A. Inquiry based Teaching and Learning
The teaching and learning practices at SSE are very Enquiry oriented. It is a complex process where teachers and students formulate questions, investigate to find answers, build new explanations, understanding, meaning and knowledge and then communicate/ share their learning.
The Inquiry based teaching learning is the most natural process as it harps upon the human curiosity.
The teaching practices that are suitable to INQUIRY BASED LEARNING are as follows:
- Problem Based Learning: that begins with a problem and seeks solution.
- Project Based Learning: that aims to create a project collaboratively.
- Design based Learning: that works through a solution design of some complex problem and tries to replicate/ redesign.
Inquiry Based Teaching Learning (Required Practices):
- Tackling real world questions/ issues/ controversies.
- Developing questioning/ research and communication skills.
- Solving problems or creating solutions.
- collaboration within and beyond the classroom.
- developing deep understanding of content knowledge.
- participation in public creation and improvement of idea and knowledge.
B. Concurrent Learning
Definition Concurrency of learning is a principle under which students deal each year with a balanced curriculum in which the required subjects are studied simultaneously. In broad terms sharing a belief that out of concurrent learning across disparate disciplines will come a richer more interdisciplinary learning whereby insights from different disciplines inform learning in mutually enhancing way.
History The concurrency of learning came to be known during mid 60s when it was felt that students were studying a very narrow band of subjects .The diploma programme came up with the solution, introducing the hexagonal model of curriculum (with six discipline plus core) where a student is supposed to choose a subject from each group and make a broad and balanced curriculum for himself or herself for study.
The core of the DP curriculum that contains the TOK which is at the core of the concept of concurrency . TOK allows and inspires critical inquiry coupled with an open mind. willing to question established beliefs, willing to withdraw from conventional position in the light of new evidence and experiences, willing to accept that being different does not mean being wrong. This was quite a change from the emphasis on accumulating knowledge as fact by memorisation. (Hill 2002:19)
Concurrency promotes critical thinking skills via a balanced programme in the humanities, the experimental sciences and experiential learning (Hill 2002:20)