Should We Implement Discovery-Based Learning?
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This document discusses the debate around discovery-based learning versus direct instruction. Discovery-based learning involves students independently finding conceptual understandings from provided materials, while direct instruction explicitly teaches concepts. Research shows unassisted discovery leads to worse outcomes, but enhanced discovery, which incorporates scaffolding techniques, achieves better results than either extreme. The optimal approach lies somewhere in the middle. As our understanding of cognition evolves, educators should pay attention to educational research to properly implement discovery-based strategies alongside direct instruction.
Should We Implement Discovery-Based Learning?
- 1. SHOULD WE IMPLEMENT DISCOVERY-BASED LEARNING? By Dave Rutt
- 2. History Discovery-Based Instruction dates from at least the 50s Other similar approaches: Problem-Based Learning Situated Learning Constructivism Inquiry-Based Learning
- 3. A Definition “discovery learning occurs whenever the learner is not provided with the target information or conceptual understanding and must find it independently and with only the provided materials”1
- 4. For example… Imagine teaching a grade 6 lesson on Growing Patterns2 Sample Problem: Find the pattern: 3, 7, 15, 31, 63… Students would be given several examples and expected to find the patterns, then make general connections between the types of patterns
- 5. Versus… The other end of the spectrum: Direct Instruction
- 6. For example… Remember the sample problem on growing patterns? (3, 7, 15, 31, 63…) The Direct Instruction approach would be to show the pattern (multiply by 2, add 1), teach the general type of pattern (multiply by x, add y), and then assign questions
- 7. It’s Worth Noting… We don’t actually have a good model for how people think and learn3 Maybe people learn better through Direct Instruction Maybe we learn better through discovery The science isn’t there yet! The brain is so complicated, cognitive science and neuroscience are still rapidly evolving fields
- 8. The Brain is Complicated and We Don’t Understand it
- 9. Results Unassisted Discovery leads to worse outcomes than Direct Instruction1 Enhanced-Discovery approaches have better outcomes than either extreme
- 10. Enhanced Discovery? What is that?? The optimal approach lies somewhere in the middle
- 11. An Aside About Educational Research The results from the previous slides come from Alfieri’s meta-analysis of over 500 educational studies on discovery approaches to teaching There is a lot of cutting-edge educational research being done; we, as teachers, should pay attention to it
- 12. How to Enhance Discovery4 Worked examples Process worksheets Timely feedback Scaffolding Elicited Explanation
- 13. e.g. Worked Example Teacher provides one (or more) solved example
- 14. In Summary Be careful about making activities too open- ended Some research suggests that younger children need more direct instruction, and the extent to which instruction should be discovery-based increases with age (all the way up to adults) Look for ways to achieve guided discovery But, YES! We should use discovery-based learning, as long as it’s used properly.
- 15. References 1. Alfieri (2011) 2. Ontario Math Curriculum 3. Anderson, Reder and Simon (2000) 4. Kirschner, Sweller and Clark (2006)