Activities, assignments and assessment/Inquiry-based learning in the Open



John Hannon's presentation for AAAOpenConf2013.

Inquiry based learning activities are prolonged activities that require participants to individually or in groups, devise questions, conduct research, and form conclusions around a topic or subject. IBL activities can range from structured to unstructured, teacher directed to learner directed, depending on the objectives of the activity.

IBL puts into action approaches to learning that are driven by inquiry or research, in which students engage actively and collaboratively with their discipline, developing their inquiries by producing and sharing knowledge in both formal and informal settings. Hence IBL has a “real-world” aspect that extends learning outside the boundaries of the institution. Students are supported to formulate and manage their own inquiries, draw on their peers and a range of resources and expertise, with the goal of becoming graduates with the capabilities of professional practice in their discipline. To accomplish this goal, IBL curriculum needs to support collaboration and self-organisation over both physical and virtual spaces of learning. In this session I draw on international IBL practices to consider how universities can support IBL across physical and Web 2.0 spaces, and the potential for embedding real-world experiences into the curriculum.