ENQUIRY BASED LEARNING 

An old adage states: "Tell me and I forget, show me and I remember, involve me and I understand." The last part of this statement is the essence of enquiry-based learning. 

Enquiry is defined as a seeking for truth, information or knowledge – seeking information by questioning. It implies involvement that leads to understanding. Involvement in learning implies possessing skills and attitudes that permit you to seek resolutions to questions and issues while you construct new knowledge.

Unfortunately, our traditional education system has worked in a way that discourages the natural process of enquiry. Students become less prone to ask questions as they move through the grades and are rather trained to listen and repeat expected answers. Memorizing facts and information is not the most important skill in today's world. Facts change and information is readily available. What’s needed is an understanding of how to get and make sense of the mass of data. We must understand that we need to go beyond data and accurate accumulation of information and move towards the generation of useful and applicable knowledge of process supported by enquiry based learning. Traditional learning focuses more on” learning about things” while enquiry learning focuses more on “learning things”.

“Thinking How as opposed to Thinking What”- Modern Vidya Niketan class rooms function on the principle of encouraging “Thinking How” and “learning things”.  Enquiry classrooms in MVN are open systems where students are encouraged to search and make use of resources beyond the classroom and the teachers who use enquiry can use technology to connect students appropriately with local and world communities which are rich sources of learning and learning materials .They replace lesson plans with facilitated learning plans that account for slight deviations while still keeping an important learning outcome and focus. They meet on target questions with- “How do you suggest we investigate that question”. If teachers focus more on”how we come to know” by presenting evidence and information and encouraging students questioning, then talks can even become powerful enquiry models for students.

Specific content such as photosynthesis has much more relevance for the learner if set in a larger context of understanding the interrelationship of the sun, green plants, and the role of carbon dioxide and water. Social studies content, such as industrial development, set in the context of interrelating changes in the human-designed world can add new perspectives to this important natural process. Students can still learn content of both science and social studies, but through a series of well-planned experiences, they will grasp the larger conceptual context and gain greater understanding.

Within a conceptual framework, enquiry learning and active learner involvement can lead to important outcomes in the classroom. Students who actively make observations, collect, analyse, and synthesize information, and draw conclusions are developing useful problem-solving skills. These skills can be applied to future "need to know" situations that students will encounter both at school and at work.

Another benefit that enquiry-based learning offers is the development of habits of mind that can last a lifetime and guide learning and creative thinking.

Education is not preparing students for a world that is static and fixed. Rather, education must prepare learners to cope with changes that will increase in complexity throughout their lives and many of which cannot be foreseen at this time. Most learners will probably deal with several job changes, move to several different locations, be involved in complex social changes, and other such issues. Education cannot give learners all the information that they need to know, but rather it must provide the tools for continuing to learn.

In a society in which education has focused on transmitting "what we know," it is a challenge to develop a widespread view that "how we come to know" is very important in modern society.