TTL2

MODULE 2 : INTEGRATING ACTIVE LEARNING APPROACHES IN LANGUAGE

INQUIRY-BASED EDUCATION (IBL or IBE)

Central to active learning approaches is the construction of framing questions that will guide the
learners in their investigation either on a specific topic or unit. Investigations became more
meaningful when these are related to real life experiences or real world issues or problems.

LESSON 1: INQUIRY BASED LEARNING AND RESEARCH BASED LEARNING

Nature of Inquiry-Based Learning
Inquiry, in its simplest definition, is a process of asking questions. This has spurred the
enumerable developments that we continue to enjoy in our society today.
Inquiry-based learning (IBL) as an approach essentially involves tasks requiring learners' active
participation in finding answers to curricular questions. The questions can run from very specific
simple questions to more complex questions in relation to the curriculum. Learners are given
opportunities to engage in self-regulated activities as they pursue their investigation.
WHEN TO USE?
Chisholm and Godley (2011) purport that inquiry-based instruction (IBI) offers an especially
appropriate approach to learning about language variation, identity, and power since IBI can
provide students with opportunities to learn about current issues in sociolinguistics through
sharing and debating on a personal experience with language from multiple perspectives.

*The Inquiry Process

a) Inquiry begins with a question aligned to the K-12 English curriculum.
b) Investigation involves gathering information from various sources.
c) Students present their findings using productivity tools.
d) To ensure a clear path forward, students are provided with assessment criteria that outline
the expected outcomes before the inquiry commences
*Type of Inquiry
VIU (2020) presented four types of inquiry that can be used in facilitating classes. These are:
1. Structured Inquiry - This lets the students follow the lead of the teacher as the entire class
engages in one inquiry together.
2. Controlled Inquiry - The teacher chooses topics and identifies the resources that the students
will use to answer questions.
3. Guided Inquiry - The teacher chooses topics or questions and students design the product or
solution.
4. Free Inquiry - Students are allowed to choose their own topics without any reference to a
prescribed outcome.
*Role of Teacher
 The language teacher needs to look into the learning competencies that can be satisfied by
a simple inquiry or more complex. Teacher also control and preparing the topic for
investigation and guiding the learners by setting the question to be explored.
 Learners are allowed to design their own way of investigation and present their outputs
using technology tools that are afforded to them.
 Furthermore, it is assumed that the teacher is knowledgeable of the sources of information
and whether the learners have access to the technological resources.
 The internet or the World Wide Web offers lots of platforms for mining information. It has
become the most sought out source of information because of the variety of tools that
abound.
 Language is no longer a barrier in one's search for information. Depending on the unit of
study in a language curriculum, there are many free educational websites that are available
for the language teachers and learners.
 However, learners are undeniably familiar and probably more adept in exploring the
internet. Guiding them in locating online resources that are relevant in developing their
research and communication skills will let them learn the importance of using educational
resources in an explicit and implicit way.

*When designing an IBL , the teacher has to consider the following fields proposed by Avsec
and Kocijncic (2016):
1. Prior knowledge and capacity
2. Context-Learners require meaning from experience
3. Content and learning materials
4. Process
5. Strategy of reactions and behavior
6. Course outcomes

PROBLEM BASED LEARNING (PBL)

*History of PBL
 The Problem- Based Learning was originally coined by Don Woods, based on his work with
Chemistry students in McMaster's University in Hamilton, Canada but PBL gained their
recognition as a more sophisticated idea in the late 1960s as a result of the research and
observations made by McMaster University medical educator Howard Barrows regarding
the capacity of reasoning in both medical students and expert practitioners.
 Probleem Gestuurd Onderwijs (Problem-Steered education)
 The term “problem-based learning” was coined in 1974 by Howard Barrows, a leading
figure at McMaster University Medical School (Barrows & Neufeld, 1974).

*Problem-Based Learning
 Problem-based learning is an approach that involves a process of inquiry learners will work
on. This method encourages students to apply their knowledge to solve real-world
problems, thus creating a more profound understanding of the subject matter.
 Learners are engaged in a collaborative task as they work towards the solution to the
problem. This learning activity is done in small groups with each member assigned a certain
task to accomplish. In the process of engaging in PBL, they learn several skills such as
 problem-solving, communicating, research, among others which are essential in the
workplace.

*Benefits of Problem-Based Learning

 Ali (2019) described PBL as a process that is used to identify problems with a scenario to
increase knowledge and understanding. In her article, she proposed the following five
principles of PBL that may be considered by teachers in planning or using the approach:
1. It is a power of independent and self-directed learning.
-In Pbl process students have a control in their learning task. It is develop their ability to learn
individually and responsibly and think the lead in designing, carrying out and assessing their
educational experiences.
2. Learning happens in a group and teacher is a facilitator.
-the role of teacher is to facilitate the learning process and guide students to work towards to
their goals in group setting.
3. All groups have to participate equally.
-the students collaboration is to create a solution to the issue which each one member of the
group needs to give an ideas and their own opinion in solving a problem.
4. Students' learn about motivation, teamwork, problem-solving and engagement with the
task.
-the students can also learn the value of teamwork’s, active engagement to task they need to
work in other students.
5. Materials such as data, photographs, articles, can be used to solve the problem.

