Inquiry Based Learning, Project Based Learning, and Problem Based Learning

      Engagement of students within the learning process has always been a challenge for educators.  When students become engaged, they take leadership for their learning and become more independent learners.  Engaged students enjoy the classroom experience more, as they find the content interesting, enjoyable, and self fulfilling.  It is not necessarily issues in content that can hinder student engagement, but rather issues in delivery of content that greatly effect student engagement.  Reading from a textbook, and answering questions doesn't do much in terms of student self fulfillment.  Allowing the students to take on more of an active role in their learning is the key to creating an engaging classroom, where students stay on task, view mistakes as opportunities for learning, and persist in their efforts to overcome new challenges.  One framework that allows students to be more active in their learning is the Inquiry Based approach to learning.


      Inquiry Based learning is an approach to teaching and learning that places student's questions, ideas, and observations at the centre of the learning experience.  Educators act as facilitators and mentors, rather than your traditional centres of knowledge, and play an active role throughout the process.  The key is to create a classroom where ideas are challenged, tested, redefined, and viewed as a concept that can continually be improved upon. (Scardamalia, 2002)  Rather than the teacher delivering content and the students listening and taking notes, the process involves presenting students with an open-ended investigation into a question, problem, or idea, whereby they need to work together to gather evidence into the investigation.  Inquiry based learning comprises 4 key stages for students to work through:

        1) Initial Focus - the teacher provides an engaging problem or project for students to investigate
        2) Exploration - students use collaborative efforts to investigate the situation
        3) Analysis - students summarize and synthesize the information, draw conclusions on new learning
        4) Communication - students communicate findings, engage in class dialogue, and reflect on findings

      Supporting Inquiry Based Learning, are the methods of Project Based Learning, and Problem Based Learning.  Both methods support Inquiry Based learning, and are similar in nature.  Project Based learning involves students exploring real world problems and challenges, that they need to work through to develop an understanding of the situation and communicate their learning.  Problem Based Learning is similar, in that students are presented with a problem by the educator, in which they must work together to solve.  Both methods involve critical thinking, collaboration and communication on the part of students, and both methods have the teacher model how to learn through questioning, inquiry, and critical thinking.  Teachers are facilitators that guide students, rather than teaching content.

      The differences between Project Based Learning and Problem Based Learning lie in the scale of the projects and problems themselves.  While both styles of learning involve students collaborating and working together, the amount of time and resources for Project Based and Problem Based can very greatly.  Project Based Learning is a more in depth process that students are working through to solve a real world situation.  It encompasses seven key essentials:

      1) A need to know - teacher provides some type of introduction (video, clip, discussion, etc)  into a situation or scenario
      2) A driving question - the teacher provides an open ended question to drive the project
      3) Student Voice and Choice - students have the freedom to take on the project from multiple angles
      4) 21st Century Skill -  students utilize information and computer technology to assist throughout the project
      5) Inquiry and Innovation - students discover answers to their own questions, which generates new questions and answers that are new and innovative
      6) Feedback and Revision - students collaborate to create a finished product, with the teacher providing meaningful feedback to direct the students to a higher quality finished product
      7) A Published and Presented Product - students share their learning and communicate their findings in an open forum to an extended audience

      Problem Based Learning is very similar to Project Based, following many of the same processes.  The teacher will provide an opening scenario/situation, a driving question, and 21st century skills are imperative to student engagement and success.  Problem based learning however, is done on a smaller scale.  Students usually don't have the same open choice to come at problem, and the final product is usually communicated in class, rather than in front of an extended audience.  To give an example of the two, Problem Based situations occur frequently in my math classes.  I'll provide the students with a simple measurement problem, "The pool pictured on the overhead needs a new liner.  Based on the dimensions and information provided, how much liner needs to be cut and installed for the pool?"  Students will then work together to figure out the amount of liner necessary, with some excess for covering purposes.  They can then present their results using drawings, written descriptions, and even technology.

     A situation involving Project Based Learning came recently in my science class.  The students were given a situation during the biodiversity unit, in which a new mall was being proposed to be built in an area of town close to rural farms and forested areas.  The students had their choice to take the role of a particular person connected to the town, then work in groups to come up with a scenario that would benefit the town and the majority of parties involved.  Groups collaborated together, researching similar situations, gathering data, forming a standpoint, and preparing a presentation using information technology, that they would share during a town hall meeting of students, and invited parents, teachers, and even administration.  Several innovative and insightful proposals and ideas were brought forth and the town hall meeting was a complete success.

      Project based Learning and Problem based learning are similar in concept, but differ in scale and presentation.  Both are methods that support Inquiry Based Learning, learning that gets students involved.






(Scardamalia, 2002) - http://ikit.org/fulltext/2006_KBTheory.pdf