Inquiry and Project Based Learning Contribute to Communication Unit

I am doing a unit on communication and have found that inquiry and project based learning are great approaches to utilize during this unit. You will be seeing some posts of sample projects for my unit on communication here on Ms. Itschner's "Blog to Learn". Inquiry and project based learning are both crucial instructional methods that are designed to promote a productive learning atmosphere, where individuals are enthusiastic about what they are involved with and learning. Both inquiry based learning and project based learning require a great deal of communication in order for the outcome to prove effective.

During the inquiry process, your students are basically gathering information through hands on experience and through listening or questioning. This style of teaching and learning is a process which encourages seeking information and aggressive questioning. In addition, inquiry is an important part of multiple-intelligence work, and cooperative and collaborative learning is inherently inquiry-based. As you can see, communication is necessary during the inquiry process in order for it to be effective. Project-based learning is an instructional approach which is built upon authentic learning activities which engage students' interest and in turn their motivation. This style of learning is generally performed by groups of students who are working together towards a specific goal. Project based learning teaching students communication and presentation skills, and therefore is a perfect instructional method for my unit on communication. As you can see, both of these instructional methods tie in beautifully with my unit theme of communication.