Living in the Anthropocene with all its wicked challenges, it is more important than ever to create new types

of knowledge to understand our complex world better. However, most of the researchers still work in silos
and, in this sense, are not much better in comprehending complexity than a group of blind persons touching
an elephant. Today’s challenges urge researchers to step out of their comfort zone and work across academic
boundaries to capture the world from different perspectives. All that said, what actually is cross disciplinary
research? According to Karin Beland Lindahl (Luleå University of Technology) cross disciplinary approach to
research is about ‘crossing disciplinary boundaries in one way or another’. As she explains it, a discipline is
about a division of labour that employs particular theories and methods. Each discipline has their own
organizational culture, settings and rules. Crossing discipline is about breaking these rules and crafting new!
There are three kinds of cross disciplinary: multi-, inter- and trans-. Multi-disciplinary researchers remain
within their own disciplines but synthesis results from other disciplines at the end of research cycle. Inter-
disciplinary research analyses and synthesizes at the overlap of disciplines from the beginning to the end.
Trans-disciplinary implies that both scientific and non-academic communities work together throughout a
research project. How to choose? To decide one needs to answer: ‘why do you do this research?’, ‘who is
involved?’ and ‘what is the level of integration and at which stage of the research?’. At the same time, as
Karin Lindahl points out, there is no ultimate answer for what is a perfect type of cross disciplinary approaches
for a research project. However, from her experience, the process can be even more valuable than the goal
as cross-DISCIPLINARY path takes researchers through a journey of reflection about what they have to bring
to the table and understand each other’s (academic) languages.
“The best way forward is to nurture the relationships between team members, curious about each other’s
experiences and have FUN!” suggests Karin Beland Lindahl.
Line Gordon (Stockholm Resilience Centre, SRC) shared her view on to cross-disciplinary research: “Our
work is curiosity driven and solutions oriented. Transdisciplinary research is fundamental for the work of the
centre, both internally and externally. SRC working culture also encourage researchers for their creativity
and openness to plurality of perspectives, theories and methods.” Line concluded that trust is one of the most
important factors for rich cross-disciplinary work at SRC.
Erik Fahlbeck, SLU Pro Vice-Chancellor, discussed ‘what is SLU’s view on the need of cross-disciplinary
science?’. As SLU primarily works with agriculture and food systems, it is almost impossible to only look at
the issues from a one discipline perspective. Critical point is to increase the involvement of social scientists
in the agriculture and food system science, which often are dominated by natural scientists.
This news story is based on the discussions at the ‘Cross-disciplinary Science for a Sustainable Food System
– What’s in it for me?’ workshop organized by SLU Future Food on 27 September 2018 at Ultuna Campus,
SLU.
SLU Future Food is a research and collaboration platform created with an aim to develop knowledge,
solutions and innovations to ensure that the entire food system is characterized by economic, ecological and
social sustainability to overcome tomorrow’s challenges.
What Is Contextual Learning?
What is the best way to teach so that all students can use and retain that information? How can a teacher
communicate effectively with students who wonder about the relevance of what they study? These are the
challenges teachers face every day, the challenges that a curriculum and an instructional approach based
on contextual learning can help them successfully address. Many students have a difficult time understanding
academic concepts (such as math concepts) as they are commonly taught (that is, using an abstract, lecture
method), but they desperately need to understand the concepts as they relate to the workplace and to the
larger society in which they will live and work. Traditionally, students have been expected to make these
connections on their own, outside the classroom. However, growing numbers of teachers today are
discovering that most students' interest and achievement in math, science, and language improve
dramatically when they are helped to make connections between new knowledge and experiences they have
had, or with other knowledge they have already mastered. Students' engagement increases significantly
when they are taught why they are learning the concepts and how those concepts can be used outside the
classroom.
Contextualized learning is a proven concept that incorporates the most recent research in cognitive science.
It is also a reaction to the essentially behaviorist theories that have dominated American education for many
decades. The contextual approach recognizes that learning is a complex and multifaceted process that goes
far beyond drill oriented, stimulus-and-response methodologies. According to contextual learning theory,
learning occurs only when students process new information or knowledge in such a way that it makes sense
to them in their own frames of reference (their own inner worlds of memory, experience, and response). The
mind naturally seeks meaning in context by searching for relationships that make sense and appear useful.
Building upon this understanding, contextual learning theory focuses on the multiple aspects of any learning
environment, whether a classroom, a laboratory, a computer lab, or a worksite. It encourages educators to
choose and/or design learning environments that incorporate many different forms of experience in working
toward the desired learning outcomes. In such an environment, students discover meaningful relationships
between abstract ideas and practical applications in the context of the real world; concepts are internalized
through the process of discovering, reinforcing, and relating.
Chapter 1. What Is Problem-Based Learning?
To organize education so that natural active tendencies shall be fully enlisted in doing something, while
seeing to it that the doing requires observation, the acquisition of information, and the use of a constructive
imagination, is what needs to be done to improve social conditions.
. Dewey 1916, 1944, p. 137
All education involves either problem solving or preparation for problem solving. From mathematical
