An Inquiry-based Reflection

The toughest thing about implementing inquiry-based learning and assessment is making enough time in the classroom for it to be fully flushed out.  It is a form of assessment that takes more energy and time than most others because it tends to examine issues a mile deep, instead of just a mile wide at the surface.  While I think it can motivate students through their own interests, it can also run the risk of overwhelming them with the workload.  Unfortunately, most of the literature written about inquiry-based learning is about science classrooms.  Some of the methods are transferable to other classes, but some are not.  There are interesting Social Studies examples out there, but their numbers pale in comparison to science.  Certainly this type of assessment can be, and should be applied to Social Studies curriculum.

When implementing this type of assessment in Social Studies, it is usually project-based and involves a significant amount of work.  In order to break it down for students so they do not feel completely overwhelmed, instructors need to set incremental deadlines and provide students with an appropriate checklist.  I would include smaller formative assessments in a unit before the final project (inquiry-based assessment) in order to scaffold student learning, making sure they are on the right track.  Had I planned an entire unit of instruction with my two examples, I would have included those. The size and scope of these final project means all expectations, as with any other type of assessment, need to be clarified at the beginning for students to be successful. In-depth learning makes for lasting knowledge, instead of simply cramming lots of information in time for a test. Students should be able to grapple with big, complex, social questions that dominate our world today when they leave school. Inquiry-based assessment is one of the best tools to help student develop this ability.

I think the reason there is so much literature on science curriculum being inquiry-based is because labs easily lend themselves to exploration.  This does not mean students cannot explore historic, civic, social, and geographic concepts.  The biggest issue with implementing larger projects in social studies is the amount of time it takes to do it well.  Science labs can be wrapped up in one class period.  Social studies projects take days of research, discussion, and often presentation. These time issue means projects must be well planned, and possibly include more than one standard or benchmark, unlike my ideas which only contained one per assessment.  The time it takes to do things like peer-assessment and group work is very valuable. Ideas and research are refined by social interaction, and peer-assessments pressure students to be independent, self-directed learners. While I think inquiry-based assessments require more planning than most, every assessment should be careful crafted and implemented.  Students can gain a much deeper understanding of their world through inquiry.

The reason we send kids to school is for them to learn for life, not just for a grade.  Inquiry-based assessment fosters life-skills like working in a group to accomplish a goal, applying knowledge to relevant, real-world issues, and problem solving.  We do our children a disservice by asking them to learn in a vacuum, where little is applicable to the world they live in, and we do ourselves a disservice by not preparing students as engaged citizens.