Courses in the CSU Core Curriculum should take an inquiry orientation to their design. This inquiry orientation is inspired by, but not identical to, Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL). More precisely, in line with IBL, the inquiry orientation emphasizes the active involvement of students in exploring and investigating real-world problems and questions.

The inquiry orientation is broadly aimed at promoting student success through sparking student curiosity, engaging them actively in the learning process, and helping them develop higher-order thinking skills. IBL has been shown, at the K-12 and university levels, to provide these and other benefits.

To assist faculty in adopting an inquiry orientation in their core courses, this document outlines the relevant aspects of Inquiry-Based Learning and an inquiry orientation, provides guidance for revising a course to have an inquiry orientation, and provides a few examples of course revision focused on inquiry.

Aspects of the Inquiry Orientation

At the highest level, Inquiry-based Learning is a form of constructivist learning that aims to spark student curiosity and help them develop higher-order thinking skills and mental architecture needed to be a critical, autonomous thinker. We can see this highest level of IBL in action when we engage students in independent research, for instance in their program capstone. Additionally, we can understand the orientation of IBL by recognizing that it asks faculty to see their students as apprentices and to organize their courses and learning experiences so as to lead the students through the same sort of processes you may take as an expert in the field.

Core courses are not expected to reach this highest level of inquiry, but instead to start students on that pathway through various forms of structured inquiry. This is in line with IBL research that emphasizes the importance of scaffolding inquiry development. To understand the idea of structured inquiry, it is helpful to identify the various steps common to an inquiry process:

1. Identification of a topic of interest
2. Formulation of research question(s)
3. Gathering of resources aimed at investigating and answering the question(s)
4. Analyzing and evaluating the resources
5. Synthesizing information gained to answer, or better understand, the initial question(s)

While the highest level of inquiry, often called open inquiry, would have students engage in all five steps in a largely self-directed manner, structured inquiry involves the instructor in completing, or at least providing significant guidance, in completing some of the steps.

A typical method of scaffolding structured inquiry involves beginning with structure for all five steps, and then removing or reducing the structure for the later steps while maintaining it for the earlier steps. For instance, we may identify an interesting question in our field (steps 1 and 2) that we will help students explore, provide them relevant readings or other materials (step 3), and then provide structured activities that help them complete steps (4) and/or (5). In this form of structured inquiry, students are beginning the process of critical thinking through the active engagement in steps (4) and (5).

Inquiry could then be further scaffolded by, for instance, providing activities that guide students through the gathering of resources for a pre-provided question, followed by additional practice with steps (4) and (5), perhaps with less structure or guidance than previously provided.

To repeat, while we should aim for students to have the ability to engage in open inquiry by the end of their university career, the inquiry orientation of the core curriculum is more modestly aimed at developing their inquiry skills through engaging in structured and semi-structured activities related to steps (4) and (5), and perhaps (3).

How to Design for Inquiry

Designing for inquiry can be challenging, but the meaningful learning experiences that can result are highly rewarding. To design for inquiry, the fundamental question to ask is: “How would I go about investigating this issue?” An inquiry-based orientation asks faculty to see their students as apprentices and to support them in developing the knowledge and skills needed to engage in authentic inquiry.

More precisely, designing for inquiry involves:

• Formulating good questions. The questions that guide the inquiry process should be open-ended, relevant, authentic, and challenging. They should spark student interest and curiosity, as well as encourage them to explore multiple perspectives and sources of information.
• Scaffolding the inquiry process. The inquiry process can be divided into different phases, such as orientation, conceptualization, investigation, conclusion, and discussion. Faculty should provide appropriate guidance and support for each phase, such as modeling, coaching, feedback, and reflection. Faculty should also monitor and adjust the level of scaffolding according to the students’ needs and progress.
• Facilitating student collaboration. Inquiry learning can be enhanced by creating opportunities for students to work together in small groups or teams. Faculty should foster a collaborative culture by establishing clear goals, roles, and norms for group work, as well as facilitating communication and interaction among students. Faculty should also provide tools and platforms that enable students to share their ideas, resources, and products with each other.

In thinking about how to redesign an existing course to have an inquiry orientation, consider the following:

• What is the goal of the course or course unit? More precisely, what should students be able to do by the end? Often, the answer to this question immediately suggests what type of product or assessment should result from the inquiry.
• What is your process, as an expert in the field? Since we want to view our students as apprentices, this is often a good starting point. A geologist might say “I use the geologic record to reconstruct the past and to predict the future”, while a literature professor might say “I critically analyze fictional texts to better understand the human condition”. Taking an inquiry orientation to course design encourages you to think explicitly and analytically about your own inquiry processes.
• Be thinking in terms of analysis, synthesis, application, and evaluation. You learn information, but you learn it in order to use it to for some more complex purpose. Common relevant verbs here include derive, predict, design, interpret, formulate, create
• To shift from a content orientation to an inquiry orientation, you can start the statement with “I want my students to use their strong background [developed in the course] in order to…”
• Focus on what students will be able to do outside of class, in new situations they may find themselves in.
• Ensure the goal(s) are higher-order, concrete, and measurable. We should be able to observe students doing what we hope they can do
• How can you scaffold the inquiry process for students to ensure, when they are engaged in inquiry, they are in the “zone of proximal development” – that place where the task is difficult for them, but they have sufficient resources and support to overcome the difficulties. Often this will mean ensuring you have modeled a stage in the inquiry process, and given them a structured opportunity to engage in it individually or collaboratively, before requiring them to engage in a more open and high-stakes way.

Example Inquiry Orientation Revisions

[Coming soon]