Inquiry Based Learning: Are We There Yet?

So it's been a month since my last post - not what I intended at all, but the pace of school is daunting at times.  We have been learning about different methods of teaching/learning.  One of these is inquiry based learning (IBL), which I thought I knew nothing about, but then found it to be very familiar.  Inquiry based learning is not surprisingly, based on questions.  It is student directed and often involves group work and discussion.  Students are given a real-life situations to consider or questions to answer. Some resources are provided, but usually no lecture, so students must discover the information on their own.  One method is using case studies for group work, in which students develop and share problem-solving strategies.  Although similar to problem based learning, inquiry based learning is more flexible and uses many different methods of teaching, including group discussions, webquests, and student teaching.  Teachers often act as facilitators, providing guidance, giving feedback, and asking additional questions - "Is there anything else you may want to consider?"  Students then work together to research and find answers to the questions, building research skills, critical thinking, collaboration, and knowledge.

As I was reading the articles it dawned on me: this is exactly what we do in our doctoral classes!  We are given modules to investigate and answer specific questions.  Sometimes we do that in a paper individually, or sometimes in a group activity such as a discussion board or preparing a group presentation. We are often given a few journal articles to read, as well as chapters in our texts and from there we explore. The professors are there to act as facilitators and participate in the discussions, providing insights, asking additional questions and learning along with us at times. IBL corresponds well with andragogical principles because it is student directed, however scaffolding must be provided as needed in order for students to be successful.

One of the most interesting methods of IBL in the articles included journaling. Reflection journals were kept as a means for students to connect their emotions, sensations, and thoughts to their learning assignments. Hmm...isn't this what I'm doing right now? :-) Sounds like blogging to me!  Students in this article also reflected on what they were learning and how it connected to nursing theory.  At the end of six weeks, they went back and did a meta-analysis of their journals, enabling them to see all that they had learned.  More thinking about thinking, metacognition, and seeing how far you've come in a short time period of time.  It also provokes the question - where do you want to go from here?  I really liked what Longo and Lindsay had to say: "We want nursing students to critically reflect on questions such as 'what do you need to know in this situation? What kind of nurse do you want to be in this situation?'"  I think that blogging can provide that kind of perspective.

Being a nursing student is hard, whether you are a pre-licensure student or a doctoral student.  At times it can be overwhelming.  Sometimes it's good to pause and look back at the road you've traveled to gather strength for the journey ahead. This is a picture my nephew, Kerry Klauder, took at a recreation area called Hatcher Pass in Alaska. There is a long, winding road to get to the top of the pass.  This picture is taken from about half-way up, just when you think you can't go any further.  But if you pause and look back, you can see just how far you have come.  It is inspiring and suddenly you are ready to move on, higher up, to see the views from there.

References:

Longo, F., & Lindsay, G. (2011). Knowing nursing through inquiry: Engaging students in knowledge creation. Journal of Nursing Education, 50(12), 703-705.

Magnussen, L., Ishida, D., & Itano, J. (2000). The impact of the use of inquiry-based learning as a teaching methodology on the development of critical thinking. Journal of Nursing Education, 39(8), 360–364.

Morris, D., & Turnbull, P. (2004). Using student nurses as teachers in inquiry-based learning. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 45(2), 136–144. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2648.2003.02875.x

Sanford, J., Townsend-Rocchiccioli, J., Trimm, D., & Jacobs, M. (2010). The WebQuest: Constructing Creative Learning. Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 41(10), 473–479. doi:10.3928/00220124-20100503-04

Volkert, D. (2012). Inquiry Based Learning. Nevada RNformation, 21(3), 15–15.