calculations (“What does this equal?”) to literary analysis (“What does this mean?”) to scientific experiments
(“Why and how does this happen?”) to historical investigation (“What took place, and why did it occur that
way?”), teachers show students how to answer questions and solve problems. When teachers and schools
skip the problem-formulating stage—handing facts and procedures to students without giving them a chance
to develop their own questions and investigate by themselves—students may memorize material but will not
fully understand or be able to use it. Problem-based learning (PBL) provides a structure for discovery that
helps students internalize learning and leads to greater comprehension
Origin of Problem-Based Learning
The roots of problem-based learning can be traced to the progressive movement, especially to John Dewey's
belief that teachers should teach by appealing to students' natural instincts to investigate and create. Dewey
wrote that “the first approach to any subject in school, if thought is to be aroused and not words acquired,
should be as unscholastic as possible” (Dewey 1916, 1944, p. 154). For Dewey, students' experiences
outside of school provide us with clues for how to adapt lessons based on what interests and engages them:
Methods which are permanently successful in formal education . . . go back to the type of situation which
causes reflection out of school in ordinary life. They give pupils something to do, not something to learn; and
the doing is of such a nature as to demand thinking, or the intentional noting of connections; learning naturally
results (Dewey 1916, 1944, p. 154). More than 80 years after that was written, students still learn best by
doing and by thinking through problems. Educators who use problem-based learning recognize that in the
world outside of school, adults build their knowledge and skills as they solve a real problem or answer an
important question—not through abstract exercises. In fact, PBL originally was developed for adults, to train
doctors in how to approach and solve medical problems. Traditionally, medical schools taught doctors by
requiring them to memorize a great deal of information and then to apply the information in clinical situations.
This straightforward approach did not fully prepare doctors for the real world where some patients might not
be able to identify their symptoms or others might show multiple symptoms. Though students memorized
basic medical information for tests in their courses, they did not know how to apply the information to real-life
situations and so quickly forgot it. Recognizing that Dewey's maxim held true for medical education, Howard
Barrows, a physician and medical educator at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, wanted to
develop methods of instructing physicians that fostered their own capabilities for reflection outside of school
in ordinary life. For Barrows, the ultimate objective of medical education was to produce doctors capable of
managing health problems of those who seek their services, in a competent and humane way. To do this,
the doctors . . . must have both knowledge and the ability to use it (Barrows 1985, p. 3).
While most medical schools focused on providing knowledge, Barrows thought this was just the first of three
interdependent elements:
(1) an essential body of knowledge, (2) the ability to use . . . knowledge effectively in the evaluation and care
of . . . patients' health problems, and (3) the ability to extend or improve that knowledge and to provide
appropriate care for future problems which they must face (Barrows 1985, p. 3).
Medical schools generally agreed on the content that should be taught; how this material should be learned
remained an issue. Barrows developed problem-based learning to
allow [medical] students to integrate, use, and reuse newly learned information in the context of patients'
problems; the symptoms, signs, laboratory data, course of illness, etc., provide cues for retrieval in the clinical
context (Barrows 1985, p. 5).
This led to his first educational objective for PBL:
The medical students we educate must acquire basic science knowledge that is better retained, retrieved,
and later used in the clinical context (Barrows 1985, p. 5).
Barrows designed a series of problems that went beyond conventional case studies. He didn't give students
all the information but required them to research a situation, develop appropriate questions, and producetheir
own plan to solve the problem. This cultivated students' “clinical reasoning process” as well as their
understanding of the tools at their disposal. He found that PBL also developed students' abilities to extend
and improve their knowledge to keep up in the ever-expanding field of medicine and to learn how to provide
care for new illnesses they encountered. Students who were taught through PBL became “self-directed
learners” with the desire to know and learn, the ability to formulate their needs as learners, and the ability to
select and use the best available resources to satisfy these needs. Barrows and Tamblyn defined this new
method, problem-based learning, as “the learning that results from the process of working toward the
understanding or resolution of a problem” (Barrows and Tamblyn 1980, p. 18). They summarized the process
as follows:
The problem is encountered first in the learning sequence, before any preparation or study has occurred.
The problem situation is presented to the student in the same way it would present in reality.
The student works with the problem in a manner that permits his ability to reason and apply knowledge to be
challenged and evaluated, appropriate to his level of learning.
Needed areas of learning are identified in the process of work with the problem and used as a guide to
individualized study.
The skills and knowledge acquired by this study are applied back to the problem, to evaluate the effectiveness
of learning and to reinforce learning.
The learning that has occurred in work with the problem and in individualized study is summarized and
integrated into the student's existing knowledge and skills (Barrows and Tamblyn 1980, pp. 191–192).
Problem-Based Learning and the School Improvement Movement
Although the PBL method outlined in the preceding section originally was designed for medical schools, it
has been adopted by a growing number of K-12 schools working to raise student achievement. Students
educated for the world of the 21st century must develop habits of thinking, researching, and problem solving
to succeed in a rapidly changing world. Yet, too many children in traditional education are not developing
these increasingly vital abilities.

