Book Review
Dan Gall

It is easy to dismiss Teaching & Learning Through Inquiry, edited by Virginia S. Lee, as too many words on what should be a pretty obvious idea.  The book is a record of North Carolina State University's grant-funded Inquiry Guided Learning program, which promotes the idea that students learn better if they can explore a topic and come to their own conclusions rather than simply be told an answer. The main value lies in the chapters describing how student support offices and academic programs implemented Inquiry Guided Learning in their areas.

The first chapter defines what NCSU means by "Inquiry Guided Learning" and most readers can skip right to the definition on page 9 without losing much important information. The background on NCSU's Inquiry Guided Learning program, including the various grant-funded projects that evolved into the program, is covered in chapter two.

The best information is found in chapters 3-18, which each describe inquiry guided learning efforts in various university departments and programs. Readers can focus on their areas of interest learn from the mistakes and successes of the NCSU practitioners in their field. There are chapters devoted to academic departments from music to microbiology as well as programs like service learning and first-year experience. Most chapters have their own appendices, many of which provide practical information.

This is a book for practitioners and is stronger on practical application than theory. While the term "Inquiry Guided Learning" is specific to NCSU's program and those derived from it, a search of the ERIC database for articles and reports with the subject heading "Inquiry" will lead to more information to take up where this book leaves off.

Title: Teaching & Learning Through Inquiry
Editor: Virginia S. Lee
Publisher: Stylus Publishing, LLC
Pages: Paperback 285 pages
ISBN (paperback): 1579220819
Price: $24.95