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 What is OILEs?

 1.Conditions

 2.Inquiry Module

 3.Support Systems

 4. Community of
 Inquiry

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2.1 Design of the "Ask" phase

2.1A Prepare a springboard to start inquiry. Provide an overarching problem for teacher-learners to solve during the whole learning process.

a. Select a topic that interests teachers. It should help them solve a real life problem or be relevant to teaching needs. For determining a topic, do brainstorming and start with familiar topics instead of creating a new "great" one.

b. The content of the topic should be meaningful, provocative, and authentic. As shown in this example below, the theme "Using database for history teaching" is authentic, broad, and overarching. Provide how this topic is related to national standard of the specific subject matter.

c. Once a topic is determined, contextualize it by articulating a problem situation, case, or scenario.The result should be an overarching problem situation/case/scenario.

d. Use various formats to present the problem/case/scenario, e.g., texts, pictures, video vignettes, sounds, etc. Let learners choose multiple levels of representation from the most simple to the most complex. Notice that in the middle right column of the example below, a video vignette of a historian is used. When video vignettes or high bandwidth is required, consider the usefulness and provide an alternative because they require high- speed connection to the Internet as well as high specifications of the computer.

2.1B Allow learners to generate their own problem(s) or question(s) related to the guiding problem and ask them how the problem is related to national standard of the specific subject matter. Clearly communicate with learners about what a problem should look like. Encourage them to avoid factual or procedural problem(s) or question(s). Save the problem or question in "My Work Space" for further reference and transfer it to the following phases. Provide help for learners to develop their own problem (e.g., "See others' example," "Discuss with peers," and "Talk to facilitator" in the example below). Encourage them to share their problem(s) with other peers and to give feedback to each other.

2.1C When the instructor or design allow teacher learners design an inquiry module, make "Design your own inquiry module" to be an overarching problem (or big idea). Provide contextualized scenario under the problem. Clearly indicate that learners should develop an inquiry module to be used by other teachers and this task requires instructional design skills. Let them specify the content in the "Articulate your own problem" box. For supporting learners, provide different set of resources and tools. Since they are designing an inquiry module, they may need more scaffolding including technical support, human consultation, template, rubrics, EPSS, visualization tools, etc. · Another way to use the design mode is to encourage learners to make "designing an inquiry module" to be their own problem under a given overarching problem or certain big idea (e.g., in Figure 8.2, learner may put "Create an inquiry module for the Civil War" in the "Articulate your own problem" box). Check whether the user problem fits the overarching problem provided by the system.

Example (Screen shot)

Go to the Design phase and review it.