Inquiry with technology: a learning journey

Mrs Jan-Marie Kellow Opoutere School New Zealand

In 2005 Opoutere School, a four teacher rural primary school on the Coromandel peninsula in New Zealand, was the pilot school in the innovative Kopu Digital Opportunities Project (1). The main idea behind this innovation was to create an atmosphere where the children develop ‘a life long love of learning' and to give them transferable skills to be able solve problems throughout their lives. In practice this meant a range of information and communication technologies (ICTs) including wireless laptops with filtered high-speed internet access, interactive digital whiteboards and the KnowledgeNet (an online learning environment) were to be used to facilitate implementation of inquiry-based learning.

Rationale for the innovation

In 2004 Opoutere School had made the decision to switch to an inquiry-based learning model. However access to resources when working on inquiry-based units was especially difficult because of the rural nature of the school and the distance from major libraries, museums etc. Each classroom had one computer with dial-up internet but this did not come close to meeting the needs of the students. If staff wanted to have a model that would become part of students' lifelong learning toolkit then they had to find a way to make the model workable.

Filtered internet was needed to allow safe searching by young students.

The proposed solution was to use wireless laptops with fast filtered internet access, interactive whiteboards and an online learning environment to facilitate inquiry learning. The wireless laptops would mean students would be able to work where they needed to and not be limited by the location of the computer, as is the problem with desktops. The laptops needed to have sufficient battery life to mean they could be used most of the school day without needing to be recharged. Filtered internet was needed to allow safe searching by young students. Fast internet access was needed because waiting for webpages to download, especially in a rural area where dial-up is particularly slow, was very frustrating for teachers and students alike.

The KnowledgeNet online learning environment was intended to allow for access to information anytime, anywhere by anyone (students, teachers and parents). Parents and caregivers would be able to log on to computers at home and see what their children were working on in class and students would be able to access their homework and resources easily. The interactive whiteboards and data projectors were expected to allow teacher modeling and demonstration of work, websites etc.

Implementation

This innovation required a number of changes to take place at Opoutere School before it could be effectively implemented. The first was ensuring all staff had a good understanding of the pedagogy behind the innovation. Staff then explored various inquiry-based models before devising their own model ‘The Opoutere Learning Journey' (see appendix). This constructivist approach was based on models such as Eisenberg and Berkowitz's (2004) ‘Big6™', Jamie McKenzie's (2000) ‘Research Cycle' and Trevor Bond's (2001) ‘SAUCE'. Staff then trialled implementation of the ‘The Opoutere Learning Journey' in their classrooms. Working together to support each other was an important part of this trial phase.

The technology was purchased and installed early in 2005 and once the installation was complete and technical teething problems were resolved, the staff then went about the process of learning to use the technology effectively. This was a steep learning curve for most staff with the need to learn the use of several new technologies at once as well as exploring how these could best support inquiry learning

Staff meetings specifically focused on the new innovation were held once a week so staff could share difficulties and successes. This was very useful for finding solutions to problems teachers had encountered and motivating them to try new things. Some formal training from the providers of the whiteboards and KnowledgeNet was also obtained and proved valuable. This was especially so when this training was attended by several staff who could support each other once they returned to school. There is a continued need for staff training on aspects of the technology and inquiry learning and it is envisaged this will be ongoing.

Results

The innovation has been very successful, with the technology effectively supporting inquiry learning at Opoutere School, especially in the year 3-8 classes (7-12-year-olds). All four classrooms now have an interactive whiteboard and ceiling mounted data projector. The interactive whiteboards have proven very successful. The software that comes with the whiteboards has enabled teachers to create digital flipcharts that mean work that is created during lessons can be easily saved. Results of student brainstorming and mind maps, for example, can be saved for future reference. Resources can be scanned into the flipchart and hyperlinks can be created to videos, webpages and other files or documents making it very easy to access these during lessons. The resources and digital learning objects within the software have also proved popular with teachers and students alike.

Teachers have also found they are better able to cater for a range of student learning styles using these whiteboards.

The teachers have also noticed that the multimedia approach that is possible on an interactive whiteboards is more engaging for students and leading to better understanding of concepts. For example, when looking at the tsunami at the start of 2005 students were able to view simulations and actual videos of the tsunami on the whiteboards which gave them a much better understanding of what a tsunami was and its effects. Teachers have also found they are better able to cater for a range of student learning styles using these whiteboards. Although initially these boards were planned to aid inquiry learning, teachers have found they are invaluable for use in other subjects, especially literacy and numeracy.

