Inquiry-based Learning



 Inquiry-based Learning (IBL) is a learning process through questions generated from interest, perspectives and experience of the students so normally teacher starts with a question to be solved. It is in my point of view a form of active learning and enjoyable since students investigations grow from their own questions.

Inquiry-based Learning has advantages and disadvantages over traditional learning, IBL enhances student's ability to solve problems not just getting the knowledge. In IBL students are active and involved in learning process and this will help to develop their problem solving skills in my point of view. I think that this strategy is an effective one because it allows pupils to take more responsibilities for their learning tasks which develop their habits of mind and allows creative thinking. Working in groups allows students to develop cooperation, organizations, creativity and build relationships with each others as will as with their teachers.

IBL encourages students to ask questions and discovers the answer which is opposites to the traditional approach but I can see IBL to be time consuming since there are many preparation and thinking so the teacher has to manage the time to cover the required material.



 

Inquiry-based Learning Cycle




Student Centered Learning

"Placing learner at the heart of the learning process and meeting their needs, is taken a progressive step in which learner-centered approaches mean that persons are able to learn what is relevant for them in ways that are appropriate" (Edwards 2001:37)

Student Centered Learning (SCL) is an educational approach that focuses on the students needs and this has many implications in the design of the curriculum and interactivity of the course.

As student SCL is very interesting and fun to me. SCL allows me to learn what I want to learn and in the way I want so I will be more motivated and committed toward learning. It will enhance my self confidence and build relationships and emotions with other colleagues that I normally cooperate with them. What does make it more flexible for me is that allowing me to study and work outside the school and have access to wide range of resources and not only the teacher. One disadvantage that I may encounter is that getting inaccurate information so I have to be careful for the resources and ask my teacher for any information that I am not sure of.

Student Centered Learning for me as a teacher has many advantages and disadvantages. One main advantage that my students will be active and engaged in the learning process and they will not complain about the material or assessments since they are involved directly in curriculum development for the course. Student Centered Learning allows me to have good relationship with my students since I will be a guide for them. On the other hand there are some disadvantages for applying SCL in the class like having students working in group leads to some unwanted noise in the class and this problem can be resolved by stating classroom rules and the consequences of breaking these rules and allowing the students to participate in the development in my point of view will give more control on the class.  

As a teacher here in Bahrain, teachers are not very much aware of SCL and how to apply it in education and this needs some efforts from ministry of education for conducting workshops in this area.

Computer as tutor, tutee and tool

These days computer has become an important contributor in the area of education and I believe that it is playing and will play an important role in learning. Computer can be used in three basic ways in schools as a tutor, tutee and tool.

In my area of specialization as a computer science teacher I have used the computer in these three ways. I have used the computer as a tool in the teaching process when I taught my students MS word and other office programs where the students use the computer as a mean to do specific things like writing a letter.

Computer can also be used as a tutor and here the computer will teach the learner and he/ she has to respond. My master thesis was about implementing such system; I have developed a computerized testing module using Visual Basic and provide it with the material and pupils have to respond to the questions.

Finally, Computer works as a tutee where the students have to learn a programming language like Visual Basic, C and other languages to build a program that will teach the subject and in my opinion in this way the students will learn more about the subject in order to write the program and I think that the gained information will be much more than the other ways.

About myself

welcome....

My name is Najma and I am a computer Science teacher and currently I am studying at BTC in the PGDE program. I have worked before for Alrasheed Primary Boys School for the ministry of Education. I have strong commitment to my profession and I love my students and try to come up with them to their at most ability. I am an ambitious, motivated and willing to work person.

My master thesis was about implementing a computerized testing module for my school and it was from AMA international University . My BSc was from University of Bahrain in Computer Science - mathematics.

My personal interest is travelling, shopping, browsing the internet and photography