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Table of Contents

1. Inquiry kit (introduction)
2. Inquiry Interest (IBL)
3. The Story of Our Inquiry (IBL)
4. The Moon (IBL)
5. Bibliography for inquiry-based learning

[edit] Introduction

The Inquiry Kit was developed as a class project in LIS 590 IBL (Inquiry-Based Learning), a graduate-level course in the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champign. Bertram (Chip) Bruce was the instructor and the students were Miihye Won, Gardner Rogers, Luisa Rosu, Amelia Bowen, Dorier Berkow, Suzhen Chen, and Geralyn Schroeder Yu, with contributions from Michelle Hinn and David Leake.

As they develop this kit, the authors seek to understand inquiry as a process recognized by and in different disciplines and settings. In our study, we refer to the issues and problems of inquiry-based learning in the contexts of specific fields. Based on the belief that inquiry facilitates a permanent transfer between understanding as an internal process and participation as the responsive attitude to external social issues, we model alternative forms of understanding in order to challenge the traditional views and orientations of particular disciplines and settings. [Edit by Gardner 4/03/06]

The project applies this rationale to the phenomenon of the moon, which we chose as the focal point for an inquiry-based dialogue during a follow-up discussion of the video-documentary A Private Universe. The abstract conceptualization of the Moon was questioned: “How can one teach the Moon’s phases?” “What are the various translations and meanings for the word ‘moon’? Are the words ‘moon’ and ‘month’ correlated in all languages?” “What are the representations of the Moon in our lives?” “How complex is learning about the Moon’s motions?” “Are there cultural icons of the Moon?" "Are there specific cultural events to celebrate the Moon?” “How old are the explanations about the Moon, and what are their histories?”

The diversity of these questions reflects the cultural and subject-oriented variety in authors’ community of inquiry.

As we ask about the Moon as a social, cultural, and educational phenomenon, we consider the following issues:

• The discrepancies between the scientific view of the Moon as universal and the cultural approaches and various interpretations of the Moon
• The tension between learning about the Moon as a scientific phenomenon and personal understandings/meanings given to the Moon
• Alternative educational ways in understanding Moon’s motion, color, existence, measurement, and so on
• The Moon as a particular phenomenon in different disciplines
• The Moon as stereotype in social contexts.

The contents of our Inquiry Kit reflect our attention to (among many other things) Eleanor Duckworth's “Teaching as Research” essay, a visit to the Parkland College Planetarium, web music instructional dvd references, learning and information technologies, and course readings.

We were intrigued by the work of a librarian professor at the University of Illinois (year), Glwadys Spencer. Spencer left a list in the archives at the University that suggests possible things to include in a travelling kit. These suggestions included: (edited by Gigi)

Some of the contents for our Inquiry Kit will include:

• ping pong balls
• golf tees
• 100 ft. tape measure
• Velcro
• models of sun (basketball?), Earth (pea?), and moon (candy sprinkle?)
• video/ DVD of a drive through Parkland's scale model (not including Pluto in Clinton!)
• binoculars
• lamp or flashlight
• moon items from Chicago Planetarium

[edit by Amelia 4/03/06]