Thinking and problem-solving skills are not explicitly measured on a national basis. But studies show that
while students are making progress in learning basic skills, only a small percentage perform at desired grade
levels and master higher-order thinking.

For example, on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading test, 57 percent of 17-
year-olds scored below the level necessary to “find, understand, summarize, and explain relatively
complicated literary and informational material” (National Center for Education Statistics 1996, p. 114). Only
10 percent of students scored in the top two levels (proficient and advanced) on the NAEP history test. And
while more than half of 17-year-olds (59 percent) could answer “moderately complex procedures and
reasoning,” only 7 in 100 showed a mastery of “multi-step problem solving and algebra” (National Center for
Education Statistics 1996, p. 122). In science, less than half (47 percent) could “analyze scientific procedures
and data,” with only 10 percent able to “integrate specialized scientific information” (National Center for
Education Statistics 1996, p. 126). Clearly, while students are taught the basics, they are unable to proceed
to understanding and using advanced knowledge.

Problem-based learning fits right into the movement for higher standards and greater achievement. PBL asks
students to demonstrate an understanding of the material, not just to parrot back information with a few word
changes. Research and teachers' experience have demonstrated that active instructional techniques like
PBL can motivate bored students and raise their understanding and achievement. These student-centered
strategies build critical thinking and reasoning skills, further students' creativity and independence, and help
students earn a sense of ownership over their own work.

In classrooms where educators employ active learning strategies, students talk to each other, not through
the teacher, and they initiate and manage many of their own activities. In these classes, the teacher serves
as a guide to learning, providing room for students to increase their independence and build their own
creativity. The teachers rely less on textbooks, using them as only one of a number of valid information
sources that include everything from the Internet to community members. Similarly, schools using active
learning become more flexible, allowing teachers greater freedom to direct their students and structure their
own courses. They recognize that helping students master information needed to solve a problem and
building their analytical reasoning skills are at least as important as memorizing a predetermined answer.

Present State of Problem-Based Learning

Since Barrows first used PBL at McMaster University in the mid-1960s, PBL “has caused a small revolution
in the medical community” (Albanese and Mitchell 1993), and it was cited by a U.S. News and World Report
issue reviewing medical schools:

Since the late 1970s, New Mexico has been a pioneer in reforming medical education and training. . . . It was
the first U.S. medical school to embrace a curriculum built around a case study method—the problem-based
approach adopted six years later by Harvard (Sarnoff 1996, pp. 92–94).
PBL is presently used in more than 60 medical schools worldwide and also in schools of dentistry, pharmacy,
optometry, and nursing. It is also used in high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools in cities,
suburban counties, and rural communities. Teachers have been trained at the Problem-Based Learning
Institute in Springfield, Illinois; the Center for Problem-Based Learning at the Illinois Mathematics and Science
Academy in Chicago; and the Center for the Study of Problem-Based Learning at Ventures In Education in
New York City.

