Inquiry-based learning in higher education

Inquiry-based learning (IBL) approaches coupled with educational technologies can help empower students to take charge of their learning, foster critical thinking, and prepare them for a world that values problem-solving and lifelong learning.

IBL is one of the most referenced approaches in the Advancing Students and Education (ASE) strategy, but what does this approach mean in higher education and to UoM teaching staff? And what educational technology supports it?

What is inquiry based learning?

IBL is an approach to teaching that focuses on exploration, discovery, and problem-solving. IBL is different from traditional approaches because it reverses the order of learning. Instead of presenting information, or ‘the answer’, up-front, teachers generally start with a range of scenarios, questions, and problems for students to navigate and solve themselves.

While there are lots of specific applications of IBL, such as case-study and project-based learning, IBL more broadly refers to inquiry in the classroom. Through the constructivist lens of theorists like John Dewey, Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky, inquiry in the classroom places the responsibility for learning on the students and encourages them to arrive at an understanding of concepts by themselves.

Lee et al. (2004) defined IBL as an "array of classroom practices that promote student learning through guided and, increasingly, independent investigation of complex questions and problems, often for which there is no single answer” (p. 9). Students are supported in developing their abilities to: ask good questions, determine what needs to be learned and what resources are required to answer those questions, and share their learning with others.

How does it help?

In the past an IBL approach has been a staple of science education. However, moves to apply IBL more widely across disciplines and professions rest heavily in a vision for education where students are prepared for the challenges they will face in their future careers and in an ever-changing world. It puts an emphasis on the development of skills as well as discipline knowledge and the need for new practitioners to be adaptive and flexible as well as knowledgeable.

One of the critical elements of IBL is also the development of information literacy skills. In an age when information is readily accessible, the ability to critically evaluate sources, synthesise information, and use it effectively is paramount. IBL aims to equip all students with these skills, enabling them to navigate an information-rich world with confidence and competence. In IBL content is not king - context is!

How do you do it?

IBL has strong connections and origins in science and STEM education and, as such, the approach may already be familiar and embedded in practice for some disciplines in higher education. For others though it prompts a shift in practice and learning design to provide greater opportunities for students to take a more active role in their education.

Promote a cycle of inquiry in learning activity

The key element of IBL is the learning journey for students, usually defined by a cycle of inquiry that is teacher facilitated but student driven. There are lots of different interpretations of this cycle but the 5E’s model (Lederman, 2009) derived from science education provides a good foundation for aligning an IBL approach across different disciplines and learning activities.

Diagram showing the learning journey of students as a cycle of inquiry including elaborate, engage, explore, explain and evaluate
Diagram showing the learning journey of students as a cycle of inquiry including elaborate, engage, explore, explain and evaluate

The 5E’s model of inquiry

  1. Engage: Students are engaged with a challenging situation or ‘wicked problem’, prior knowledge is activated, questions are provoked
  2. Explore: Students investigate the situation/problem, prior knowledge is challenged, new ideas are explored. Often done in groups
  3. Explain: Students explain the situation/problem in their own words, new knowledge is gained and applied
  4. Elaborate: Students apply their knowledge towards new situations, knowledge is deepened and extended
  5. Evaluate: Students reflect on their knowledge and the learning process. This is often also where assessment occurs, and a new cycle kicks off with what was explored and uncovered previously at the foundation of a new situation or challenge to explore.

When considering this cycle against aligned approaches like case-study or project-based learning, the exploration and elaboration phases are key.

For example, reading a case study and answering a multiple-choice quiz is not an example of IBL. However, if the case study posed an open-ended question that kicked off a cycle of inquiry it would be.

Support students through four levels of inquiry

There are also various levels of inquiry that can exist within different classroom contexts. The Many Levels of Inquiry by Heather Banchi and Randy Bell (2008) outline four levels of inquiry.

Levels of inquiry-based learning

Levels of inquiry-based learning diagram
Levels of inquiry-based learning. (Source: Banchi, H., and Bell, R. (2008). The Many Levels of Inquiry Science and Children, Vol. 46, No. 2)

Level 1: Confirmation inquiry

The teacher starts with direct instruction on a theme or topic. They then develop questions and a procedure that guides students through an activity where the results are already known. This method is great to reinforce concepts taught and to introduce students into learning to follow procedures, collect and record data correctly and to confirm and deepen understandings.

Level 2: Structured inquiry

The teacher provides the initial question and an outline of the procedure they want students to follow to answer it. Students then formulate explanations of their findings through evaluating and analysing the data that they collect from their own research.

