A case study outlining the undergraduate module 'Inquiry in Information Management' developed at the University of Sheffield. It summarises the concept of IBL and continues by describing the design of the module. Future developments are discussed and the authors reflect on the new demands IBL makes on both students and staff.
The module was designed to incorporate two interwoven strands: one in which students would learn more about aspects of Information Management and the other in which they would begin to learn about the nature and role of research in this field. The paper outlines descriptions of a number of tasks designed for the module namely the central inquiry task; 'scaffolding' activities and assessment activities.
It evaluates the module as a success as the quality of student work was high there was an enthusiastic response to the freedom offered by IBL and students' engagement with Information Management seemed to have deepened. It also discusses adjustments to be made including an alternative approach to research group blogs to increase engagement.
