Articles

Why inquiry-driven tuition?

Introducing new material by activating prior knowledge has been shown to enhance learning. Students are first prompted to recall any information they are familiar with when presented with a new topic.

This strengthens information retention and memory by allowing students to connect their previous experiences with the new knowledge attained, engendering deeper understanding.

Initial guided practice is necessary for the acquisition of skills or new ideas to allow learners to gain confidence with the material. Educational research has found that guided practice helps all learners, but especially those who are struggling.

A competent tutor will:

• Assist with focussing on the task at hand
• Ask the learner questions that break the task into manageable parts
• Reframe the task so that it becomes more understandable to the specific student
• Give frequent feedback about the student’s progress

Higher Education demands a different learning style to classroom-based teaching. Lectures only introduce the material for the week and are structured as an introduction to the independent learning expected. This level of study requires a high level of interest in the subject matter as students are expected to read widely about their subject.

We encourage independent reading as it enables vocabulary improvement and can assist with knowledge acquisition.

Brief familiarisation of a concept in advance of lessons helps improve our teaching by enabling you to explain the idea to us as best as you can so we understand your level of familiarity and can guide you to further understanding and practice.