Three of the four classrooms (7-12 year old students) now have a minimum ratio of computers to students of 1:5 or better and the purchase of more laptops is planned for this year with the target ratio being 1:3 in junior classes and 1:2 in the senior classes. These computers have proved invaluable in the classroom in numerous areas. Resourcing the inquiry process is now much easier with students able to easily access information from the internet. Teachers have also been able to develop and use webquests to support inquiry learning. The laptops have also proved very useful across a number of curriculum areas, especially reading and language.

The KnowledgeNet has been central to providing an appropriate online learning environment. Each teacher has developed their own class webpage and each student in year 3 and above has their own personal web page as well. Homework can be posted on the class page and links to resources are readily available. Some teachers have developed inquiry-based webquests for their students. In addition to the benefits for inquiry there were also benefits in terms of home- school communication. The parent section of the KnowledgeNet has copies of the school charter, policies and other useful information. All parents can access their child's class page to see what they are working on in class and can view their child's work. Feedback from parents on this has been very positive. The public sections of the school's KnowledgeNet (www.opoutere.schoolsonline.co.nz) allow information on the school to be accessed and for units developed by Opoutere School staff to be shared with other teachers in New Zealand or other countries.

As would be expected there have been some technical difficulties, especially at the start, in implementing this innovation. Having staff with some technical expertise has made the process of implementing the new technologies smoother than if there had been a need to continually call in outside help. The fact that these people were also teachers meant they understood the needs of the classroom and were able to find solutions that best met the needs of students and teachers.

Perhaps one of the most noticeable outcomes of this innovation has been the change in the role of the teacher. This is recognizably shifting from the teacher being the source of information to their being a facilitator guiding students through the inquiry process. Use of the technology, has been a major factor in this. Teachers are able to model and demonstrate using the interactive whiteboards but then students are able to work independently to gain information from a variety of sources. Filtered internet and the KnowledgeNet accessed via the wireless laptops have been especially useful for this. Rich topics that were previously very difficult to research because of limited resources are now possible.

… students are engaged and they are highly motivated.

Teachers have observed that the students are engaged and they are highly motivated. One of the observations noted by teachers was that the level of knowledge retention appeared to be greater in students after they have completed an Inquiry-based unit. After a unit ‘Dinosaur for a Pet' for example, where the students considered which dinosaur they would have most preferred for a pet, the level of knowledge about individual dinosaurs was very high. The students retained detail of information they had learned long after this study had been completed.

Summary

Inquiry learning was the focus of this innovation, not the technology, and this was an important factor in its success. The technology has provided the tools that have made it possible for inquiry-learning to be implemented. Both aspects were necessary for success but the learning needed to be at the core. In addition to inquiry learning there have been benefits over a range of curriculum areas, especially literacy and numeracy and in the area of home-school communication.

The implementation of this innovation has so far taken over two years and it would be fair to say that it still has a little way to go before being completed, change is not a speedy process. Many positive benefits have already been observed and it is expected that these will increase as teachers become more at ease with both the technology and inquiry learning. Professional development and staff working together to support each other were both essential elements in the success of this innovation and the need for these is ongoing. The innovation has required work but the rewards in terms of learning outcomes for students have made the innovation well worth the effort.

References

Bond, T (2001). SAUCE. Retrieved on 17/04/06 from http://ictnz.com/SAUCE.htm

Eisenberg, M & Berkowitz, B What is the Big6™? (2004) Retrieved on 17/04/06 from http://www.big6.com/showarticle.php?id=415

McKenzie, J. (2000). The Research Cycle, in From Now On retrieved on 17/04/06 from http://questioning.org/rcycle.html

Appendix

The Opoutere Learning journey 

1. Set the Scene
   • Prior Knowledge
   • Motivation/Immersion  
2. Task
   • The Question
   • Brainstorming
   • Subsidiary Questions
   • Plan of Attack
3. Find and Gather
   • Sources of Information
   • How to find Information
   • Accuracy/Currency
4. Sort/Sift/Analyse
   • Sort and Sift
   • Analyse
   • Apply to task 
5. Create and Communicate
   • Create a product
   • Communicate to others 
6. Evaluate
   • Evaluate Product and Process

Note: Review is a part of each stage of the process and the process is not often linear as review may require return to earlier stages.

Credits

• Wayne Howes: project director
• Vaughan van Rensburg and Jan-Marie Kellow: project facilitators
• Mark Treadwell Advice and guidance
• Staff of Opoutere School
• New Zealand Ministry of Education Digital Opportunities Project for partial funding of the project
• Envision: suppliers of Promethean Activ Boards, especially Murray Toms
• Dataview: suppliers of KnowledgeNet
• Edtech and Hewlett Packcard: suppliers of laptops
• South Auckland Charitable Trust, the Southern Trust and Pub Charities for partial funding of the project.