1. Inquiry Learning Using Big Data Strategies for student
investigation and research. Thomas Meagher, PhD STEM Coordinator
Owatonna Public Schools January 14th, 2015
2. What is Inquiry-Based Learning? Instructional approaches to
learning based on scenarios or problems that are investigated from
student generated questions and often assisted by a teacher or
facilitator. Students will identify and research issues and/or
questions, usually in teams to develop their knowledge or
solutions. Effective small group inquiry should be rooted in
equitable teams of three people. Teaching through inquiry focuses
on student learning through collecting data to answer measurable
questions. The era of Big Data has arrived, our goal is to help
students figure out how to find, analyze and interpret the data
that already available for
3. Review of different types of inquiry research: Confirmation
inquiry: Team research support concepts studied in class, very
structured. Structured inquiry: Teams follow procedures to
investigate specific teacher presented problems or questions.
Guided inquiry: Teachers provide guidelines that focus team
questions and research into specific concepts or content areas.
Open inquiry: Students generate their own questions and teachers
provide opportunities and materials for students to
investigate
4. What is Big Data and how can we use it? Recent and
historical data sets are available online and area searchable. Data
is collected on virtually everything such as experimental data,
survey data, opinion data, demographic data, etc. Meta-analysis,
examining multiple sources of data and interpreting the patterns or
relationships among the data sets. Lets find some data together and
see
5. Some helpful online sites for data analysis. Word/text
analysis Wordle Wordcounter Tapor Data analysis Plotly Chartgo
(Create charts & graphs) Picktochart for Informatics (Creating
informational charts, diagrams & graphs)
6. What does Inquiry learning look like with Big Data?
7. Walking students through the process. Present information to
be learned and demonstrate how this can be linked to other
knowledge. Motivate students interest in the subject matter. Help
students build a Growth Mindset. Encourage concrete (proximate)
questions: Who, What, Where, When, How. Refrain from WHY questions.
These are difficult to support with data and usually outside the an
appropriate time for class. Students develop hypotheses based on
their own knowledge Guide students to develop research methods or
experiments to can collect measureable data. Take time to organize
data results and collaborate on interpreting the results. Publish
their study, through papers, posters, presentations, webpages, etc.
Allow students to be the experts on their research and teach the
class. Hold the other students responsible for learning from
their
8. How does inquiry fit into different subject areas? Now we
practice researching and analyzing Big Data Art Language arts Math
Music Phy Ed Reading Science Social Studies What have we
missed?
9. How to shift lessons to Inquiry? Previously, canned
curriculum would have: The purpose of this lab is or The objective
of this lesson is or The goal Change these to questions or ask
students to change these to questions. Look at the lessons or units
coming up and explore how you can shift to be more open ended,
student directed and collaborative. Ask yourself how can I have
students using higher order thinking and evaluating information
instead of simply memorizing, word searching, matching or filling
in the blank. Provide experience first followed by language
acquisition and end with
10. Where do I go with inquiry in my classes? Examine this week
and begin small with a single lesson shifted to simple inquiry.
Planning next unit to include inquiry in several lessons or
activities. Plan one research or group project that students can
investigate and present. Provide experiences that can lead students
to research new ideas and concepts. Allow students to explore and
generate questions that focus the upcoming lessons, within the
guidelines you have set. Allow your students to be active and
focused on learning, take to pressure off yourself to be in
control.
