Triggering event

Questions, problems or dilemmas, which stimulate the inquiry process. These should be relevant to the course concepts, require rigorous problem-solving techniques, and involve relationships with course peers and external experts. For example, a student in an educational technology course may wish to pursue the following question:

What impact do digital technologies have on children's writing skills?

Exploration

Seeking of new information, insights and ideas about the question, problem or dilemma. This phase of inquiry can involve a literature review and data collection in the form of surveys, interviews, and focus groups. In order to answer the question about the impact of digital technologies on children's writing skills a student could conduct a literature review and interview primary school teachers, students, and parents.

Experience

An authentic problem or situation that 'triggers' the inquiry process. For example, an education student is interested in investigating the impact of digital technologies on children's writing skills

Integration

Involves reflecting upon how the new information and knowledge discovered can be integrated into a coherent idea or concept. In this phase, students analyse, evaluate, and synthesise their findings from the literature review with the data they collected from surveys, interviews, and focus groups. A student investigating the impact of digital technologies on children's writing skills would identify, compare, and contrast key themes from their literature review and data analysis.

Resolution

Refers to a solution to the problem, set of recommendations or the refinement of new questions, which lead to the triggering of new cycles of inquiry. In the case of the education student investigating the impact of digital technologies on children's writing skills this could lead to a set of recommendations or strategies on how to use digital technologies to improve children's writing skills.

In the Practical Inquiry Model, 'Experience' is shown at the centre of a circular cycle. The 'Triggering event' stage is shown to lead to perception (awareness). The 'Exploration' stage is shown to lead to deliberation (applicability). The 'Integration' stage is shown to lead to conception (ideas). The 'Resolution' stage is shown to lead to action (practice). Then the cycle begins again with a new triggering event.

Phases of the Practical Inquiry Model

• Triggering event
• Exploration
• Integration
• Application/resolution

Descriptions of the phases of the Practical Inquiry Model

• Seeking of new information, insights and ideas about the problem
• Solution to the problem or the refinement of new questions, which lead to the triggering of new cycles of inquiry
• Reflecting upon how the new information and knowledge discovered can be integrated into a coherent idea or concept
• Questions, problems or dilemmas, which stimulate the inquiry process

Now check if you are correct.

Correctly matched pairs

• Triggering event: Questions, problems or dilemmas, which stimulate the inquiry process
• Exploration: Seeking of new information, insights and ideas about the problem
• Integration: Reflecting upon how the new information and knowledge discovered can be integrated into a coherent idea or concept
• Application/resolution: Solution to the problem or the refinement of new questions, which lead to the triggering of new cycles of inquiry

Question 1 of 3: How might you use discussion and small group activities to support the progression of inquiry?

Our thoughts:

Make the cognitive progression explicit. Assist students through scaffolded activities, which build on each other through 'triggering events, exploration, integration and resolution' (Akyol, Garrison and Ozden, 2009). For example, provide the students with an opportunity to select their own question for inquiry (triggering event). Then require students to create an annotated bibliography and research plan to answer their question (exploration). Next, provide guidance and assistance for students to analyse, evaluate, and synthesise their data (integration). Finally, provide opportunities for students to share and discuss their findings from the inquiry process (resolution).

Question 2 of 3: How might you use peer review to engage students in a practical inquiry cycle?

Our thoughts:

Once the practical inquiry cycle is understood and in use, allow students to provide this same level of feedback to each other. Observe and support. Maximise collaborative activities – problem-solving tasks, projects, and small group discussion. Over time, reduce your presence as a teacher in discussion and increasingly facilitate student-led academic discourse.

Question 3 of 3: How might you use digital technologies to maximise virtual connection and collaboration during the inquiry process?

Our thoughts:

Text can get very dry in an online course! Use digital technologies and social networking application to augment interaction in the practical inquiry cycle. Include synchronous and asynchronous communication applications – chat, collaborative whiteboards, interactive video, blogs, wikis, YouTube, Flickr, Skype, etc.

However, ensure students are competent or are adjusting – don't assume all can use, or are comfortable using, any digital technologies.