Creative Inquiry

What is Creative Inquiry?

Creative Inquiry is a one of a kind program that challenges our undergraduate students. Formerly known as Undergraduate Research, it includes all intensive, discovery-oriented approaches to learning. Projects are frequently inspired by our students' curiosity, as teams form around answering a question. Investigations are led by a faculty mentor and typically span three to four semesters. Students take ownership of their projects and take the risks necessary to solve problems and get answers.

The College Solution: A Guide for Everyone Looking for the Right School at the Right Price, by Lynn O'Shaughnessy, recognized this innovative approach to learning. "Unfortunately, the experiences that Clemson students enjoy are not nearly common ehough amoung undergraduates elsewhere," says O'Shaughnessy.

Emphasis is placed on providing an experience that will be meaningful to undergraduate students, and will promote reasoning and critical thinking skills, ethical judgment, and communication skills as well as a deep understanding of the methods of scientific and/or humanities research.

Projects are developed with the goal of developing students' capacities to find, analyze, and evaluate information. Design projects, applied research, service-learning activities, and visual and performing arts projects are considered part of this effort, as well as basic research.

InsideHigherEd.com explored the Creative Inquiry program in the article "Small Group Learning for 14,000 Undergrads."