Independent School District I-29 (Norman Public Schools)

Norman Public Schools and its University of Oklahoma library and information science and educational psychology research partners will conduct a three-year design-based participatory action research study that builds knowledge on participatory learning in K-12 school libraries. The purpose of the research is to design and test the viability of integrating a "learning by making" approach, focused on design, creativity, problem solving, and hands-on application and transfer of knowledge, into the regular K-12 curriculum through the school library when Guided Inquiry Design (GID) is applied. GID is a framework for designing inquiry learning through eight phases to give students the time and the guidance to identify inquiry questions. In addition to professional development for teachers, 570 elementary, middle, and high school students will participate. The project will impact multiple communities such as, school libraries, public libraries, museums, and afterschool clubs, and inquiry and makerspaces, helping to transform the role of school librarians as designers, researchers, and leaders redefining K-12 learning.