PBL offers K-12 teachers a structured method to help their students build thinking and problem-solving skills
while students master important subject knowledge. It empowers students with greater freedom while
providing a process that teachers can use to guide and lead students. Most of all, PBL transfers the active
role in the classroom to students through problems that connect to their lives and procedures that require
them to find needed information, think through a situation, solve the problem, and develop a final
presentation.

At this point, you may wish to look at one of the “practical” chapters (Chapters 7 to 11) before proceeding.
Reading through some actual PBL problems may help you understand the background information in
Chapters 2 to 6.

Copyright © 1997 by Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. All rights reserved. No part
of this publication—including the drawings, graphs, illustrations, or chapters, except for brief quotations in
critical reviews or articles—may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without
permission from ASCD.
http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/197166/chapters/What_Is_Problem-Based_Learning%C2%A2.aspx
Problem-Based Learning
Engaging Students
Problem-based learning  (PBL) is a student-centered approach in which students learn about a subject by
working in groups to solve an open-ended problem. This problem is what drives the motivation and the
learning. 

Why Use Problem-Based Learning?

Nilson (2010) lists the following learning outcomes that are associated with PBL. A well-designed PBL project
provides students with the opportunity to develop skills related to:

Working in teams.
Managing projects and holding leadership roles.
Oral and written communication.
Self-awareness and evaluation of group processes.
Working independently.
Critical thinking and analysis.
Explaining concepts.
Self-directed learning.
Applying course content to real-world examples.
Researching and information literacy.
Problem solving across disciplines.
Considerations for Using Problem-Based Learning
Rather than teaching relevant material and subsequently having students apply the knowledge to solve
problems, the problem is presented first. PBL assignments can be short, or they can be more involved and
take a whole semester. PBL is often group-oriented, so it is beneficial to set aside classroom time to prepare
students to  work in groups  and to allow them to engage in their PBL project.

Students generally must:

1. Examine and define the problem.
2. Explore what they already know about underlying issues related to it.
3. Determine what they need to learn and where they can acquire the information and tools necessary to
solve the problem.
4. Evaluate possible ways to solve the problem.
5. Solve the problem.
6. Report on their findings.
Getting Started with Problem-Based Learning
Articulate the learning outcomes of the project. What do you want students to know or be able to do as a
result of participating in the assignment?
Create the problem. Ideally, this will be a real-world situation that resembles something students may
encounter in their future careers or lives. Cases are often the basis of PBL activities. Previously developed
PBL activities can be found online through the University of Delaware’s PBL Clearinghouse of Activities.
Establish ground rules at the beginning to prepare students to work effectively in groups.
Introduce students to group processes and do some warm up exercises to allow them to practice assessing
both their own work and that of their peers.
Consider having students take on different roles or divide up the work up amongst themselves. Alternatively,
the project might require students to assume various perspectives, such as those of government officials,
local business owners, etc.
Establish how you will evaluate and assess the assignment. Consider making the self and peer assessments
a part of the assignment grade.
References
Nilson, L. B. (2010). Teaching at its best: A research-based resource for college instructors (2nd ed.).  San
Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. 

Cooperative learning series

Problem-based learning
Problem-based learning (PBL) is an exciting alternative
to traditional classroom learning.

With PBL, your teacher presents you with a problem, not lectures or assignments or exercises. Since you
are not handed "content", your learning becomes active in the sense that you discover and work with content
that you determine to be necessary to solve the problem.

In PBL, your teacher acts as facilitator and mentor,

rather than a source of "solutions."

Problem based learning will provide you with opportunities to

examine and try out what you know

discover what you need to learn
develop your people skills for achieving higher performance in teams
improve your communications skills
state and defend positions with evidence and sound argument
become more flexible in processing information and meeting obligations
practice skills that you will need after your education
A Summary of Problem-Based Learning:
This is a simplified model--more detailed models are referenced below.

The steps can be repeated and recycled.

Steps two through five may be repeated and reviewed as new information becomes available and redefines
the problem.
Step six may occur more than once--especially when teachers place emphasis on going beyond "the first
draft."

