Guided Inquiry Design: A Framework for Inquiry in Your School

by Carol C. Kuhlthau, Leslie K. Maniotes, Ann K. Caspari

Today's students need to be fully prepared for successful learning and living in the information age. This book provides a practical, flexible framework for designing Guided Inquiry that helps achieve that goal.

Guided Inquiry prepares today's learners for an uncertain future by providing the education that enables them to make meaning of myriad sources of information in a rapidly evolving world. The companion book, Guided Inquiry: Learning in the 21st Century, explains what Guided Inquiry is and why it is now essential now. This book, Guided Inquiry Design: A Framework for Inquiry in Your School, explains how to do it.

The first three chapters provide an overview of the Guided Inquiry design framework, identify the eight phases of the Guided Inquiry process, summarize the research that grounds Guided Inquiry, and describe the five tools of inquiry that are essential to implementation. The following chapters detail the eight phases in the Guided Inquiry design process, providing examples at all levels from pre-K through 12th grade and concluding with recommendations for building Guided Inquiry in your school.

The book is for pre-K–12 teachers, school librarians, and principals who are interested in and actively designing an inquiry approach to curricular learning that incorporates a wide range of resources from the library, the Internet, and the community. Staff of community resources, museum educators, and public librarians will also find the book useful for achieving student learning goals.

Genres: Nonfiction, Education, Librarianship

204 pages, Paperback

First published June 6, 2012

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The eight phase framework is based on Kuhlthau’s studies of the information search process of students and provides a model that helps you guide students through the discovery process of learning from a variety of sources of information. This process has immediate relevance to curriculum design for the integration of digital media literacy. It is very practical and the text provides great instruction on how to apply the process to teaching and learning in any school community.

[Libby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I FINALLY finished it!! It gets a 3 for my enjoyment of it, but it's probably a 4.5 in terms of usefulness/worthwhile reading. I do NOT make much time for "professional craft" books, so the fact that I got through it cover to cover attests to my need to understand this framework (since this is both the direction our district library program is moving AND the basis for the new AASL standards) and the fairly high regard I feel for the framework.

I did find it useful to read this after I had received some professional development, but as I am working through the first full guided inquiry process that I am teaching.

I do recommend it if you are interested in teaching using a guided inquiry framework (or if you are required to); I would not recommend it just to pick up for fun.

[Marc · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I tend to be a big fan of theory and the thinking and research behind a particular approach, I found GID to be a great, hands-on approach to implementing Guided Inquiry in a class or school. There is a nice balance between what to do and why to do it and I look forward to experimenting further with the ideas that GID has brought to the surface.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another really good book if you are looking to implement an inquiry-based learning approach to a classroom or across subject areas. Not really a great helper for curriculum.

[Rachel Yoder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not always an easy book in terms of readability, but valuable information. I’m sure I will be returning to it as I put the ideas into practice.

[Tricia Price · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some new information, and some good reminders of things I had learned before. I like the idea of the Guided Inquiry Design process as a way to get kids more motivated to research.

[Tonia Sandersfeld]

Explains the steps for an inquiry unit and many graphic organizers to use with students throughout the process.

[Taryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am about to start a new career as a school librarian and am looking forward to applying this framework in partnership with teachers while teaching students inquiry skills.