Types of Student Inquiry

Do you know the types of student inquiry?

There are various types of student inquiry. How many of them do you know? Thanks to a post I found on Twitter, you're about to know about all of them. I watch social media closely and it's my job to share some of the hot topics on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and other outlets that teachers, principals, students, and parents are contributing.

The different levels of student inquiry  are about what a teacher does versus what a student does when guiding a lesson plan, project, or other school activity. Shelly Terrell posted an infographic on her Twitter account that explains the different types of student inquiry. The infographic was created by Trevor Mackenzie.

The types discussed in the infographic above range from activities heavily dictated by the teacher on the left to ones heavily run by the students on the right. The coolest thing about this inforgaphic is the pictures that accompany it. Using swim instructors and students as an example, Mackenzie illustrated the differences in how much the teacher assists the student according to each level of inquiry. Between this and the accompanying descriptions below the image, it's easy to visualize these levels in your classroom and how they might work with your lesson plans.

Is there a level of inquiry that you would've included that's not on the infographic? Can you think of another way to illustrate the different levels of inquiry? Which type do you usually use? In what situations do you use which type?

Tori Pakizer is the Social Media Editor at SimpleK12.com. She writes regularly about the use of educational technology in K-12 classrooms, and specializes in how teachers use Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and other social media. You can follow Tori and SimpleK12 on Twitter @SimpleK12. If you have ideas for using social media in schools, please send your information or tip to editor@simplek12.com.