Memorization of facts does now allow students to truly grasp concepts, let alone apply and then demonstrate mastery. Memorization, however, is still a common practice in classrooms.

So said Eric Sheninger, a principal at New Milford High School in New Jersey who writes about educational leadership, best practices and more in his blog, A Principal's Reflections. In the post "Inquiry vs. Memorization," he looked at a chemistry class in his school and how it reflected a more "constructivist approach associated with inquiry-based learning." For example, while learning about acids and bases, students conducted a simulation where their task was to create solutions of different pH.

"Ms. Chowdhury [the chemistry teacher] believes that experiments such as this help students contextualize their learning at a more practical level rather than mere memorization of what acids and bases are," said Sheninger.

He added, "Science is primed for inquiry-based learning, but schools need to do more by promoting this pedagogical technique across all content areas."

Read the full post, and be sure to check out the lively discussion that unfolded via reader comments. 

Article by Kassondra Granata, EducationWorld Contributor