EME 2040 Reflection # 4

Shaniece N. Jeffers
EME 2040
December 11, 2009
Reflection #4
Prof. Joseph McNair



What is an inquiry-based learning? An inquiry-based learning is mostly the philosophy of teaching within the classroom. This type of learning should be based around the student, meaning their philosophy. This learning also helps students to work together in solving problems without the teacher telling them what to do. Many students have different ways of learning and comprehension, so this type of learning helps them to understand and still learn whatever way that they can benefit from.

In the inquiry-based learning the teacher doesn’t supply the student with any knowledge. The students basically learn on their own, without any instructions from the teacher. The teacher doesn’t exist in the inquiry-based learning, the teacher is just there to supervise and learn from the students, or see what the student is learning with the teacher assisting them. The teacher is just seen as a facilitator in the classroom, the students acknowledge the teacher; they know that the teacher is there. The students basically learn to not ask the teacher for assistants and discuss whatever information they have amongst each other.

The inquiry-based learning can be seen as a form of the constructivist lesson plan. It is seen that way because it helps the student to develop their knowledge from what they have learned. The students can display what they learn by exhibiting and writing reflection papers to help display what they have learned. The teacher can also use assessment to understand what each student concept or state of mind is by giving them these critical thinking assignments. The student follow the constructivist lesson plan within the inquiry-based learning by using most of the elements found within it.

A form of the inquiry-based learning is problem based learning; this is when the students develop the objectives among each other. The student begins the concepts from the beginning to the end, without any help from a teacher. They do problem solving in order to develop their minds into whatever knowledge that they need to know.In this type of learning the students are able to have an open mind on what there are doing, no answer is right; nor are they wrong. They are many different examples of inquiry-based learning, that’s why it’s so open within the educational system.

This type of learning can be good and can be bad in many different ways. I understand that the teacher would be inside the classroom, but when the student needs help, they have to ask each other. If they needed to know an answer, that could be right or wrong; how would they know?
I like it but then, it mess with the direction of education. Meaning, they wouldn’t need teachers as much as they do now. Teachers would be out of jobs, it’s like the technology and the ways of learning would change the whole view on education. What would it mean for the teachers that would like to spread their philosophy on education?