EDUC 451: Inquiry II (2 credits)
Personalized Learning and Technology / IB-MY Cohorts – Section 120
Course Syllabus
GENERAL INFORMATION
Instructor: Yvonne Dawydiak
Office: Scarfe Room 1310
Office Hours: By appointment
Course Location: Scarfe Room 203
Phone: 778-240-4414
E-mail: yvonne.dawydiak@ubc.ca
Course Meeting Dates:
Mondays ~ January 5th, 2013 to March 23rd, 2013
Course Time: 9:30am – 12:00pm
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Inquiry Seminar II is designed to provide teacher candidates with an opportunity to:
1) Engage in teacher inquiry around a question or theme (e.g., the cohort theme or a theme such as
“community” or “collaboration”), a disciplinary topic (e.g., ‘historical consciousness’ or
chemical bonding), a particular curriculum emphasis (e.g., textbooks as cultural and historical
objects) or an educational issue (e.g., the politics of French immersion programs), of the teacher
candidate’s choosing.
2) Demonstrate understandings acquired during course work and develop deeper
understandings of the cohort theme and their particular area of educational study by:
a.
Formalizing engagement in teacher inquiry based on a question/proposal developed during
Inquiry Seminar I.
b. Presenting and/or sharing the inquiry project publicly with colleagues,
c. Exploring links between the theoretical and practical perspectives related to the inquiry
question and project and the TC’s emerging practice as a teacher.
This course is student focused and driven with the instructor assuming the role of role of
‘project advisor’. Teacher candidates will develop personal plans and timelines for the term
that will allow them to pursue their inquiry and develop the knowledge and skills needed to
acquire an understanding of their selected topic. Throughout the term, TC’s will act as
‘critical friends’ to their peers by sharing ideas and resources and engaging in discussion and
feedback around each other’s projects. On completion of the project, teacher candidates will
present their proposal in a forum where they will engage their peers in discussion, critique,
and feedback.
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In keeping with the cohort theme of personalized learning and technology, students are
encouraged to envision alternate means of representing their learning and should discuss these
with the instructor.
COURSE OVERVIEW
Phase One: Consultation Sessions
Topic
Teacher candidates engage in inquiries; individuals and groups meet with course
instructor for shared readings, regular reporting and feedback.
Working with instructor and colleagues to develop their inquiry project, share progress
and receive/give feedback. Teacher candidates consult regularly (about their readings,
ideas and questions); they engage critically with other projects generated by their peers;
they respond to questions about their own inquiry project from instructor and peers with
a view to final refinement for presentation and sharing.
Phase Two: Representation
Topic
Making inquiry results public through such means as poster sessions, a miniconference, brief presentations or cohort-based seminars (round tables).
Teacher candidates present their projects to an audience of peers, mentoring teachers
and/or members of the larger community.
*Phase Three: Links to Practice
Topic
*This phase will be integrated throughout the course & also
occur following Phase Two.
Making connections between one’s inquiry project, the cohort focus and one’s
emerging practice as a teacher
Teacher candidates link their research to their practice as a beginning teacher. This may
take the form of planning for integration of the inquiry topic into one’s practicum setting
or more broadly into one’s future teaching in general. Links to practice may be by
implication (what might this mean for education?) as well as application (how ought I to
proceed?)
COURSE ASSIGNMENTS
The course assignments fall into two categories:
1. Inquiry Project & Representation
2. Collaborative Inquiry and Mentoring
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1. Inquiry Project and Representation - The inquiry project is driven by the teacher candidate’s own
questions, developing areas of interest and/or identified areas of need but is refined and developed through a
collaborative group and peer to peer process that includes the sharing of reflections, resources and expertise.
The inquiry consists of three parts:
a) Preparing the Inquiry Proposal (EDUC 450-Inquiry I)
b) Conducting the Inquiry Project (EDUC 451-Inquiry II)
c) Representing the Inquiry (EDUC 451-Inquiry II)
a) Preparing the Inquiry Proposal – completed December 2014 A review of the proposal will take
place during the first two weeks of January with the intent to refine and revise based on peer support,
collaborative work and readings
b) Conducting the Inquiry Project –
During the weeks devoted to teacher candidate’s independent inquiries, classes will take the form of group
consultation sessions with the cohort instructor with the latter taking the role of project advisor. Teacher
candidates embark on their inquiries, meeting an d commu n icating regularly to report on progress and to
receive feedback from both the instructor and their peers.
c) Representing the Inquiry –
The Inquiry Project should reflect an emerging ability to:
•
•
•
•
Engage substantively with a topic as reflected in careful reading of the literature and an
understanding of significant issues, perspectives and assumptions,
Position oneself in relation to ideas discussed,
Consider educational issues critically,
Relate one’s learning to curriculum and pedagogy and facilitate links to practice.
