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Explore our diverse range of programs designed to inspire, educate, and engage. Discover how our programs can benefit you and your organization, and find the perfect fit for your needs.

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Inquiry-based learning is more than asking a student what he or she wants to know. It's about triggering curiosity. And activating a student's curiosity is, I would argue, a far more important and complex goal than mere information delivery.

Despite its complexity, inquiry-based learning can be easier on teachers, partly because it transfers some responsibilities from teachers to students, but mostly because releasing authority engages students.

Teachers who use inquiry-based learning combat the "dunno"-a chronic problem in student engagement.

When you ask a student something like, "What do you want to know about _____?" you're often met with a shrug or "dunno." Inquiry-based learning, if front-loaded well, generates such excitement in students that neurons begin to fire, curiosity is triggered, and they can't wait to become experts in answering their own questions.

What inquiry-based teachers do isn't easy at all; it's just hidden, and some people confuse the two. Teachers hide the strategies they use to encourage inquiry, and the students develop their own skills as content-area experts.

Learning Something New

Triggering inquiry is about learning something new, and triggering curiosity is no small feat. It takes modeling enthusiasm, and learning something new generates our own enthusiasm, even if it's something new about the content we've covered for years.

Let's say you're clicking through your Twitter or Facebook feed and you stumble on a link in your content area. You realize it's a new factoid, a new perspective on an age-old topic. Maybe it's a new TED talk or graph with statistics, something that makes a concept more concrete. Maybe it's an infographic or a photo, something that startles you and leads to furrow your brow and say, "Whaaa?!"

By the way, I think one of the reasons why the whole world seems to be losing its mind over the Broadway production of Hamilton is because it presents a fresh take on a story we've all heard before. The power of learning something new is undeniable.

You have to bring that "whaaa?!" into your classroom. You have to model your own curiosity quotient-that hunger to learn that defines how we advance our knowledge of the world. According to the Harvard Business Review, a higher curiosity quotient can indicate more flexibility and help build a greater ability to handle complexity.

So think about your content area. What is a new take on a topic that you can bring to your classroom? What new piece of information might help you trigger your own enthusiasm that can then trigger your students' curiosity?

The 4 Steps of Inquiry-Based Learning

So you've discovered something that generates your own inquiry, and you've recreated that moment for your students when your curiosity was triggered. So what comes next in inquiry-based learning? This can be answered in four basic steps that should represent the outline of a simple unit.

1. Students develop questions that they are hungry to answer. Have them develop a problem statement that requires them to pitch their question using a constructed response, further inquiry, and citation.

2. Research the topic using time in class. It's crucial to have some of this be classwork so students have access to the head researcher in the room-you. You aren't going to do the work for them, but you are going to guide them and model methods of researching reliably.

3. Have students present what they've learned. Students should create and present a culminating artifact. When I have my students present what they've learned, I use a rubric with "Able to Teach" as the acme of what to reach for. After all, many people can understand content, but can they communicate it? Students can develop a website using Weebly, or perhaps a slideshow using Google Slides.

4. Ask students to reflect on what worked about the process and what didn't. Reflection is key. And it isn't just about asking them to think back on their opinion of the topic. It's about reflecting on the process itself. That's where you can work in metacognition-thinking about thinking. Have students focus on how they learned in addition to whatthey learned.

In terms of your content area, imagine a classroom where different kids are presenting their findings on a single, simple aspect of the content. You'd have a classroom that, overall, learns deeper and wider than ever before.

In terms of student achievement, the power of their question should help drive the research, the writing, and the presentation. It should help motivate them to become experts in their self-described field. And the more often a student gets a taste of what it feels like to be an expert, in however small a concept, the more they will want that feeling later on in life.

It all starts with finding your own enthusiasm, your own excitement, and your own curiosity. Do that, and you'll be heading toward a classroom built on inquiry.

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What the Heck Is Inquiry-Based Learning?

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What the Heck Is Inquiry-Based Learning?

