Teaching Advancement

We have a variety of online, inquiry based learning courses – available for Academic Staff Development which are designed to help teachers to develop an inquiry based approach to teaching. They learn how to flip the responsibility in lessons from the tutor teaching to the students’ learning, and recognise the importance of linking learning to student’s needs and interests.

The courses will help Academic Staff to:

• Adapt their teaching to the needs of students

• Personalise learning to motivate students

• Develop inclusive practice to meet the needs of all students

• Help students to develop the skills to be lifelong, independent learners​

Inquiry-based learning is a structured teaching method that is a process which fosters intellectual curiosity while providing a learning experience at the same time.

Inquiry-based learning is a teaching method that unravels through 5 phases: orientation, conceptualization, investigation, conclusion, and discussion. 

The orientation phase

The orientation phase is the input: it stimulates the curiosity of students. Teachers introduce the learning topic and learners establish learn the topic themselves through self discovery. This step is crucial for students as they gather the key knowledge to progress with the investigation.

The conceptualization phase

The conceptualization phase happens when the learner starts to gross one or more concepts from the learning topic. When it comes to open inquiry-based learning, this step brings students to draw one or more questions. Instead – in confirmation, structured, and guided inquiry-based learning – the learner works directly on sorting the possible hypothesis.   

The investigation phase

In the investigation phase, curiosity turns into problem-solving through critical thinking. Students start shaping their questions and hypothesis into possible solutions. This step involves three sub-phases: exploration, experimentation, and data interpretation. 

The conclusion phase

In the conclusion phase, students get to the closure of their investigation. In this step, the learner answers the initial question or chooses a solution to the problem. The outcome can lead to further intellectual exploration.

The discussion phase

Finally, the discussion phase is an occasion to communicate and reflect. Emotional and social interaction are indeed crucial elements of the learning process. Communication enables students to structure their thought and provides an opportunity for feedback and knowledge exchange.