Introduction
Inquiry-based learning is a current topic in the field of education. According to Hall & McCudy (1990), inquiry-based curriculum has been shown to develop independent and critical thinking skills, positive attitudes and curiosity toward science and increased achievement in biological studies. Scientists and psychologists are presenting more and more data about the learning process. Students are no longer simply required to memorize facts and regurgitate them. Data has shown that in education, educators need to focus more on teaching students how to think and question. H. Edward Wesseman (2007) said, “Sometimes the questions are hard, and the answers are simple.” Education needs to start thinking about how to help students develop the questions, and then to find the answers. Developing questions is learning how to think about topics or observe the world. Scientific inquiry is based on developing questions. It is based on how students think. Teachers need to embrace the idea that the job is not necessarily to fill students’ heads with facts, but to help them question the facts. Scientific inquiry is a specific process that includes creating hypotheses, collecting evidence, testing hypotheses, and drawing conclusions. It's not a specific regiment. Different types of questions have different types of investigations. There may be different answers to the same question. There are probably different ways of achieving answers. In my classroom, I would like to have a set of iPads for class use so that students can consistently update information about an inquiry-based project they will complete. The technology will allow students to collect data using various applications, keep a running blog of the project, and obtain feedback from outside sources besides the classroom.