Inquiry-based learning

As faculty, we engage ourselves in inquiry throughout our academic careers when we explore questions and try to make sense out of what is going on in our fields. My guess is that most of us chose our field of study because one question, somewhere along the way, piqued our curiosity and motivated us to find an answer. A common question asked by faculty is, “How can I motivate my students’ interest and get them excited about the subject they are studying?” One way to do this is to give your students inquiry-based assignments and activities that are relevant to their lives and future careers and give them the opportunity to engage in course concepts and tasks. After reading the next few pages, you will learn more about inquiry-based learning (IBL) and along with some tips on effectively integrating IBL into your course.