Targeted Teaching: Engaged Learning with the Inquiry-Based Question Cluster Discussion Technique: Student Outcomes in a History of Economic Thought Course

Twenty-six undergraduate students explored the meaning of the classics (Adam Smith and Karl Marx) and two lesser-known contributions in ethics and economics (Robert Owen and John Ruskin) in a spring 2007 history of economic thought course. This article introduces the inquiry-based discussion technique used in the course and presents five question clusters fulfilling requirements for an inquiry-based discussion. A proposed hypothesis is that the technique increases student understanding of challenging texts. Pre- and postdiscussion assessments for five interpretative questions serve as evidence to evaluate the hypothesis. Assessment results lend empirical support to the hypothesized positive impact of the technique on student learning. End-of-the-semester student survey results captured student opinions concerning their learning from the technique. Survey results suggest the students believe that the technique positively impacts aspects of the learning process; the students recommend the discussion technique for future use.