Peer Review dates / Final DUE DATE / Presentation dates to be determined in January

A note about including citations from students, teachers or others from the field:
o Citing an article that is already publicly available is part and parcel of academic practice; no permissions are necessary
because the author(s) have, of their own volition, represented their ideas in a public manner.
o Citing a human subject (e.g., expert) involves a researcher recording, interpreting, and representing the ideas of the
human subject in the public where the human subject has no control over that interpretation or representation; to
protect the human subject, therefore, protocols (ethical approval by UBC’s Behavioural Research Ethics Board) are
required in advance, including demonstration that the researcher has fully informed the human subject about the
purpose of the research and the research questions; that conditions of anonymity will be created in so far as possible,
etc. Such ethical approval and, therefore, direct citation is beyond the scope of the inquiry project outlined in
EDUC 450 and 451.
2. Collaborative Inquiry and Mentoring - Collaborative Practice is crucial to developing as professionals. In
keeping with this theme, TC’s will continue to collaborate with both peers and instructors by:
a) Facilitating the development of the cohort theme by participating in an in-class mini inquiry into various
technologies appropriate for teacher use/classroom use. Due January 12.
b) Facilitating their own and others inquiry by selecting a reading from current professional literature or
developing an essential question (SOLE method) to support discussion, activity or reflection on a topic
or issue relevant to their inquiry as related to the cohort theme. For readings, format may vary. One
suggested format: each person in the group prepares a reading and makes it available to the group along
with a synopsis and / or handout to share in class Due at various times throughout the term. Dates to be
determined in January.
c) Assisting one program instructor from another course to post their course syllabus, a description of the
course, course resources/reflection/images on their webpage in our cohort web space.
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Due January 19 ; preliminary review of website will occur (basics in place – syllabus and description);
additions can be made until March 16th.
a) Continuing to develop a personal web space. During EDUC 450 you began to develop your web space
using a Wordpress Blog. You will continue to maintain your personal webspace ensuring that it:
i. Contains a statement or statements of your philosophy of education – including your views
on technology integration and personalized learning (Due March 10th)
ii. Documents your Inquiry process
iii. Becomes a valuable repository of resources you can use later in your teaching,
NB: Most class sessions will have some time dedicated to completing work on the web space, either as
specific tasks, or open ended time to work on it as you choose. It is expected that you will continue to build
this resource through the year; as in first term, perfection is not expected, rather the goal is to build a resource
that might become an ongoing professional web space in your teaching.
ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION
Attendance and participation are essential to developing both personal and shared understandings. Collaboration is
crucial to the success of the community of practice we have worked hard to establish. Participation in class activities
and discussions form the basis of professional inquiry and development. Teacher candidates are expected to attend all
scheduled classes, lectures and/or seminars. If you are going to be late or absent, please follow program guidelines by
submitting an absence request to TEO.
Full details regarding Attendance and Participation are described in the B.Ed. Program Handbook found at:
http://teach.educ.ubc.ca/students/policies-and-guides/bed-program-policies-guidelines/
In preparation for class, you will be required to complete readings or prepare for an Inquiry Project consultation. You
will be expected to complete an Entrance slip before each class. Entrance slips are meant to be brief notes and jottings,
intended to help you to prepare for class discussion by focusing your attention on ideas, questions, and issues
provoked by the text of weekly readings. Where there is no weekly reading, your entrance slip will reflect where you
are at in your Inquiry process and the specific questions you might have or support you might need to move forward.
The following questions may help to guide you:
3. What does this text say that struck you? Why?
4. What questions does the text provoke? Why?
5. What ideas, events, or images does the text illuminate or challenge?
6. What dilemmas, tensions, or contradictions are evident?
7. How does the text intersect with (inform, challenge) your own understanding (of teaching, learning,
knowing)?
At the end of each class we will devote a few minutes for writing Exit Slips. These slips will allow you to return
to your initial questions (in the Entrance Slip) and to reflect on them in light of class discussion or consultation. (Of
course, something new may emerge in the context of class discussion and you may wish to focus your exit slip on it.)
COURSE EVALUATION
Pass/Fail Grading
Most courses in the Teacher Education Program use a pass/fail grading system including this course. For this course,
only “pass” or “fail” will appear on your transcript. The professional program in teacher education at UBC is
committed to a high level of performance among all teacher candidates, and with this in mind, a passing grade has
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been set at 76%. In a professional faculty, passing a course entails both strong academic performance as well as active
participation in all learning activities. The criteria for a passing mark will be clearly outlined for each assignment, and
students are expected to meet ALL criteria to obtain a passing grade. If assignments do not meet expected standards,
you will be provided with detailed feedback on what needs to be improved, and will have one opportunity to resubmit
the assignment. Late assignments may be penalized or not accepted at the instructor’s discretion. If you have
continued difficulty meeting expectations, I will discuss your situation with you and also with the Teacher Education
Office. It is my responsibility to provide you with timely, specific and helpful responses to your assignment. Please
note, that in the case of difficulty with written language, you are expected to seek supports available to you. I am able
to provide you with referrals as needed.