 Lo (2009,p. 208) proposed a six-stage process used in the adoption of the online PBL:
1. Identifying the problem-current issues that do not have just one answer or one definite
solution;
-It is involve the process in determining the underlying issues that are causing the problems. It
is aid student in clearly defining the issue to solve them.
2. Brainstorming-generate ideas; tackle the problem through self-directed questioning; arouse
students' intrinsic motivation;
-In this parts students generates ideas or concepts for organizing the issues. Which their needs
to offer many ideas in solving the certain issues their work on.
3. Collecting and analyzing the information-assigning group members to collect information;
posting what they found and what they learned; collaborative collection of useful information;
-It instills a signing a group members to gather information and post what they are discovered
and learned to gather appropriate and practical knowledge.
4. Synthesizing information-solving the problem through synthesized relevant data; knowledge
building;
-It is methods of evaluating and comparing data to various resources and drawing connection
between them.
5. Co-building knowledge-presentation of the solution to the learning problem/ issue; and
-In this stages the solution to a problem is presented. Through this collaborative process
students build on one another ideas and contribute to widen their knowledge.
6. Refining the outcomes-giving of feedback and suggestions by the presentation.
-It entails the instructor feedback and recommendations to aid students in improving
themselves.

 Several studies have revealed positive impacts of PBL on learners as they engage in the
process. Among these are the following:
Ghufron & Ermawati, 2018, p. 666-in n EFL writing class:
1. Promotes self-confidence and motivation
2. Reduces students' nervousness during the learning process
3. Increases students' responsibility in learning
4. Makes students easily learn the material through sharing of ideas
5. Promotes problem-solving skills
6. Promotes self-directed learning
7. Promotes active learning
8. Makes students explore many learning resources
9. Makes students develop positive attitude towards learning

 Several studies have revealed positive impacts of PBL on learners as they engage in the
process. Among these are the following:
For Baresh,Ali, & Darmi, 2019-EFL students:
1. Enhances fluency in communication
2. Improves grammar
3. Increases comprehension
4. Enhances good pronunciations and intonations
5. Enhances self-confidence
6. Increases range of vocabulary

*Benefits of Problem-Based Learning

 The study of Lin (2017) revealed statistically that the PBL participants showed more
improvement in their reading comprehension than the non-PBL participants.
 In the study of Markušic and Sabljic (2019), they sought to establish the teachers' attitudes
on the problem-based teaching of literature. Their data revealed that PBL is an “acceptable
methodological system” because they saw "greater interest and activity of students,
development of student's critical thinking and communication skills, encouraging curiosity
and exploratory thinking, developing love of reading, and developing the skills of connecting
teaching topics”.
*Role of Technology
 How is technology integrated in the PBL activity? As the learners embark on an open-ended
question collaboratively, there are a number of free online tools that they can use from the
commencement of the task to its completion especially that some of the group tasks will be
done outside the regular class hours.
 Bower, Hedberg and Kuswara (2010) stress that technology is simply the mediator for
collaboration and representation and that it is the type of task and thinking processes in
which students engage that determine the quality of learning.
 The WWW has opportunities for PBL that can be utilized by the learners to accomplish their
tasks. Web 2.0 technologies are characterized by collaboration, sharing and networking.
 Productivity tools such as those for writing, presentations, spreadsheets, calendars,
organizers, citations and others are also available to assist learners and teachers in
accomplishing required tasks and outputs from a PBL activity.

PROJECT-BASED LEARNING (PrBL)

 Project-based learning is an approach but has evolved as a teaching method that engages
learners in a series of planned tasks resulting to the generation of solutions to real-world
problems. It is a student-centered approach as it takes into account the realm of
experiences and interest of students.
 The Father of Project-Based Learning is John Dewey, with his works focusing on learning by
doing, is regarded by some researchers as the founder of project-based learning.

 Past and more recent researches have proven PrBL to be beneficial in the development of
various skills such as:
1. Research methodology skills (Tiwari, Arya, & Bansal, 2017).Using student feedback
questionnaire given to 99 students, it was revealed that students’ knowledge of the topic taken,
searching review for the topic, communication skills, data collection skills, and analytical and
presentation skills were enhanced.
2. Oral communicative competence (Bakar, Noordin,& Rali, 2019).The researchers investigated
the effectiveness of using PrBL activities in the improvement of oral communicative
competencies of 44Malaysian English language learners.
3. Development of life skills (Wurdinger & Qureshi, 2015). The study employed mixed-method
to examine the development of life skills through PrBL. Their findings revealed that after taking
the PBL course, there was a significant difference in the mean scores for the following life skills:
responsibility, problem solving, self-direction, communication, and creativity skills.