Inquiry vs. Discovery
In the past year there has been a lot of debate in the news over "discovery" learning. It is important to note that, although there is sometimes discovery in Inquiry, they are not the same thing. Schools around the world have been focusing on Inquiry since the 1970s. Discovery learning is based in the idea that if you present an idea, set of numbers or concept and give students enough time, they will uncover the understanding of that concept on their own without direction, guidance or influence from the teacher. The term "discovery" is often mistakenly used for Inquiry because when we engage in Inquiry there is sometimes a stage of exploration in which we allow students to engage with the concept on their own terms as a way to build engagement, curiosity and the desire to know more. Inquiry, at its essence refers to a mode of learning in which students engage with and teacher present concepts through questioning. When the learning is driven by questions we
