GED-636 Inquiry Instruction in the Classroom
In science, inquiry refers to "the activities of students in which they develop knowledge and understanding of scientific ideas, as well as an understanding of how scientists study the natural world" (National Research Council. 1996. National science education standards). Once the domain of the science and mathematics disciplines, inquiry-based instruction can also refer to the diverse ways that any discipline can be explored. In this course, students will investigate the use of inquiry-based techniques in many curricular and instructional areas. Students will explore ideas, issues, and practices in an inquiry-based classroom. As a result of this course, students will be able to apply their knowledge to their own classroom activities by analyzing and evaluating activities, developing activities and assessments, describing inquiry-based methods to colleagues, investigating the use of inquiry-based techniques with special needs populations, and recognizing that inquiry-based learning occurs outside as well as inside the classroom.