Inquiry-Based Learning and
The Experiential Learning Cycle
Power Point Prepared By:
Lynn Schmitt-McQuitty
Martin H. Smith
University of California Cooperative Extension Science,
Technology and Environmental Literacy Workgroup
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Making a Difference in
Student Learning
“Inquiry is a process that all individuals
naturally use in approaching new situations
and solving problems in life. By engaging in
inquiry, …children…gain experience with the
mental activities that will improve their
capacity to handle life situations and solve
everyday problems.”
- Edmund Marek and Ann Cavallo (1997)
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Workshop Goals:
1.
2.
To help participants distinguish between
a hands-on educational experience that
does not involve inquiry, and a hands-on
educational experience that is inquirybased.
To introduce/reinforce participants’
understanding of the Experiential
Learning cycle.
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Presenter’s Role:
1.
2.
To provide an opportunity for you to
share, think, and get involved in the
learning process.
We feel responsible for 20% of the
learning that will take place in this
workshop; that leaves 80% of the
responsibility in your hands.
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Workshop “Pre-Flections”

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Explain what you know about inquiry-based
learning.
Explain any similarities or differences
between inquiry-based learning and handson learning.
Describe inquiry-based learning or training
workshops you have been a part of
previously.
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Experiencing: The Hike to
Lonely Lodge
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What is Inquiry?
“Inquiry is a process that all individuals
naturally use in approaching new
situations and solving problems in life.
By engaging in inquiry, …children…gain
experience…that will improve their
capacity to handle life situations and
solve everyday problems.”
- Edmund Marek and Ann Cavallo (1997)
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Inquiry Includes:


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Active investigation;
Open-ended questioning;
Observing and manipulating (mentally or
physically) objects, phenomena, and/or
nature; and
The acquisition/discovery of new
knowledge.
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Inquiry and Science


Inquiry is what scientists do.
By experiencing science through inquiry,
children learn how to be scientists.
Students learn more than just concepts
and facts about science, they learn the
processes of discovering and
establishing concepts and facts.
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Inquiry and Children

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Take responsibility for their own learning.
Improve their written and oral
communication skills.
Develop problem-solving, decision-making,
and research skills critical for lifelong
learning.
Learn how to continue learning. (Note:
This is the most important aspect of the
inquiry approach .
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Inquiry and Educators
The inquiry approach:
 Allows for cross-curricular applications.
 Places a teacher in the role of being a
facilitator of learning, rather than a
disseminator of known information.
 Allows teachers to learn more of who
their students are, what they know,
interests they have, and how their
minds work.
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Application…

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The Application phase of the Experiential
Learning Cycle is where persons apply a
learned concept to a new learning activity
or real life situation. This is where
learning becomes “internalized.”
“Pop Your Top” activity; all participants will
engage in a new, inquiry-based activity.
Use the Check-off List to evaluate this
activity.
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Applying: Using Inquiry in a
Different Context
“Pop Your Top”
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5-Step Experiential Learning Cycle
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5-Step Learning Cycle Definitions
EXPLORATION: “Do it”

Perform or do an activity with little to no
help from the facilitator/teacher.

Examples might include:

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making products or models;
role-playing;
giving a presentation;
problem-solving;
playing a game.
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5-Step Learning Cycle Definitions
SHARING: “What Happened”

Publicly share the results, reactions and
observations.

Get the participants to talk about their experience.

Share reactions and observations.

Discuss feelings generated by the experience.

Let the group (or individual) talk freely and
acknowledge the ideas they generate.
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5-Step Learning Cycle Definitions
PROCESSING: “What’s Important?”

Discussing, analyzing, reflecting, looking at the
experience.

Discuss how the experience was carried out.

Discuss how themes, problems, and issues are
brought out by the experience.

Discuss how specific problems or issues were
addressed.

Discuss personal experiences of members.

Encourage the group to look for recurring themes.
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5-Step Learning Cycle Definitions
GENERALIZING: “So What?”

Connect the experience with real world
examples.

Find general trends or common truths in the
experience.

Identify “real life” principles that surfaced.

List key terms that capture the learning.
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5-Step Learning Cycle Definitions
APPLICATION: “Now What?”

Apply what was learned to a similar or different
situation, learn from past experiences, practice.

Discuss how new learning can be applied to other
situations.

Discuss how issues raised can be useful in the
future.

Discuss how more effective behaviors can
develop from the new learnings.

Help each individual feel a sense of ownership for
what was learned.
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Three-Step Learning Cycle
Experiencing
An experience that involves doing.
.
Share, Process, and Generalize
APPLICATION
Transfer learning to other situations.
The Learning Cycle
Adapted from Marek and Cavallo (1997) and the
USDA/Army School-Age & Teen Project
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Post-Training Survey:
Experiential Learning Level II
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The Essence of Inquiry
Science is, by its nature, inquiry-based. Inquiry is a
method that utilizes the rational powers and
scientific thinking processes to explore and learn
about some aspect of the real world. In order to
achieve this, facilitators must create a learning
environment steeped with experiences that allow
students to use their rational powers in a coordinated
way. Such experiences will, consequently, develop
children's logical thinking abilities.
The critical element to inquiry is that the child seeks
answers to questions and is not given answers. True
learning comes from the search for the answer and
not the answer – this is the essence of inquiry.
- Marek and Cavallo (1997)
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Resources
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http://www.1001-periodic-table-quizquestions.com/webquests/inquiry-based-learning-webquest.html

http://www.infed.org/biblio/b-explrn.htm
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http://reviewing.co.uk/research/experiential.learning.htm
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http://reviewing.co.uk/research/learning.cycles.htm

http://www.dmu.ac.uk/~jamesa/learning/experien.htm

http://www.onfed.org/thinkers/et-knowl.htm
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Prepared By:

Members of the University of California
Cooperative Extension Science, Technology and
Environmental Literacy Workgroup:
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Steve Dasher, UCCE San Diego County;
Richard P. Enfield, UCCE San Luis Obispo County;
A. Michael Marzolla, UCCE Santa Barbara County;
Richard C. Ponzio, PhD, Department of Human and
Community Development, UC-Davis;
Lynn Schmitt-McQuitty, UCCE Santa Cruz and Monterey
Counties;
Martin H. Smith, Veterinary Medicine Extension, UCDavis.
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