Stable Releases of the FOSIL Inquiry Cycle

• Current | FOSIL Heroic Inquiry Cycle (2.1) Long (2025)
• Current | FOSIL Heroic Inquiry Cycle (2.1) Short (2025)
• Current | FOSIL Inquiry Cycle (3.1) Long (2024)
• Current | FOSIL Inquiry Cycle (3.0) Short (2022)
• Superseded | FOSIL Inquiry Cycle (3.0) Long (2018)
• Superseded | FOSIL Inquiry Cycle (2.0) Long (2015)
• Superseded | FOSIL Inquiry Cycle (1.1) Long (2011)
• Superseded | FOSIL Inquiry Cycle (1.0) Long (2010)

Chronological development of FOSIL with explanatory notes, by Darryl Toerien

The first mention of FOSIL dates back to 2010.

FOSIL then stood for Framework for Oakham School Information Literacy, which reflects the specific concern that FOSIL grew out of. It is also worth noting that while the first release of the model reflects a concern with locating these information literacy skills within a learning process, it is a research process. At this point, then, I had not yet made the distinction between information literacy skills and inquiry skills more broadly, or between the research process and the inquiry process more broadly.

FOSIL Inquiry Cycle (1.0) Long (2010).

FOSIL Inquiry Cycle (1.1) Long (2011) associated colours with the stages in the process. FOSIL still stood for Framework for Oakham School Information Literacy, and still located these skills within a research process.

FOSIL Inquiry Cycle (2.0) Long (2015) properly identified FOSIL as standing for Framework for Oakham School Inquiry Learning, and located these inquiry skills, which include information literacy skills, within an inquiry process, which includes an element of research. It also associated Screen Beans with the stages in the process, and although I did not fully realise it at the time, this was my first attempt to embody and situate the learning process.

FOSIL Inquiry Cycle (3.0) Long (2018) was developed ahead of the launch of the FOSIL Group and website in April of 2019 (assisted by David Harrow, Louise Hitchen, Chris Foster, Jenny Toerien). FOSIL now stood/stands for Framework Of Skills for Inquiry Learning. It standardised the FOSIL stage colours, and centred the inquiry process on the FOSIL head, which also served to embody and situate the learning process.

FOSIL Inquiry Cycle (3.0) Short (2022) simplified stage descriptions, initially for use with younger students, but now also with older students.

FOSIL Inquiry Cycle (3.1) Long (2024) revised description of Investigate.

FOSIL Heroic Inquiry Cycle (2.1) Long (2025) is the Creative Commons release of the embodied and situated learning process.

FOSIL Heroic Inquiry Cycle (2.1) Short (2025) is the Creative Commons release of the embodied and situated learning process.