gms | German Medical Science

Inquiry instruction can exploit the multiple, often conflicting ideas that students have about personal, societal, and environmental dilemmas and promote coherent understanding. Effective inquiry instruction supports the process of predicting, testing, distinguishing, and refining ideas about complex topics such as economic disparity or health decision-making. To illustrate, this talk describes successful inquiry activities for undergraduate research experiences, virtual laboratories, and combinations of virtual and physical activities. The talk highlights technologies that strengthen inquiry by supporting revision of arguments, evaluating undergraduate projects, and integrating physical and virtual investigations. These studies suggest ways to prepare students for independent inquiry learning.