Collaborative inquiry for adult learning

Abstract

Collaborative inquiry (CI) provides a systematic structure for learning from experience. Participants organize themselves in small groups to address a compelling question that brings the group together. In order to construct new meaning related to their question, collaborative inquirers engage in cycles of reflection and action, evoke multiple ways of knowing, and practice validity procedures. Typically, they balance exploration of inner experience with action in the world. CI is especially appropriate for pursuing topics that are professionally developmental or socially controversial or that require personal or social healing. These categories are of course not mutually exclusive and are representative of the kinds of learning challenges that confront adults in the complex, highly turbulent and diverse world of the twenty-first century.The purpose of this volume is to demonstrate through case example the power of collaborative inquiry as a facilitative structure for adult learning. Eight profiles of collaborative inquiry learning projects demonstrate a broad range of inquiry objectives and outcomes. Before saying more about the projects themselves, we describe collaborative inquiry processes and origins. Collaborative Inquiry Is Part of a Larger FamilyCollaborative inquiry is one among many inquiry methodologies that are experience-based and action-oriented. Other strategies commonly included in this group are action research, action inquiry, action learning, action science, and participatory action research.

Online experimentation and interactive learning resources for teaching network engineering

“…We thus follow a constructivist approach to education where learning takes place by students creating artefacts rather than assuming the passive role of a listener or reader. Our approach is based on a wide range of studies that have shown that with the right scaffolding competent learners benefit greatly from constructivist or learning-by-doing approaches [17][18][19]. The experiment-driven approach of FORGE contributes to fostering constructivist learning by turning learners into active scientific investigators, equipped with world-class experiment facilities.…”

Online learning and experimentation via interactive learning resources

“…We thus follow a constructivist approach to education where learning takes place by students creating artefacts rather than assuming the passive role of a listener or reader. Our approach is based on a wide range of studies that have shown that with the right scaffolding competent learners benefit greatly from constructivist or learning-by-doing approaches [2][3][4]. The experiment-driven approach of FORGE contributes to fostering constructivist learning by turning learners into active scientific investigators, equipped with world-class experiment facilities.…”

“…The consensus within education is that after the Internet-induced revolutions in communication, business, entertainment, media, amongst others, it is now the turn of universities. Exactly where this revolution will lead is not yet known but some radical predictions have been made including the end of the need for university campuses 4 , while milder future outlooks are discussing 'blended learning' (combination of traditional lectures with new digital interactive activities). The consensus is however that the way higher education students learn is about to change radically.…”

“…MOOCs have very quickly attracted large numbers of learners; for example over 400,000 1 http://www.udacity.com/ 2 https://www.coursera.org/ 3 https://www.edx.org/ students have registered within four months in edX 4 . Also, in the four years since the Open University started making course materials freely available in Apple's iTunes U, nearly 60 million downloads have been recorded worldwide 5 .…”

Towards a Scholarship of Integration: Lessons from Four Cases

“…Collaborative inquiry has been used within the context of adult education 12,13 , teacher development 14 , and engineering education 15 to help individuals "systematically examine [their] own practice with a view to purposefully [advance] our understanding...based on evidence and concrete experience" 15 (p.6). This type of inquiry is typically comprised of cycles of reflection and action, whose form and timing are dependent on the purpose of the inquiry and the constraints of the group 11,12 .…”