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PAST Foundation - Portable Innovation Labs

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PAST Foundation - Portable Innovation Labs

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Portable Innovation Labs | PAST Foundation

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Portable Innovation Labs Powered by PAST and in partnership with Battelle, our Portable Innovation Labs are designed to facilitate unique educational opportunities by providing teachers and students with the resources that schools may not be able to purchase on their own.

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Example of HS At-Risk Students Creating an Inquiry-Based Culture of Literacy

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Example of HS At-Risk Students Creating an Inquiry-Based Culture of Literacy

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Teachers everywhere are tired of literacy strategies that seem to inhibit rather than support student engagement in reading, writing, talking, and thinking. They've learned that overly scripted materials fail to prepare students for the challenge of a college option and, what's worse, result in kids turning off to learning. Back to the Books offers innovative ways to think about creating a culture of literacy in your school. Both the book and video follow seasoned teachers and examine the strategies they've used to engage students in the excitement of both making texts meaningful and creating their own texts. The video features extensive classroom footage and interviews that demonstrate ways to create a literacy culture in your school—a culture that encourages adolescents to read, write, and think critically about books.

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Back to the Books: Creating a Inquiry-Based Culture of Literacy

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Empowered by Design  -  Parents Agree Inquiry Matters

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This is an example of elementary students moving from structured to guided inquiry focusing on student led inquiry...

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Mini Inquiry Task/Activity Planning Document - Level 1-3

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Mini Inquiry Task/Activity Planning Document - Level 1-3

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9 Powerful Inquiry Learning Examples to Use in the Classroom - Learning by Inquiry

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The inquiry learning examples below will give you some ideas for launching a successful project or unit that is engaging and motivating for students.

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Director of the OSLN Central OH STEM Action Center

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areder@pastfoundation.org

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Think of inquiry as a topographical map. It’s a living, interrelated place full of its own diversity, history and

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PBL Experience - OSLN STEM Classroom Grant Template

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PBL Experience - OSLN STEM Classroom Grant Template

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Copy of Battelle Classroom Grant Template 2025

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Example PBL Narrative for OSLN Classroom Grant

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Example PBL Narrative for OSLN Classroom Grant

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5th grade OSLN Classroom Grant Example - STEM @ Baldwin Road

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Using Design Thinking for Teaching as Inquiry

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Using Design Thinking for Teaching as Inquiry

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A fresh rethink of the structure of teaching as inquiry.

Both The Spiral of Inquiry and Design Thinking are non-linear models that can be used to identify and address what is going on for our learners. Additionally, the similarities in these models can lead to the design of well informed solutions to these identified areas.

Like Design Thinking an Inquiry is about being open to new learning and taking informed action.

A good place to start is with these three big picture questions that keep learners at the centre of the inquiry.

What is going on for our learners?

How do we know?

Why does it matter?

Design Thinking can be adapted as a model to investigate these questions and design student centric solutions.

Phase One

Listening and asking questions.

Like the Empathy stage of the Design Thinking model, Scanning is finding out what is going on with our learners. Listening and asking questions, but in a professional context it is important that when scanning we gather data to support our findings.

Listening involves our students but also other experts in our practice.

“Without data you are just another person with an opinion.”
– Andreas Scheicher, OECD

Scanning involves

• A wide perspective on learning, informed by learning principles
• Finding out what learners think and feel about their learning, and what their       families and communities perceive about their learning.

Phase Two

What will have the biggest impact on our learners?

Focusing and defining is taking a stand by deciding what area requires our focus in order to make an improvement for our students.

Phase Three

Developing a hunch and ideating are coming up with choices by examining previous choices.

What choices have lead to this situation?

How are the choices we have made contributed to it?

What can we do?

Getting deeply held beliefs and assumptions out on the table about your own practices • Focusing on things your team can do something about.

Phase Four

In this phase you carefully design professional learning to test and develop your hunches. The goal is to make meaningful changes in educators’ professional practices.

