What is Inquiry-based Learning (IBL)? From Mcmaster University. Teaching through “inquiry” involves engaging students in the research process with instructor support and coaching at a level appropriate to their starting skills. Students learn discipline specific content but in doing so, engage and refine their inquiry skills. An inquiry course:

	Is question driven, rather than topic or thesis driven
	Begins with a general theme to act as a starting point or trigger for learning
	Emphasizes asking good researchable questions on the theme, and coaches students in doing this
	Builds library, interview, and web search skills, along with the critical thinking skills necessary for thoughtful review of the information. Coaches students on how to best report their learning in oral or written form.
	Provides some mechanism (interviews, drafts, minutes of group meetings, bench mark activities, etc.) to help students monitor their progress within the course.
	Draws on the expertise and knowledge of the instructor to model effective inquiry and to promote reflection.

Inquiry Resources Developed at the University of South Carolina. This resources were developed by an interdisciplinary group of USC faculty who received teaching excellence grants on Fundamentals of Inquiry in Summer 2007. The list of these faculty members can be viewed here.

	"An Exploration into Inquiry Based Learning by an Interdisciplinary Group of USC Faculty". This document summarizes the experiences and future activities of six USC faculty members implementing inquiry based learning (IBL) in their classrooms for the first time.
	"Inquiry into Teaching Grant". This document summarizes practical issues related to the application of the inquiry-based approach.
	Sample Course Syllabus. This syllabus was developed for the Univ 201 course “James Bond and Cultural Inquiry” taught by Dr. Walter Hanclosky in Spring 2008.

Online Resources Related to Inquiry

	Inquiry Resources from McMaster University Centre for Leadership in Learning. Resources range from overviews of the topic to tips on how to foster inquiry-based learning environments. Site also offers problem-based learning resources.
	Inquiry-based learning at University of Sheffield Centre for Inquiry-based Learning in the Arts and Social Sciences. Introduces the IBL framework with its thematic focus on three areas of student engagement: collaborative inquiry, information literacy and networked learning.
	The Active Learning Site from Dr. Charles Bonwell. Provides research-based resources to help faculty successfully use active learning in college and university classrooms.
	“Designing and Teaching an Inquiry-Based Curriculum” from The Reinvention Center at Stony Brook Conference (Nov. 2006). The paper provides a link to a nice PowerPoint Presentation and an overview of Learner-Center Teaching, Inquiry-based Methods, The Role of Technology, and Discussion on how to make the IBL approach work.
	Institute for Inquiry. Provides workshops, programs, on-line support and an intellectual community of practice.

Meta-collection of Teaching and Learning Centers. This collection of links to teaching and learning centers of colleges and universities offers a wide array of resources for those interested in instructional strategies and ways to foster active and engaged learners.