What is Guided Inquiry?
College Board requires that at least six of the labs used in AP Chemistry utilize the Guided Inquiry format. Inquiry exists on a continuum and College Board defines the different types of inquiry as follows:
Confirmation: Students confirm a principle through an activity in which the results are known in advance.
Structured: Students investigate a teacher-presented question through a prescribed procedure.
Guided: Students investigate a teacher-presented question using student-designed/selected procedures.
Open: Students investigate topic-related questions that are formulated through student designed/selected procedures.
Most traditional classroom lab exercises would fall on the confirmation (cook-book) or structured spectrum of inquiry. It is acknowledged that some labs may require more structure to introduce students to concepts and procedures and so inclusion of these labs in not discouraged. However, every effort should be made to include labs that incorporate student-designed investigations when appropriate.
Confirmation: Students confirm a principle through an activity in which the results are known in advance.
Structured: Students investigate a teacher-presented question through a prescribed procedure.
Guided: Students investigate a teacher-presented question using student-designed/selected procedures.
Open: Students investigate topic-related questions that are formulated through student designed/selected procedures.
Most traditional classroom lab exercises would fall on the confirmation (cook-book) or structured spectrum of inquiry. It is acknowledged that some labs may require more structure to introduce students to concepts and procedures and so inclusion of these labs in not discouraged. However, every effort should be made to include labs that incorporate student-designed investigations when appropriate.