Inquiry-Based Learning from the Perspective of Universities of Applied Sciences

Abstract

Universities of applied sciences in Germany (Fachhochschulen) have a track record of success and are increasingly regarded as universities of applied research. However, they lack the right to award doctorates, have no non-professorial academic teaching staff, and, historically, their faculty members have had a very high teaching load. These days, research is necessary not only so that future challenges can be tackled but also so that study content is kept up-to-date, the teaching and learning environment is modern and equipped with multimedia capability, and scientifically sound, (socially) critical thinking is preserved. The qualification of students as future employees in companies, public administration, and institutions must be ensured by the institutions of higher learning and adapted to the current state of scholarship. Students should have practical opportunities to implement the postulate asserting the unity of research and teaching by becoming actively involved in scholarship. Inquiry-based learning, in particular, makes this possible. Third-party funded projects, especially at universities of applied sciences, can be used as a starting point for independent initiatives to help strengthen students' practical involvement in research processes, sciences, and knowledge management. The integration of research and learning into universities of applied sciences requires further structural support on the part of both the university administration and policymakers.

Transforming Civics for High-Need Students

“…The overall curricular approach to the JMLPE lessons is through inquiry. Inquiry-based learning is a "student-centered teaching method that encourages students to ask questions and investigate real-world problems" (Scholl, 2023). The text-based nature of the WTP program makes the use of inquiry an important equity strategy so that students have a chance to experience more agency, voice, and choice in their learning of American constitutional history.…”