Final Post

How have my conceptions of inquiry and information literacy developed over time?

When I began this inquiry learning journey I believed that I had a sound grasp on what inquiry was and how to implement it within the classroom. However, after completing my ‘inquiry in action’ research task I have realised that inquiry learning and information literacy are complex but essential elements in education. Inquiry learning can take many forms ranging from structured to open; it is dependent on the educational context and the needs of the students that teachers must select the most appropriate form of inquiry to suit their learner’s needs. At the heart of inquiry are questions, thus, questioning frameworks are critical to any inquiry. Posing questions for many students is hard. According to Milvain (2008) questions in inquiry should be used to probe, challenge and extend students’ understanding of a concept. That is why my favourite model to prompt student questioning during an inquiry learning activity is the inquiry circle. This model embraces all that is wonderful about inquiry and assists students and teachers throughout the entire process, particularly the ISP.

After analysing my findings from my research I was surprised at how much a student’s emotions during the ISP impacted on their learning. Without resources from Kulthau and her colleagues on guided inquiry I would have had limited knowledge and understanding of how and when to assist my students. In saying this, the one area where my learning has grown exponentially is my understanding of information literacy and critical literacy. The GeSTE windows were a new concept to me. It challenged me in the way I taught information literacy, consequently improving my ability to develop the critical literacy of my students. I acknowledge that in the past my teaching has never extended into the transformative window, however, I am ready to transform my teaching and the way students learn in my class, so that they can become empowered citizens of the future.

Reflection of my inquiry learning journey

Image created by author

Above are just sample of the questions I have asked as I have travelled along this journey of inquiry. Without asking these questions and conducting my own professional inquiries my teaching would be none the better. Similarly to my students, at the beginning of my travels I also found posing my own inquiry questions difficult. However, as I jumped headfirst into the waters of inquiry learning I became more and more curious, wanting to know more…and the questions began to flow! Many of my questions revolved around effectively structuring inquiry research, such as when should students pose questions and when/how should I provide students with guidance. I have found the answers to all of these questions but as I learned on the ‘road not taken’ “the value of collecting questions rather than answers is crucial” (Lupton, 2012).

Where to from here?

My inquiry journey is far from over! As a life-long inquirer I will continue to pose questions and embark on a quest for discovery…but where will my next inquiry quest take me? From the analysis and recommendations made in relation to the inquiry learning activity I have decided I need to become a leader in my school on inquiry learning and information literacy. Therefore, my new questions are:

How can I (with the support of the Teacher-Librarian) encourage and implement a consistent whole school approach to inquiry?
Who or what resources can I utilise as professional development tools for my colleagues and myself?

References:

Lupton, M. (2012, November 28). Collecting Questions. [Web log post]. Retrieved 20^th December 2014 from http://inquirylearningblog.wordpress.com/.

Milvain, C. (2008). Thinking skills within the humanities discipline. [Online]. Ethos, 16(4), p.6-10. Retrieved 21^st December 2014 from http://search.informit.com.au.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/fullText;dn=174318;res=AEIPT

Let me begin my final post by presenting my new understanding of inquiry learning. Inquiry learning is a cycle comprised of three elements: a questioning framework, an information seeking process and an action research cycle/evaluation. Together these three elements form a “holistic inquiry” model (Lupton, 2012, para. 17). The prezi below of the ‘inquiry circle’ is an example of a holistic inquiry model that incorporates the three elements of inquiry but also the affective domain of the inquiry learning journal.

Image created by site author: Sources for this compilation created by the International School of Tianjin (2008): — Branch, Jennifer, and Dianne Oberg. “Focus on Inquiry.” IASL. 2005. 6 May 2007 <http://education.alberta.ca/media/313361/focusoninquiry.pdf>. — Murdoch, Kath. Classroom Connections: Strategies for Integrated Learning. Armadale, Vic: Eleanor Curtain Pub, 1998. — Stripling, Barbara K. “Inquiry-Based Learning.” In Curriculum Connections through the Library, ed. Barbara K. Stripling and Sandra Hughes-Hassell, 3-39. Westport, Conn: Libraries Unlimited, 2003.

The time has come to reflect and evaluate upon my learning. I have decided to use the Kuhlthau’s ISP model to appraise my inquiry process.

	Thoughts (cognitive) and Actions	Feelings (affective)
Open-Immerse	After my initial post I realised that my implementation of inquiry learning was not as effective as it could have been. Thus, to start my inquiry I identified questions that I needed to know to rectify the situation	– Concerned about past teaching practice – Intrigued to find out more
Immerse- Explore	At this stage I needed to identify search strategies. I knew locations to find information, however, was unfamiliar with search techniques. Boolean operators and other search operators, such as truncations were new to me. I have had limited experience in using them. Before my search could begin I needed to re-search Boolean operators: – What they did and, – How and when to use them	– Confused until I understood the purpose of each operator – Excited to start searching with my new found knowledge
Explore-Identify	I needed to make sure that I selected high quality sources. In order to do this I experimented with my search strategies to make my searches more relevant. Also I used the CRAP test to identify reliable and useful texts	– Frustrated when my search strings brought up irrelevant information – Motivated to continue when I became experienced in using Boolean and other operators to find useful resources – Annoyed when I found an interesting source but full text was not available – Proud when I made my first ever screencast demonstrating my search techniques
Identify-Gather	Reading the texts that I had found were very informative. However, I found the curation phase challenging. Having not used any similar tools before I had to experiment with different curation tools before selecting the one that worked best for my needs- this happened to be Scoop it!	– Excited when I found connections between the text and my own practice, giving me a new understanding – Frustrated and annoyed when a creation tools would not do what I wanted it to (Diigo and Pinterest) – Happy once I found a curation tool that I liked working with
Gather- Create- Share	It took a considerable amount of time to write my response. I found it difficult to succinctly convey in writing what I had learnt and keep it within 500 words!	– Flustered trying to keep my response within the word limit – Satisfied with my final response- after significant editing
Share-Evaluate	Overall I enjoyed this process. It was time consuming and challenging but very much worthwhile. I understand inquiry learning much better- allowing me to improve my teaching practice. Furthermore, I have just completed an inquiry re-search cycle myself, allowing me to experience the process first hand. I feel that I have greater clarity on the subject.	– Amazed at how far I had progressed – Excited to start teaching in a new way – Proud of the hard work that I had put in

Model by Kuhlthau, Carol C., Leslie K. Maniotes and Ann K. Caspari. 2012

My journey has come to an end. I have followed the “road not taken” through the woods, overcoming obstacles that have lead to significant discoveries in my learning. Travelling along this road has not only informed my understanding of inquiry learning pedagogy but also transformed my teaching for the better. The way that I teach and implement inquiry into my classroom from this moment on will benefit the students I teach, improving their learning experiences and outcomes. For “I took the one [road] less travelled by, And that has made all the difference” (Robert Frost, 1916).

Creative Commons Image: Jordan, J. (2007). Destination. Retrieved 27th December 2014 from https://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesjordan/766172776/sizes/m/

References:

Lupton, M. (2012, August 22). What is inquiry learning?. [Web log post]. Retrieved 27^th December 2014 from http://inquirylearningblog.wordpress.com/.