Most instructional resources are designed around the teacher rather than the learners. Most textbooks and instructional technologies are not developed to be used directly by the learner. The majority of current instructional resources are teacher centered rather than learner centered and often do not match the established national, state, and local learning goals.   The reason for this design is the pervasive attitude and emphasis on 'what we know' rather that the process for 'how we come about knowing', as the basis of student assessments. Content is seen as an end, rather than a means to an end. Because our knowledge base is growing at increasingly faster rates, instructional resources have to focus on inquiry learning and the skills, attitudes, and the conceptual context inherent in this learning process. Instructional resources must be designed with the learner foremost in mind.  

This implies instructional resources that focus on the process of 'how we come about knowing'and an emphasis on direct and active involvement of the learner. These learning resources must become more student centered and actively involve the learning in the process of learning. A rubric should be developed around the operational definition of 'Science as Inquiry' that can generate objective suggestions for guidelines, policies, regulations, and budgets for evaluating and purchasing appropriate instructional resources for an active learner.

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Proceed to Inquiry Rubric Sample