One Stem, Two Strategies

Horticulturists working in the United Kingdom have developed a remarkable plant that produces two vegetables on one stem. It’s called the "tomtato." The plant isn’t a true hybrid. The tomato is still a tomato, the potato is still a potato

(http://bbc.in/1mE2wJj). This isn't our grandparents' farm!

Before the course I had the suspicion that Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) was just another variety of Project-Based Learning (PBL). It’s not. It’s the educational equivalent of the "tomtato." If the stem is student-centered instructional strategies, one stem holds IBL, another holds PBL. The former is process-driven; the latter, artifact driven.

I was also concerned about the types of institutional & curricular changes that would have to occur to use IBL with multiple sections of the same class. The changes, I find, don’t need to begin in the institution, or in the curriculum, the change needs to take place within me. What do I need to understand about the process of IBL so that I can begin to move from teacher-centered instruction to student-centered instruction?

Another question is to consider how to help my students develop the abilities needed for robust inquiry. How can I help students identify investigable questions, design investigations, choose proper tools & techniques, report evidence-based conclusions, & entertain alternative explanations.

Next, I’ll need to choose an inquiry strategy that addresses learning goals & student needs. Will the inquiry be structured with the teacher at or near the center of the process, looking over students’ shoulders, or having coffee in the lounge?

An early issue that remains for me concerns authentic assessment. What does it look like within IBL? How do you do it? How do students do it?

IBL certainly isn't what I feared it would be. It's the real thing! A tomtato!