Interactive Learning Environments for Promoting Inquiry Learning

Inquiry-oriented learning has been characterized and promoted from a variety of perspectives by researchers, educators and practitioners over the years [1–5]. Some have stressed the active nature of learner's involvement, associating inquiry with hands-on learning and experiential or activity-based instruction. Others have associated inquiry with a discovery approach or with the development of process skills associated with scientific methods. Yet others have emphasized promoting metacognitive knowledge and skills such as self-reflection and attitudes for inquiry. What role can technology play in facilitating these kinds of inquiry-oriented learning? We see at least a few ways in which technology in the form of interactive learning environments can enrich inquiry learning: 1) as instructive tools; 2) as constructive tools; 3) as communicative tools; and 4) as situating tools. We provide a discussion of current approaches to designing learning environments that support these roles. In particular, we describe three interactive learning environments that we have built: an instructive tool, a constructive tool, and lastly an environment which is intended to serve all the roles of instruction, construction, communication, and providing situatedness.