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More Inquiry - A few difinitions
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Operational Definitions of Inquiry-Related
Terms
This project will focus on
several aspects of inquiry that are operationally defined as
follows:
Processes of
Science -
when scientists analyze what they do when they do science, discrete
skills are identified, e.g. observation, measurement, prediction,
classification, inferring, designing investigations, analyzing data,
and so on. A child observing, classifying, and measuring rocks would
be engaged in science processes. And while scientists like to claim
processes as their own, students in reading classes observe,
predict, and infer. Students in math classes observe, measure, and
classify. Process skills are valuable across the curriculum and as
life skills.
Process Skills Competency Continuum and Chart
Inquiry -
is a multifaceted activity that involves making observations; posing
questions, examining books, the Internet, and other sources of
information to see what is already known; planning investigations;
reviewing what is already known in the light of experimental
evidence; using tools to gather, analyze, and interpret data;
proposing answers, explanations, and predictions; and communicating
the results. Inquiry requires critical and logical thinking. As one
scientist put it, “it is doing one’s damnedest with one’s mind, no
holds barred.” A fifth grader desiring to make a burglar alarm using
flashlight cells, wire, and a buzzer would work with simple
electrical circuits, read about alarms, and try out his/her ideas,
and share them with classmates. Inquiry-based science is based on
research and experience, both of which confirm that children learn
science best when they engage in hands-on activities.
Investigation -
is a more formal way to investigate natural phenomena through
observational investigations to find out what is and experimental
investigations in which participants use scientific methods such as
stating a problem; formulating hypotheses; designing investigations;
gathering, displaying, and analyzing data; and making,
communicating, and defending conclusions based upon evidence. Sixth
grade students might design and do an experiment to determine the
effects of hand dominance on reaction time. Not only would they
learn scientific thinking but they would also learn about the human
brain and human nervous system.
Design Technology -
while technology to most people means computers, in this project
technology shall have a broader meaning…the means of changing the
world to satisfy our needs. Design technology is a creative process
for solving problems (Standards for Technological Literacy,
International Technology Education Association, March 2002). The
NSES defines the process as identifying appropriate problems,
designing a solution or a product, implementing a proposed design,
evaluating the design or product, and communicating the process (NSES,
1996, pp. 165-166). Design technology is used by engineers and
scientists. It is often called the design-redesign process. In
school, design technology translates into having first graders
making paper cup wheels and releasing them on a ramp to see how far
they can get them to roll, or third graders designing ways to test
the strength of a variety of brands of wet paper towels, or fifth
graders designing and testing a container that can prevent an egg
from breaking when dropped from increasing heights. Design
technology in is a first cousin to scientific experimentation and an
excellent way to help children develop creative problem-solving
skills.