Learning in Libraries: Guided Inquiry Making and Learning
Norman Public Schools (Norman, OK) received a National Leadership Grant for Libraries from the Institute of Museum and Libraries Services for a three-year research project in 2016. The grant entitled Learning in Libraries: Guided Inquiry Making and Learning was funded for over $540,000.00. This research extends our knowledge about participatory learning in K-12 school libraries through the investigation of learning by Making (Maker Media, 2013, p. 21) and the Guided Inquiry Design® process (Kuhlthau, Maniotes, & Caspari, 2015) within the regular K-12 standards-based curriculum. The project included school librarians, classroom educators, resource specialists, and more than 400 learners at three schools at elementary, middle, and high school levels. This study included learners from diverse backgrounds, as well as multiple grade levels and subject areas. In this collaborative effort between K-12 school administrators, school librarians, classroom educators, and university researchers, practitioners and researchers worked closely to design research, collect and analyze data, and disseminate findings. This research study has resulted in a model that school librarians can replicate in school settings with a standards-based curriculum.
This research has extended the current knowledge on how learning occurs when combining an inquiry pedagogy with Making in school libraries as part of the regular school curriculum.
A goal of the grant team was to develop a replicable model that results in:
Increased engagement for all students
Increased academic achievement for all students
Increased student interest in STEAM
Increased student persistence, autonomous learning, and participatory learning
Increased teacher and librarian collaboration and co-teaching
Expanded use of the school library as a participatory learning environment
Purpose
The purpose of the Guided Inquiry Making and Learning research was to examine the feasibility of integrating Making into a standards-based inquiry pedagogy, and to develop a framework for other educators. This framework can be adapted to different curricular areas and grade levels to promote increased learner engagement and autonomy. It provides valuable knowledge for educators and school librarians to understand the role of Making within the school library and to facilitate conversations about best practices in school libraries. The framework is dependent on the work of school librarians and other educators working in collaboration to co-teach using a research-based inquiry pedagogy and Making.