1. Explore the issues:

Your teacher introduces an "ill-structured" problem to you.
Discuss the problem statement and list its significant parts.
You may feel that you don't know enough to solve the problem but that is the challenge!
You will have to gather information and learn new concepts, principles, or skills as you engage in the problem-
solving process.

2. List "What do we know?"

What do you know to solve the problem?
This includes both what you actually know and what strengths and capabilities each team member has.
Consider or note everyone's input, no matter how strange it may appear: it could hold a possibility!

3. Develop, and write out, the problem statement in your own words:
A problem statement should come from your/the group's analysis of what you know, and what you will need
to know to solve it. You will need:

a written statement
the agreement of your group on the statement
feedback on this statement from your instructor.
(This may be optional, but is a good idea)
Note: The problem statement is often revisited and edited as new information is discovered, or "old"
information is discarded.

4. List out possible solutions

List them all, then order them from strongest to weakest
Choose the best one, or most likely to succeed
5. List actions to be taken with a timeline

What do we have to know and do to solve the problem?

How do we rank these possibilities?
How do these relate to our list of solutions?
Do we agree?
6. List "What do we need to know?"
Research the knowledge and data that will support your solution
You will need to information to fill in missing gaps.

Discuss possible resources

Experts, books, web sites, etc.
Assign and schedule research tasks, especially deadlines
If your research supports your solution,
and if there is general agreement, go to (7). If not, go to (4)

7. Write up your solution with its supporting documentation, and submit it.
You may need to present your findings and/or recommendations to a group or your classmates.

This should include the problem statement, questions, data gathered, analysis of data, and support for
solutions or recommendations based on the data analysis: in short, the process and outcome.

Presenting and defending your conclusions:

The goal is to present not only your conclusions,
but the foundation upon which they rest. Prepare to

State clearly both the problem and your conclusion

Summarize the process you used, options considered, and difficulties encountered
Convince, not overpower
Bring others to your side, or to consider without prejudice your supporting documentation and reason
Help others learn, as you have learned
If challenged
and you have an answer, present it clearly
and you don't have an answer, acknowledge it and refer it for more consideration
Sharing your findings with teachers and students is an opportunity in demonstrating that you have learned.
If you know your subject well, this will be evident. If a challenge arises that you cannot respond to, accept it
as an opportunity to be explored. However, take pride in your attention to quality when you present. See also
the Guide on presenting projects.

8. Review your performance

This debriefing exercise applies both to individuals and the group.
Take pride in what you have done well; learn from what you have not done well. Thomas Edison took pride
in unsuccessful experiments as part of his journey to successful outcomes!

9. Celebrate your work!

Classroom learning series

Preparing for the classroom | Class "prep"/paying attention |
Classroom discussions | Taking notes in lectures | Influencing teachers |
Interviewing for class projects | Consent form for interviews |
Problem based learning | Using guided notes
For more information:
To be successful, PBL requires problem solving and critical thinking skills.
See our Study Guides on
Making decisions/solving problems and Thinking critically, and/or ask your teacher for help in developing
collaborative skills.
The role of argument:
Through various stages of this process, you or your group will be expected to come to consensus on how to
next proceed. While each member is expected to "argue" his or her viewpoint, the focus should be on the
issues and reason, not personalities and emotion.
If your group has difficulty, refer to your teacher for assistance as a mediator, and/or see the Guide
Cooperative conflict resolution
https://www.studygs.net/pbl.htm

What is inquiry-based learning?

An old adage states: "Tell me and I forget, show me and I remember, involve me and I understand." The last
part of this statement is the essence of inquiry-based learning, says our workshop author Joe Exline 1. Inquiry
implies involvement that leads to understanding. Furthermore, involvement in learning implies possessing
skills and attitudes that permit you to seek resolutions to questions and issues while you construct new
knowledge.

1.

Part 1 of 2 Part 2 of 2
Transcript
Tim O'Keefe, a teacher at the Center for Inquiry elementary school in Columbia, South Carolina, explains
why he thinks inquiry is a much more effective teaching strategy than traditional chalk-and-talk.

