Personal inquiry: innovations in participatory design and models for inquiry learning

Abstract

This paper describes a participatory design approach to the development of inquiry‐based learning supported through a technology toolkit. The work is part of an interdisciplinary project – Personal Inquiry (PI). The paper focuses on the approach we adopted, concentrating in particular on the two mediating artefacts we used to guide and frame the design process during two design workshops. The first mediating artefact used was an inquiry framework developed as part of the wider PI project and the second was Kellett’s enquiry research bubbles, which is a framework to guide enquiry‐based thinking processes. The paper reports on data collected during the workshops and reflects on the value of the approach adopted. The paper also explores the PI‐team’s own reflections on the design process and its role in the overall project.

Keywords:

• design
• participatory design
• personal inquiry
• inquiry‐based learning

Acknowledgements

Our thanks are due to the teachers and students and other stakeholders we have worked with in our investigation of inquiry learning and the ESRC/EPSRC Technology Enhanced Learning Phase of the Teaching and Learning Research Program for funding the work.