Assessment:
Due to the student-driven nature of this course, individual expectations and precise requirements may vary. All
students, however, will be assessed in three areas:
1. Participation
2. Collaborative Practice
3. Inquiry Project Representation
COURSE READINGS
To access the readings please click on the link provided. You will then be directed to the UBC Library site and
prompted to sign in with your CWL. Once signed in, you will be linked to the article and/or can download it (usually
a UBC link or a PDF file on the left of your screen). For those articles without links, they will be provided as needed.
Cole, A. & Knowles, J. G. (2000). Researching teaching: Exploring teacher development
through reflexive inquiry. Part III. Toronto, ON: Allyn & Bacon.
Falk, B., & Blumenreich, M. (2005). The power of questions. Heinemann.
http://www.heinemann.com/shared/onlineresources/E00698/chapter1.pdf
Should you be interested in the complete book, it is available in the education library at:
http://webcat1.library.ubc.ca.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/vwebv/holdingsInfo?bibId=3188325
Nolen, A. L., & Putten, J. V. (2007). Action research in education: Addressing gaps in
ethical principles and practices. Educational Researcher, 36(7), 401–407.
doi:10.2307/30136071 http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/stable/30136071
The Ontario Ministry of Education. (2010). Collaborative Teacher Inquiry.
Capacity Building Series, 16, 1-8.
The Capacity Building Series is produced by the Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat to support leadership and
instructional effectiveness in Ontario Schools.
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/inspire/research/CBS_Collaborative_Teacher_Inquiry.pdf
Tripp, D. H. (1990). Socially critical action research. Theory Into Practice, 29(3), 158166.
http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=5201723&site=ehost-live
Web Resources
Coquitlam School District’s Bright Ideas Gallery – Many examples of teacher inquiries
http://www.sd43.bc.ca/Resources/StaffResources/BIG/default.aspx
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The Ontario Action Researcher
http://www.nipissingu.ca/oar/archive.htm
Networks: An online journal of teacher research http://journals.library.wisc.edu/index.php/networks/ (Students Select
Article of Interest)
Inside Teaching: A living archive of practice
http://gallery.carnegiefoundation.org/insideteaching/quest/collections.html
An interesting websites for thinking about teacher research is: http://gse.gmu.edu/research/tr
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS
i.
Academic Integrity
The integrity of academic work depends on the honesty of all those who work in this environment and the
observance of accepted conventions concerning such practices as acknowledging the work of others.
Plagiarism and other forms of academic misconduct are taken very seriously at UBC, whether committed by
faculty, staff or students. You should be aware of the sections of the University Calendar that address
academic misconduct: www.students.ubc.ca/calendar and of the university’s website on scholarly integrity:
http://clc.library.ubc.ca/airc.html. The UBC library also has a useful webpage on plagiarism and how to avoid
it: www.library.ubc.ca/home/plagiarism/. If you have questions or concerns about any of these policies or
conventions in relation to how they apply to the work you do in this course, please discuss them with me.
ii.
Professional Conduct
Teacher candidates in the Faculty of Education are expected to adhere to principles of professional conduct
while on campus and in schools.
(See Bachelor of Education Program Policy Handbook:
(http://teach.educ.ubc.ca/resources/pdfs/guides/BEd-Policy-Handbook-2011.pdf) They are also expected to
adhere to the policy of the university regarding respectful learning environment
http://www.hr.ubc.ca/respectful- environment/
Participants in this course are expected to demonstrate all of the qualities of professionalism, arriving at each
class fully prepared, engaging actively in the teaching and learning process and interacting ethically with your
peers and your instructor. Classes will be conducted within an atmosphere of respect, both for each other and
for the ideas expressed by participants in class discussions and debates.
My responsibility in this class is to model professional conduct and to guide you to an understanding of
professionalism when you are on campus.
iii.
Students with Disabilities
If you have a letter from the office of Access and Diversity indicating that you have a disability that requires
specific accommodation, please present the letter to me so that we can discuss possible accommodation. To
request academic accommodation due to a disability, first meet with an advisor in the Office of Access and
Diversity to determine your eligible accommodations/ services. Please keep your instructor and the Teacher
Education office informed about requests for accommodation.
iv.
Religious Observances
It is your responsibility to inform me of intended absences for religious observances in advance. You will not
be penalized because of these observances. You will be given reasonable time to make up any assignment that
is missed due to participation in a religious observance.
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