It often seems to be that in education and its many pedagogies and approaches, it is sometimes a war between explicit teaching and inquiry based learning.
(Reid, n.d.) sums it up by stating: For some time now the education debate in Australia has been marred by the presence of a simple binary: explicit teaching or direct instruction versus inquiry-based teaching.
Inquiry based teaching has been blamed for the low literacy and numeracy results on standardised testing, and explicit instruction apparently leaves our students with no imagination or ability to create. I see the library as a place where these two approaches can meet in perfect harmony – in the use of digital technologies.
Any future looking educational agenda needs to position students not as passive consumers of a pre-defined set of ‘curriculum truths’ but as legitimate participants in various knowledge communities and, potentially, as producers of new knowledge.
(Rowan, 2012, p. 219)
Rowan’s assertion that education must move beyond positioning students as “passive consumers of a pre-defined set of ‘curriculum truths’” (2012, p. 219) challenges the foundational dynamics of traditional classroom practice. It is a call to reimagine students not as vessels to be filled with static knowledge, but as engaged participants in the co-construction of understanding, inquiry, and meaning. As an educator, this quote resonates deeply with both my philosophy and my evolving approach to teaching and learning.
This quote from Rowan defines students as participants and producers. Before students can be these things however, they need to have a solid foundation of technology – how to create ethically and with integrity, and how to use the different technologies available. This is where explicit teaching comes in – there is a time and place for TL’s to explicitly instruct students in how to physically use different apps and programs, and the implications that comes with being a creator. Once this explicit teaching has been done, students can then be tasked with being creators and participants in this technology – creating stories, programs, apps, and uses of technology that make their world a better place, express their ideas and personality, and experiment with this ever changing technology (ultimately helping them prepare for the world they will live in).
This approach comes with its challenges, such as:
- Rethinking assessments: Traditional assessments often reinforce the idea of fixed knowledge, whereas authentic assessment—portfolios, presentations, creative products—can better capture the process of knowledge-making. It also highlights the importance of feedback loops, where dialogue between teacher and student fosters reflection, revision, and growth.
- Time constraints
- Teacher confidence and knowledge in new technologies
- Systemic expectations of teaching and its outcomes
Ultimately, Rowan’s quote reminds me that education should not be about the transmission of static truths but about engaging with the dynamic, evolving nature of knowledge itself. When we position students as legitimate participants and creators, we don’t lose control—we gain relevance, energy, and purpose. And perhaps most importantly, we offer students the chance to see themselves as thinkers, agents, and contributors in a world that urgently needs their ideas.