inquiryHub at the University of Colorado Boulder
inquiryHub makes materials, tools, and teacher learning designs to promote equitable STEM learning.
inquiryHub prepares educators to cultivate classrooms where all students build knowledge together respectfully and equitably. Our offerings include preparation to implement and adapt OpenSciEd and iHub instructional materials, to develop science assessments that connect to students’ interests and identities, and to promote productive, equitable whole-class and small group talk. We also support teams in developing ways to co-design and co-adapt materials as a way to help people develop an understanding of equitable STEM teaching and learning.
Focus of OpenSciEd Work
The inquiryHub team at CU Boulder led the High School Science Developers Consortium for OpenSciEd. In addition, we led the Field Test Data Team for the Developers Consortium for OpenSciEd middle school.
In our role as leaders of the High School Developers Consortium, we organized development of all three courses and led the development of the biology course. We also oversaw the development and implementation of professional learning for facilitators.
In our role as leaders of the Data Team, we developed a suite of instruments to gather information about the middle school curriculum. We analyzed multiple sources of data on a quarterly basis to provide feedback to developers and a steering committee of 10 states.
Presently, we contract with schools, districts, and states to provide professional learning to implement released OpenSciEd units for all three courses, as well as professional learning related to assessment and equitable instruction with OpenSciEd. We also contract with districts to develop plans for piloting and testing OpenSciEd materials.
Supporting Equitable Science Instruction
All of our materials seek to engage students in using the three dimensions of the NGSS to make sense of phenomena and solve problems that are interesting to students and important to their communities. They include support for promoting equitable participation in key aspects of sensemaking, and our professional learning prepares educators to recognize students’ diverse sensemaking repertoires as assets to learning. We also include easy-to-use data tools for monitoring equity of participation through exit tickets.
We also offer specialized professional learning focused specifically on equitable instruction with OpenSciEd materials. One offering engages teachers in collaborative inquiry into strategies for promoting more equitable classroom talk and small group collaboration. Another focuses on developing NGSS-aligned assessment tasks that connect to students’ interests and identities.
Supporting School Systems
inquiryHub has been a research-practice partnership between the University of Colorado Boulder and Denver Public Schools since 2007. As a partner to a district, our team knows the importance of aligning guidance from curriculum, assessments, professional development, and teacher evaluation systems for equitable implementation of standards. We also value teachers as co-designers alongside researchers in the development of usable, high-quality materials.
We work with teachers, schools, districts and states in and outside Colorado to develop implementation strategies and build capacity. We help them identify where policies and practices need better alignment for implementation, adapt tools for monitoring implementation of pilots and adoptions, and customize professional learning to meet local needs.
Our partnership is distinctive in its focus on a systemic approach to improving STEM teaching and learning for equity, both in our development processes and in our research.
Where We Work
OpenSciEd Professional Learning
- Curriculum Launch
- Facilitator Training
- Ongoing Support/Unit Launch
- Unit Adaptation Support
OpenSciEd Grade Level Focus
- High School
Other Professional Learning
- Strategic District Implementation
- Supporting Science Coaches
