Inquiry
Inquiry
Inquiry is a key component of the Honours Health Sciences Program.
A central goal of the inquiry course will be to inculcate the concept of “student as active learner” throughout the entire undergraduate experience. Our undergraduates should not learn primarily as passive recipients of information but as active participants in their education in order to better develop critical thinking and communication skills.
The following book was written by Honours Health Sciences Program students and is a very helpful resource in understanding Inquiry.
Choose Your Own Inquiry
Authors: R. Ai, M. Bhatt, S. Chevrier, R. Ciccarelli, R. Grady, V. Kumari, K. Li, N. Nazarli, H. Rahimi, J. Roberts, J. Sachs, A. Schepmyer, M. Wang and H. Wong.
Honours Health Sciences Program, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University
Publication date, August 2008
ISBN 0-7618-4092-3
University Press of America
What is Inquiry?
There are four elements in the following diagram that are central to the concept of inquiry: I, R, E and C. We will discuss the process with the groups but at this point you might pay particular attention to the arrows. We will introduce you to a problem area to provide the context in which to begin the process.
We can translate the skills to encompass many things. In this course, we will work with a short list that includes essential skills. None of the skills listed below will be perfected this term or next term or in the next four years. This is the starting line. There is no finish line.
- Time management — setting priorities, managing time and staying on track
- Posing a good question and refining it
- Identifying sources of information — library, online indices, World Wide Web and interviewing experts
- Evaluating (critical thinking) and integrating information
- Using information to answer a question
- Communication skills — verbal, nonverbal and written
- Working with another person and a group
- Identifying individual and group strengths and weaknesses
- Dividing responsibility
- Following through
- Teaching each other and learning from each other
- Giving and receiving constructive feedback
- Dealing with minor conflict
- Evaluating your strengths and weaknesses in each area — formally, informally and often
Why Inquiry?
The skills that are most widely sought in university graduates — the capacities to research and analyze complex problems and to communicate easily and effectively about them — are fundamental to all disciplines. The trend to emphasize the development of analysis and inquiry skills began in professional schools and is now spreading to other disciplines. At McMaster, we have defined these skills to include:
- The ability to ask good questions
- The ability to determine what needs to be learned in order to answer those questions
- The ability to identify appropriate resources for learning
- The ability to use resources effectively and to report on what was learned
- The ability to self-evaluate
Inquiry Group
The 2005 President’s Award
This award recognizes the contribution of an individual or of a group to education, through innovation and achievement in the design of a course or program of studies or in the design of educational materials.
The 2005 Alan Blizzard Award
The Alan Blizzard Award was established to encourage, identify and publicly recognize those whose exemplary collaboration in university teaching enhances student learning. The award seeks to make visible and disseminate scholarship of teaching and learning, based on values and practices of collaborative teaching.
The inquiry group consists of an experienced team of curriculum developers and facilitators.
Inquiry Courses
This course will initiate the development of a skill set required for life-long learning, in the context of the study of one or two health care issues. A problem-based course applying principles of scientific inquiry to selected health issues.
This course will use an inquiry-based approach. First semester will initiate the development of a skill set required for life-long learning by studying healthcare issues. Second semester will introduce key concepts in biochemistry and molecular biology to understand genetic, infectious and metabolic diseases.
This course will use an inquiry based format to introduce key concepts in biochemistry, molecular biology and biomedical sciences to understand illnesses, such as infectious diseases, metabolic disorders, genetic diseases and cancer.
An inquiry based examination of the relationship between cell structure and function. Students will be required to apply key concepts of cell biology to facilitate their understanding of timely problems in biomedicine.
In this inquiry course, students will undertake an in-depth exploration of a specific health-related topic.
An opportunity to explore one or more specialized areas of health sciences in preparation for Level IV Senior Project/Thesis.
An opportunity to explore one or more specialized areas of health sciences in preparation for Level IV Senior Project/Thesis.
A thesis-based research project conducted under the direction and supervision of a member of the faculty. Students are responsible for arranging a suitable thesis and supervisor. The required forms must be submitted at least thirty days prior to the date classes begin.
A thesis-based research project conducted under the direction and supervision of a member of the faculty. Students are responsible for arranging a suitable thesis and supervisor. The required forms must be submitted at least thirty days prior to the date classes begin.
A thesis-based research project conducted under the direction and supervision of a member of the faculty. Students are responsible for arranging a suitable thesis and supervisor. The required forms must be submitted at least thirty days prior to the date classes begin.
A selection of information-based research projects conducted under the supervision of one or more members of the faculty. Students are responsible for arranging a suitable project and supervisor. The required forms must be submitted at least thirty days prior to the date classes begin.
This course provides an opportunity for individual or small groups to integrate concepts from their undergraduate courses.
This course provides an opportunity for individual or small groups to integrate concepts from their undergraduate courses.