Inquiry Learning

Nelson Central School

 What is it ?
 Student-centred approach to learning.

 Features investigation of a worthy

problem, question, idea, conflict or issue.

 Development of thinking and research

skills in an authentic context.
 Why ...
 Knowledge is being created constantly. It is no
longer possible or desirable to focus on
information collection, learners need to be able
to use it to solve authentic problems.

 Successful life-long learners need to develop

research skills and to develop and utilise higher
order thinking skills through carefully scaffolded
learning opportunities.
 Models of Inquiry
 There are many models of Inquiry
learning.
 Trevor Bond’s model is known as the
SAUCE model.
 Trevor Bond provides ongoing support
with planning and training as part of ICT
PD.
 Many schools in our area are working with
the SAUCE model.
 Elements of model
S - Setting the scene …It provides a context for
the learning, and involves initial interaction with
the task and identification of prior knowledge.
A - Acquire … Acquiring the knowledge (and
validating it).
U – Use … Application of the knowledge in the
context of the task.
C – Communicate … Presentation.
E – Evaluate … Evaluation of process.
 Tasks
 The success of the learning is dependent
on the way the set task is written.
 Key words and phrases are embedded in
the task to provide the focus for research.
 The task requires some application of
information rather than a simple
presentation of information (a project).
 What will it mean for us…
This year…

 Baseline questioning survey in Week 3 this

Term.
 Trevor Bond to attend staff meeting on Nov 6 to
assist with moderation and assessment of
questioning.
 Initial attempts to mark before this in accordance
with questioning rubric would be useful.
2008…

 Trevor at Teacher-only days to begin staff

professional development in this and plan
Term 1 Inquiry with syndicates.
 Trevor will assist with planning and fine-
tuning each term’s units the term before
implementation.
 From our investigations at other
schools ….
 Topics use different balance of hard-copy, ICT and
human resources.
 Reorganisation and new management systems of school
resources might be necessary.
 It is a difficult process which takes teachers well out of
their comfort zone.
 Collegial support, patience, respect for everyone’s efforts
will minimise expected stress.
 Requires on going staff commitment.
 Planning time is largely up front. Units are assembled
cooperatively.
 Syndicate wide tasks.
Here are some examples of some
of the important features of Inquiry
learning we saw…

 Cooperative groups (usually 3) with

assigned roles.

 These may differ depending on

requirements of tasks.
Collector, checker and reporter…
Organiser, Writer, ‘Arty” person…
Organiser…
Task identifies key words and
phrases…
Setting the scene…
Acquiring the information…
 Using the
information…
Communicating …
 Evaluating…
 At the end
of the unit.
 Formal
assessment
is still being
developed
at the
schools we
visited.
Scaffolding the process….
Questioning….
Junior school….
Middle school….