DAYLIGHTING RIVERS PROJECT METHODOLOGY FOR INQUIRY BASED LEARNING

The European project Daylighting Rivers, co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme, aimed at raising students' awareness and interest toward STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) in secondary education, by making connections between the school curriculum and the local territory on issues connected to rivers - with special emphasis on urban rivers - in Italy, Greece, Spain and Turkey. In order to raise awareness of appropriate urban planning, which recognises the importance of open rivers, a series of scientific inquiry activities was developed by teams of scientists and teachers to investigate different aspects connected to water and river basins. Rivers located in the areas of the Daylighting Rivers partner-schools became the particular objects of investigation by the teams of students. The methodology used in the project is based on Pedaste's model of inquiry-based learning (IBL), a flexible five-step learning cycle that engages students in multidisciplinary scientific investigation - and employs information technologies for the knowledge and the promotion of the territory. This paper describes the learning methodology that has been applied by more than 200 students in the project countries.