"Inquiry" is defined as "a seeking for truth, information, or knowledge -- seeking information by questioning."
Individuals carry on the process of inquiry from the time they are born until they die. This is true even though
they might not reflect upon the process. Infants begin to make sense of the world by inquiring. From birth,
babies observe faces that come near, they grasp objects, they put things in their mouths, and they turn toward
voices. The process of inquiring begins with gathering information and data through applying the human
senses -- seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, and smelling.

A Context for Inquiry

Unfortunately, our traditional educational system has worked in a way that discourages the natural process
of inquiry. Students become less prone to ask questions as they move through the grade levels. In traditional
schools, students learn not to ask too many questions, instead to listen and repeat the expected answers.

Some of the discouragement of our natural inquiry process may come from a lack of understanding about
the deeper nature of inquiry-based learning. There is even a tendency to view it as "fluff" learning. Effective
inquiry is more than just asking questions. A complex process is involved when individuals attempt to convert
information and data into useful knowledge. Useful application of inquiry learning involves several factors: a
context for questions, a framework for questions, a focus for questions, and different levels of questions.
Well-designed inquiry learning produces knowledge formation that can be widely applied.

Importance of Inquiry

Memorizing facts and information is not the most important skill in today's world. Facts change, and
information is readily available -- what's needed is an understanding of how to get and make sense of the
mass of data.

Educators must understand that schools need to go beyond data and information accumulation and move
toward the generation of useful and applicable knowledge . . . a process supported by inquiry learning. In the
past, our country's success depended on our supply of natural resources. Today, it depends upon a workforce
that "works smarter."

Through the process of inquiry, individuals construct much of their understanding of the natural and human-
designed worlds. Inquiry implies a "need or want to know" premise. Inquiry is not so much seeking the right
answer -- because often there is none -- but rather seeking appropriate resolutions to questions and issues.
For educators, inquiry implies emphasis on the development of inquiry skills and the nurturing of inquiring
attitudes or habits of mind that will enable individuals to continue the quest for knowledge throughout life.

Content of disciplines is very important, but as a means to an end, not as an end in itself. The knowledge
base for disciplines is constantly expanding and changing. No one can ever learn everything, but everyone
can better develop their skills and nurture the inquiring attitudes necessary to continue the generation and
examination of knowledge throughout their lives. For modern education, the skills and the ability to continue
learning should be the most important outcomes. The rationale for why this is necessary is explained in the
following diagrams.
Illustration developed by Joe Exline
This figure illustrates how human society and individuals within society constantly generate and transmit the
fund of knowledge 2.

2.

Human society and individuals within society constantly generate and transmit this fund of knowledge.
Experts, working at the boundary between the known and the unknown, constantly add to the fund of
knowledge.

It is very important that knowledge be transmitted to all the members of society. This transmission takes place
through structures like schools, families, and training courses.

Certain attributes are necessary for both generating and effectively transmitting the fund of knowledge. The
attributes that experts use to generate new knowledge are very similar to the qualities essential for the
effective transmission of knowledge within the learners' environment. These are the essential elements of
effective inquiry learning:

. Experts see patterns and meanings not apparent to novices.

. Experts have in-depth knowledge of their fields, structured so that it is most useful.
. Experts' knowledge is not just a set of facts -- it is structured to be accessible, transferable, and
applicable to a variety of situations.
. Experts can easily retrieve their knowledge and learn new information in their fields with little effort.

(The list above was adapted from "How People Learn," published by the National Research Council in 1999.)

Illustration developed by Joe Exline

This figure illustrates the attributes necessary for both generating and effectively transmitting the fund of
knowledge.

We propose that the attributes experts use to generate new knowledge are very similar to the attributes
essential for the effective transmission of knowledge within the learner's environment -- the essentials of
effective inquiry learning.

Inquiry is important in the generation and transmission of knowledge. It is also an essential for education,
because the fund of knowledge is constantly increasing. The figure below illustrates why trying to transmit
"what we know," even if it were possible, is counterproductive in the long run. This is why schools must
change from a focus on "what we know" to an emphasis on "how we come to know."

Illustration developed by Joe Exline

This chart illustrates that while knowledge is constantly increasing, so is the boundary of the unknown.

An effective and well-rounded education gives individuals very different but interrelated views of the world.
All disciplines have important relationships that provide a natural and effective framework for the organization
of the school curriculum, as shown in the chart below. The subject matter of disciplines can be set in the
larger context of a conceptual framework 3. This framework is crucial for understanding change and also for
the organization of the discipline and its application to the natural and human-designed worlds.