Level 3: Guided inquiry

The teacher provides only the research question for the students. The students are responsible for designing and following their own procedures to test that question and then communicate their results and findings.

Level 4: Open/true inquiry

Students formulate their own research question(s), design and follow through with a developed procedure, and communicate their findings and results.

Banchi and Bell (2008) suggest that teachers should begin their inquiry instruction at the lower levels and work their way to open inquiry to effectively develop students' inquiry skills. Open inquiry activities are only successful if students are motivated by intrinsic interests and if they are equipped with the skills to conduct their own research study (Yoon and Joung, 2012)

Tips and strategies for busy teachers

IBL requires a shift in the role of teachers. Instead of acting as mere knowledge transmitters, educators become facilitators, guides, and mentors. They help students formulate questions, design experiments, and navigate the complexities of their chosen subjects.

Enabling educational technologies: The catalyst for change

There is a strong complimentary relationship between IBL and education technology. Leveraging technology in IBL helps create a dynamic, interactive, and inclusive learning environment that enables students to immerse themselves in the learning process both in, out and in between classes.

Technology can play a pivotal role in enabling multiple opportunities for the collaboration, critical thinking and problem-solving critical to effective IBL.

Here is just one supported technology at the University of Melbourne that can greatly enhance the IBL experience:

Enhancing exploration with FeedbackFruits

FeedbackFruits is a peer review and group evaluation tool that can be integrated into your LMS subject to provide additional collaboration options that can support IBL, including:

  • Peer Review Assignment: Students reflect and provide feedback on works submitted by other students, with options to request students to complete a self-assessment. Peer Review assignments can be set up to allow students to submit individually or in groups. Peer review assignments can enable students to encounter engaging ideas, ponder important issues, and develop critical thinking skills- all key elements in IBL.
  • Group Member Evaluation Assignment: Students provide feedback about other group members. Typically used for staff to collate student reflections and feedback on how other team members have performed in a group project. Group work is an important part of exploration in IBL.
  • Interactive Audio/Video/Document Assignment: Students collaboratively comment on an audio file, uploaded document, or video. Teachers can place discussion points and questions in the document. Proposing challenging questions and facilitating discussion is a core part of IBL and this assignment type is a great way to kick off engagement and exploration in a cycle of inquiry.

With the support of technologies such as Feedback Fruits, teachers can enhance the IBL experience, making it more engaging and effective and providing multiple environments for problem-solving and collaboration.

Integrating these methodologies and technologies, helps equip students with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in an ever-changing world.

Embracing this paradigm shift in education also holds the promise of preparing students for the future and actively shaping that future through innovation and inquiry. It is an approach that not only benefits students but also contributes to the advancement of education in the 21st century.

References and resources

  • Bell, R., Banchi, H. (2008). The Many Levels of Inquiry. Science & Children, 46(2), 26-29.
  • Blessinger, P. (Ed.). (2012). Inquiry-Based Learning for Faculty and Institutional Development: A Conceptual and Practical Resource for Educators. Emerald Group Publishing.
  • Brew, A. 2003. Teaching and research: New relationships and their implications for inquiry-based teaching and learning in higher education. Higher  Education  Research  &Development22, no. 1: 3–18
  • Brew, A. 2010. Imperatives and challenges in integrating teaching and research. Higher Education Research & Development29, no. 2: 139–50.
  • Lee, V. S., Greene, D. B., Odom, J., Schechter, E., & Slatta, R. W. (2004). What is inquiry guided learning. In V. S. Lee (Ed.), Teaching and learning through inquiry: A guidebook for institutions and instructors (pp. 3-15). Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.
  • Lederman, Judith Sweeney. "Levels of inquiry and the 5 E’s learning cycle model." National Geographic Science (2009).
  • Marzano, R. J., Pickering, D. J., & Pollock, J. E. (2001). Classroom Instruction that Works: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement. ASCD.
  • Murdoch, K. (2015). The Power of Inquiry. Hawker Brownlow Education.
  • National Research Council. (2000). Inquiry and the National Science Education Standards: A Guide for Teaching and Learning. National Academies Press.
  • Ritchhart, R., Church, M., & Morrison, K. (2011). Making Thinking Visible: How to Promote Engagement, Understanding, and Independence for All Learners. Jossey-Bass.
  • Yoon, H.; Joung, Y. J.; Kim, M. (2012). "The challenges of science inquiry teaching for pre-service teachers in elementary classrooms: Difficulties on and under the scene". Research in Science & Technological Education. 42 (3): 589–608. Bibcode:2012RScEd..42..589Y. doi:10.1007/s11165-011-9212-y. S2CID143969965

Resources for facilitating and designing inquiry-based learning