Questionnaire No. 2

Questionnaire 2

1. Take some time to think about your topic. Now write down what you know about it. 

Inquiry Based Learning IBL is about freedom.  The more freedom a student has to be able research and engage in their own learning, the more indepth the IBL will be.  If students are given the freedom to choose their own topics, questions or problems to solve and are given the freedom to choose how they go about researching or answering these questions then they will have a deeper understanding of what they discover.  The Generic, Situated and Transformative (GeST) windows as an information literacy model explains the different levels of IBL beautifully. (Bruce, Lupton 2010).

Studies of Society and Environment (SOSE) or Geography are Key Learning Areas (KLAs) that allow for IBL to occurr easily.  They do this due the nature of the KLAs as they focus on how people relate to their world.  Students can form opinions on their chosen topics as they delve more deeply into their research.  This can then form more questions which may encourage students to discover more about their subject and themselves.  I think what I have learnt so far is that SOSE or Geography are well suited to this pedogogical approach but all KLAs can use IBL in some way.  The Question Quadrant model (Cam, 2006 as cited in Scholl, 2010) gives a great example of how it can be used in literature lessons.  The use of explicitly teaching questioning opens up so many possiblities for all areas. 

2. How interested are you in this topic?  Check () one box that best matches your interest.

Not at all ☐ not much ☐    quite a bit ☐    a great deal ✓ 

3. How much do you know about this topic?  Check () one box that best matches how much you know.

Nothing ☐   not much ☐    quite a bit ✓    a great deal ☐ 

4. Thinking of your research so far - what did you find easy to do? Please list as many things as you like.

Finding information on Inquiry based learning.  Using the data bases with the advanced search option is a great way of narrowing down the search. 

5.  Thinking of your research so far - what did you find difficult to do? Please list as many things as you like.

I’m finding it extremely difficult writing up the information found in the correct format.    Writing up the research is always the area I struggle with.  I find it difficult to express myself succinctly.  I also spend a great deal of time thinking through what I am learning and trying to internalise what I have learnt so that it has some meaning for me.  Trying to link it to my own knowledge or how I can apply it to how I teach always helps. Time management is an area I’m having difficulties with as well.  I’m not sure if that is part of the researching component.

I’m also finding it difficult locating models related exclusively to the SOSE topic.  I’ve found quite a bit of information related to curriculum documents but the models I’ve found can be used in other KLAs which I’m hoping is okay to use. 

References

Scholl, R. (2010). The Question Quadrant: A stimulus for a negotiated curriculum.  Primary & Middle Years Education,  8(2).  Retrieved from http://www.acsa.edu.au/pages/images/Rosie%20Scholl%20-%20example%20article.pdf

Bruce, C. & Lupton, M. (2010) Chapter 1 : Windows on Information Literacy Worlds: Generic, Situated and Transformative Perspectives in Lloyd, Annemaree and Talja, Sanna. Practising information literacy : bringing theories of learning, practice and information literacy together.  Wagga Wagga: Centre for Information Studies. pp. 3 - 27