Prototyping is exploratory-you are learning about your hunch by testing new approaches and building solutions.

Phase Five

Taking action involves learning more deeply about new ways of doing things – and then trying them out.  New learning is created as new ideas and designs are tested.

Taking actions involves testing and evaluating the impact on learners – and seeking their feedback.

This phase results in building trust and cultivating a growth mindset

Phase Six

Reflecting on the success of the inquiry.

Much like Design Thinking, the Spiral of Inquiry is not a linear path. It is a big mass of looping back to different places in the process.

“There is a notion about design thinking that it is a cookbook where the answer falls out at the end. But the truth is it’s messier than that. As you go along, even if you’re not getting anywhere, if you haven’t unlocked new insight or if the prototype hasn’t unlocked a clear path that everyone agrees on, you have to stay there.   Design thinking is not a linear path. It is a big mass of looping back to different places in the process.”
– David Kelley, founder IDEO

References

Design Thinking. (2018) IDEO. https://www.ideou.com/pages/design-thinkingFramework for 21st Century Learning. (2018). http://www.p21.org/our-work/p21-framework

Dweck, C. 2006. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. New York: Random House.

Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford University. (2017) https://dschool.stanford.edu/

Kaser, L. and J. Halbert. 2017. The Spiral Playbook: Leading with an inquiring mindset in school systems and schools. C21 Canada.
http://c21canada.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Spiral-Playbook.pdf

Kelley, D. 2017 .IDEO U. On why design thinking is relevant. Retrieved from https://www.ideou.com/blogs/inspiration/david-kelley-on-design-thinking

OECD, 2016. Global Competency for an Inclusive World. Paris: OECD Publishing. (oecd.org/pisa/aboutpisa/Global-competency-for-an-inclusive-world.pdf)

OECD. 2015. Schooling Redesigned: Towards Innovative Learning Systems. Paris: OECD Publishing. (dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264245914-en)

(MOE, 2015) http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/Curriculum-stories/Case-studies/Teachers-as-learners-Inquiry/Teaching-as-inquiry

Peg.  D is for John Dewey: His approach to education (2017). Retrieved from http://www.thepositiveencourager.global/john-deweys-approach-to-doing-positive-work/

Wheeler. The Pedagogy Of John Dewey: A Summary. Teachthoughtstaff. (2015) Retrieved from http://www.teachthought.com/learning/pedagogy-john-dewey-summary/

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An inquiry example... Writing Engaging Stories

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An inquiry example... Writing Engaging Stories

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How to make students (and teachers) want to go to school... 

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How to make students (and teachers) want to go to school... 

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The struggle is real - teaching and learning can be challenging from either perspective. How to use CRSSP strategies to make teaching and learning more engaging. Dedicating her adult life to inspiring her students with discovering their strengths and inspiring personal growth, not only as learners, but as people. Wholeheartedly believing learning can, and should be, both rigorous and fun. Michele started her educational career as a speech/language pathologist and 18 years teaching 3rd grade. For the past 16 years, she has been a well known and respected gifted/talented/enrichment specialist at the elementary school level, challenging students in grades K - 4. During the height of COVID, she spent one year back in the classroom, teaching 4th grade. Michele is involved with Odyssey of the Mind program. She has helped hundreds of students in grades K - 12 improve their creative problem solving skills. For several years, Michele also served as the Director for Camp Invention, a summertime STEM camp. Currently, Michele teaches watercolor painting classes, is an avid crafter, and is very active in her church community. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.

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How to make students (and teachers) want to go to school | Michele Freitag | TEDxYorkBeach

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STEM Experience Instructor

khuey@pastfoundation.org

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Director of Workforce Development & Columbus EcosySTEM

nstancampiano@pastfoundation.org

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MakerspaceFab Lab Quick Start Guides- Vinyle Sticker or Heat-Press design

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MakerspaceFab Lab Quick Start Guides - 3D Printing w Prusa

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MakerspaceFab Lab Quick Start Guides - Laser Cutter