3.

Illustration developed by Joe Exline

This chart illustrates that skills for processing information are similar across all disciplines.

The habits of mind 4, values, or "ground rules" of a particular discipline provide that discipline's unique
perspective. The sciences, for example, demand verification of data, while the study of literature often relies
on opinions and subjective interpretations as a source of information. Habits of mind vary in their rigidity
across disciplines. This doesn't mean that one is right and the other is wrong, but simply that the "ground
rules" are different.

4.

The Application of Inquiry

While much thought and research has been spent on the role of inquiry in science education, inquiry learning
can be applied to all disciplines. Individuals need many perspectives for viewing the world. Such views could
include artistic, scientific, historic, economic, and other perspectives. While disciplines should interrelate,
inquiry learning includes the application of certain specific "ground rules" that insure the integrity of the
various disciplines and their world views.

Outcomes of Inquiry

An important outcome of inquiry should be useful knowledge about the natural and human-designed worlds.
How are these worlds organized? How do they change? How do they interrelate? And how do we
communicate about, within, and across these worlds? These broad concepts contain important issues and
questions that individuals will face throughout their lives. Also, these concepts can help organize the content
of the school curriculum to provide a relevant and cumulative framework for effective learning. An appropriate
education should provide individuals with different ways of viewing the world, communicating about it, and
successfully coping with the questions and issues of daily living.

While questioning and searching for answers are extremely important parts of inquiry, effectively generating
knowledge from this questioning and searching is greatly aided by a conceptual context for learning. Just as
students should not be focused only on content as the ultimate outcome of learning, neither should they be
asking questions and searching for answers about minutiae. Well-designed inquiry-learning activities and
interactions should be set in a conceptual context so as to help students accumulate knowledge as they
progress from grade to grade. Inquiry in education should be about a greater understanding of the world in
which they live, learn, communicate, and work.

There are several variations on inquiry-based learning. Among the most widely used are the Future Problem
Solving Program 5 and the Problem-based Learning Approach 6. See the "Resources" section for more on
these approaches.
https://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/inquiry/index.html
WHAT ARE THE FOUR PHASES OF INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING?
The classroom power of inquiry-based learning is undeniable. Nothing is more natural to meaningful learning
than curiosity and inquiry. It is the spirit of both that passionate educators strive to nurture in their students.

In order to do this, there are specific phases of inquiry-based learning that must be in place. Since we’re
discussing solid stages that properly facilitate this type of transformational learning, it’s best we refer to the
Wabisabi Inquiry Cycle. Let’s find out more below.

THE FOUR PHASES OF INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING

The Wabisabi Inquiry Cycle includes four distinct phases of inquiry-based learning. We call them the 4 Cs:

Curious
Connect
Communicate
Create

WIP-infographic-PARTIAL

Beginning with a big idea, or what we call the Global Concept, we formulate an essential question around it
with our learners that sets the cycle in motion. As learners are inspired to be curious about where the question
leads them, they begin to make connections between concepts both known and unknown to them.

Once the connections to the curriculum and what’s outside it are made, the time comes to communicate
essential understandings. Our learners do this by creating original products and solutions that speak to them
and their interest and abilities.

Inquiry-based learning is learning in its most natural state. Inquiry is the very foundation of what learning is
all about. We have a big idea and a burning question that drives us to find the answer. Through the application
of these four phases, we bring real learning home to our students.
CURIOUS
Curiosity is the foundation of any meaningful learning experience. We seek to learn because we are curious,
and want to discover more. There are lots of intriguing ways to lead students to being curious about what you
teach.

Questions for this stage:

What do I want my learners to be curious about?

What are the key concepts or areas of content in the curriculum that learners are expected to master?
How will I inspire curiosity in my learners about these things?
How can we formulate questions that drive our curiosity?
CONNECT
Connection is realization. It is the awareness our learners have of the relationship between ideas and bits of
information. From this awareness comes the synthesis of new insights and understandings. This is how the
concepts in our curriculum enter the world of our learners. We can’t teach this, as it is the instinctual “Oh, I
get it now” moments that teachers so love to watch students experience.

