formulate their own questions, design their own research, collect their own data, and report their findings. There are also various levels of structured or guided inquiry which fall somewhere between those two extremes which allow for flexibility.

In the end, if we want students to remain curious, something like inquiry-based learning is ideal because it teaches students how to ask great questions, find the answers, and share their results.