Fostering international students’ question skills

through Enquiry-based learning

Learning & Teaching Conference

June 2013

Sandra Strigel MA

Wer, wie, was?

Wieso, weshalb, warum?

Wer nicht fragt bleibt dumm!

Who, how, what?

Why, for what reason, how come?

Those who don’t ask stay dumb!

Lack of questions…..• In class• In discussions• In academic projects

Lack of intellectual freedom

Confucianism

Transmission Didacticism

Aims• To provide a brief introduction to enquiry-based learning

(EBL)

• To provide an example of how an EBL project was implemented to develop students’ question skills

What is Enquiry-based learning (EBL)?• Enquiry = “the action of seeking”

– Problem-based learning, field work, research projects

Enquiry Question

Research

Evaluation

New questions

More Research

EvaluationCycle of discovery

• Active student engagement• Independent learning• Reflective learning

→ Graduate skills

→ “questioning approach”

The context• Social & Cultural Studies Module - Graduate Diploma (pre-MA)

• 16 Chinese Students – mixed ability

• Topic: “Media freedom”

Setting up a community of Enquiry• Community of Enquiry (Lipman, 1980):

– Environment of mutual trust and respect– Aim: to generate interest and stimulate questions

• Lecture: Introduction of key concepts and vocabulary

• Homework: Write down any question you have regarding the topic.

Selection of enquiry question• Homework: List of questions

• Choose 3 question that are most interesting and worth investigating

• Team up with a partner and discuss your questions. Choose one question that you think is the most interesting and worth investigating.

To what extent does the political system influence media freedom?

• Unit overview

Lecture Seminar 1 Seminar 2 Week 1 Introduction to the Media

topic and the EBL projectEstablishing a community of

enquiryPlanning the enquiry

(group work)

Week 2   Working on the enquiry (Group work)

Reflecting on progress I: Group review

Placemat

Week 3 How to make a poster Working on the enquiry (Group work)

Reflecting on progress II: Peer review

Jigsaw Week 4  

 Reading week: Finishing the posters

Week 5    Poster presentations

Debate: Should the Media be

restricted?

Metacognition: Reflecting on Question Skills

• Review sessions included metacognitive reflection on the question types used

Lower order questions Higher order questions

Knowledge(facts, definitions)

Application

Comprehension Analysis

  Evaluation

Results• Observations / recordings

• All students engaged in questioning- Increase of higher order questions as project progressed- Number of “unsuitable” questions decreased

• Improved critical debate– Evidence / resources– Issues

Results• Student survey

– 75% “more able to distinguish different question types”– 63% “more able to generate different question types”– 57% “confident to generate my own enquiry question”

– Other study skills that students felt they improved most:• Group work skills• Discussion skills• Presentation skills• Research skills

– 88% “very useful for postgraduate studies”

Limitations• Small-scale – context-dependent

• Transfer of skills?

Any questions?

• Strigel, S. (2013) Fostering question skills through enquiry-based learning. InForm, 11, 14-15.

• Available from: http://www.reading.ac.uk/inform/inf-index.aspx

References

• Hutchings, W. (2007). Enquiry-Based Learning: Definitions and Rationale [online]. Available at: http://www.campus.manchester.ac.uk/ceebl/resources/papers/hutchings2007_ definingebl.pdf [Accessed 22nd July 2012].

• Kahn, P. and O’Rourke, K. (2004). Guide to Curriculum Design: Enquiry-based Learning [online]. Higher Education Academy. Available at: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/resources/detail/resource_ database/id359_guide_to_curriculum_design_ebl [Accessed 22nd July 2012].

• Kerry, T. (2002). Explaining and Questioning. Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes.• Lipman, M. (1980). Philosophy in the Classroom (2nd ed.). Philadelphia: Temple University Press.• McMahon, P. (2011). Chinese voices: Chinese learners and their experiences of living and study-

ing in the United Kingdom. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 33(4), 401–414.• Strigel, S. (2013) Fostering question skills through enquiry-based learning. InForm, 11, 14-15.• Turner, Y. and Acker, A. (2002). Education in the New China –Shaping ideas at work. Aldershot:

Ashgate.• Walkington, H., Griffin, A.L., Keys-Matthews, L., Metoyer, S. K., Miller, W.E., Baker, R. and

France, D. (2011). Embedding Research-Based Learning Early in the Undergraduate Curriculum. Journal of Geography in Higher Education 35(3), 315–330.

• Watts, M. and Pedrosa, H. (2006). Enhancing University Teaching through Effective Use of Questioning. London: SEDA.