Questions for this stage:

What are the connections learners can make that have personal relevance for them?
How will I connect to learner context and relevance?
How do these connections change how learners feel about the content?
How can these connections be used to inspire them to want to know more?
COMMUNICATE
In order for learning to be assessed properly, the intended outcomes of the curriculum have to be
demonstrated somehow. This is why we fashion products and solutions in the course of our learning—to help
us understand, internalize, and communicate the crucial aspects of what’s being taught.

Questions for this stage:

What are the essential understandings of the curriculum, and beyond the curriculum, that learners will take
and communicate in the world?
How will they communicate their understandings?
CREATE
Our learners crave opportunities to showcase their inherent creative talents in countless forms. Creation is
the highest level of Bloom’s Taxonomy. Today, creativity and the arts through which they are expressed are
more fundamental than ever to the shaping of our changing world. This is the all-important stage of the inquiry
process where students get hands-on with the learning.

Questions for this stage:

How can I provide rewarding outlets through which my learners can express themselves fully?
What are the artifacts we will create?
HOW INQUIRY TRANSFORMS LEARNING
With just these four phases of inquiry-based learning, and an essential question to help facilitate them, you
will bring some truly transformative learning to your classrooms. And if you want to really go to the next level,
you’ll learn all about this and much more in our workshop series Foundations of Inquiry-Based Learning.

Everything you want and need to know about inquiry-based learning—from understanding and development,
to implementation and assessment—you’ll learn at this workshop. This is a full-day experience that explores
the fundamental elements of inquiry, from questioning to creating authentic learner-centered inquiry that
connects to clear curricular outcomes. Find out more below, and join us for some dynamic professional
learning.
https://www.wabisabilearning.com/blog/inquiry-based-learning-phases

That’s where inquiry-based learning comes in.

WHAT IS INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING?

Inquiry-based learning is an approach to learning that emphasizes the student’s role in the learning process.

Rather than the teacher telling students what they need to know, students are encouraged to explore the

material, ask questions, and share ideas.

Inquiry-based learning uses different approaches to learning, including small-group discussion and guided

learning. Instead of memorizing facts and material, students learn by doing. This allows them to build

knowledge through exploration, experience, and discussion.

IS INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING EFFECTIVE?

Just like experiential learning, inquiry-based learning actively engages students in the learning process.

Students aren’t just hearing or writing what they are learning. Instead, students get the chance to explore a

topic more deeply and learn from their own first-hand experiences.

We retain 75% of what we do compared to 5% of what we hear and 10% of what we read. Inquiry-based

learning allows students to better understand and recall material by actively engaging with it and making their

own connections.

THE BENEFITS OF INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING

Now that you know more about this learning approach, let’s take a look at the advantages and benefits of

inquiry-based learning.

1. Enhances learning experiences for children

Sitting in a classroom taking notes isn’t always the most effective (or fun) way to learn. Rather than

memorizing facts from the teacher, inquiry-based learning enhances the learning process by letting

students explore topics themselves.

2. Teaches skills needed for all areas of learning

As they explore a topic, students build critical thinking and communication skills. The cognitive skills

that students develop can be used to improve comprehension in every subject, as well as in day-to-

day life.
3. Fosters curiosity in students

An inquiry-based learning approach lets students share their own ideas and questions about a topic.

This helps foster more curiosity about the material and teaches skills students can use to continue

exploring topics they are interested in.

4. Deepens students’ understanding of topics

Rather than simply memorizing facts, students make their own connections about what they are

learning. This allows them to gain a better understanding of a topic than they would get by just

memorizing and recalling facts.

5. Allows students to take ownership of their learning

Students have the opportunity to explore a topic, giving them more of a sense of ownership over

their learning. Instead of the teacher telling them what they should know, students are able to learn

in a way that works for them.

6. Increases engagement with the material

As a form of active learning, this approach encourages students to fully engage in the learning

process. By allowing students to explore topics, make their own connections, and ask questions,

they are able to learn more effectively.

7. Creates a love of learning

Inquiry-based learning is designed to teach students a love of learning. When students are able to

engage with the material in their own way, not only are they able to gain a deeper understanding—

they are able to develop a passion for exploration and learning.

At GradePower Learning, we believe in an active, engaging learning experience. Learn more about our

approach to learning and how we can get your child on the path to success.

https://gradepowerlearning.com/what-is-inquiry-based-learning/