Essay - Direct Instruction & Discovery Learning Flashcards
Three examples of constructivism
Inquiry Learning
Problem-Based Learning
Discovery Learning
What is inquiry learning?
Teacher poses a puzzle
Children formulate and test solutions themselves
What is problem-based learning?
Teacher poses a puzzle
Students formulate and test solutions themselves
However, in PBL, real world or authentic problems are used
What is discovery learning?
Exploration, finding patterns, see what you can make, what is your prediction?
What is the background to constructivism?
Constructivism emerged in the 1960s as part of the cognitive revolution. Behaviourism considered too rigid.
What are the basics of constructivism?
- Learners as active participants rather than absorb knowledge
- Knowledge varies with cultural experience, the individuals (both instructors and learners), individual learning styles moderate instructions
What is individual constructivism? Name a supporting theory
Each person creates their own knowledge
Piaget’s stage-based theory
What is social constructivism? Name a supporting theory/theorist
Knowledge is developed collaboratively
Vygotsky sociocultural theory of cognitive development
What do students require in constructivism ?
- Need to have opportunity to construct by being presented with goals and minimal information
- Learning is idiosyncratic (individual?) and so a common instructional format or strategy is ineffective
What are two challenges to constructivism?
- Notion of innate knowledge - genetic predisposition to acquire certain knowledge (Geary’s BPK and BSK). BPK is already there, nothing to construct
- Behaviourism - learning is rote reponse to the environment, no mentalist necessary, if rote learning works it doesn’t need constructing
What are the 6 ‘said benefits’ of constructivism in the classroom?
- Motivation and engagement
- Development of inquiry skills
- Development of social skills
- Strengthens memory pathway?
- Real world learning outcomes
- Transfer to other areas
What is Direct instruction?
A teaching method that is based on explicit teaching and testing of skills considered essential for mastery in a subject area. Learning objectives are clearly defined and carefully sequenced, with the teacher actively controlling each lesson in a highly organised and formal manner.
Why does direct instruction have a poor image
Chalk and talk
Behaviourism
Transmissionist
Describe the three steps of Direct Instruction in the classroom
- Explicit instructions given - The what (facts and concepts) and the how (activities and procedures)
- Teacher guides practice (feedback critical) eg. Lots of questions, do you understand?
- Independent practice (high success rate critical)
Example of a DI and discovery science lesson
DI - teacher goes through PowerPoint on matter, teacher demonstrates using steam, water and ice. Q & A to ensure retention
Constructivist - Challenge: How to steam, water and ice differ? Students share ideas and experiment in groups, teacher prompts if needed (size? Temp?)
Three practical criticisms of constructivism in the classroom
- Can be timely and difficult to set up
- Groups don’t always cooperate or collaborate well
- Teachers report lack of confidence in result
Three theoretical criticisms of constructivism in the classroom
Working memory overburdened
Will students arrive at the answer
Novices and special needs students especially affected
Name a study which compared discovery learningand DI
Khlar and Nigam (2004)
What was the aim of the Khlar and Nigam (2004) study?
Investigate children’s ability to learn the scientific concept ‘control of variables’
What were the participants in Khlar and Nigam’s study?
112 3rd and 4th graders
Allocated to DI or discovery learning
What was the task set for the children
Build a ramp to see what what impact the run length or steepness of the ram would have on slowing down or speeding up a ball
What was the procedure?
- Children designs experiments for steepness and run length
- DI - Teachers modeled confounded and unconfounded designs
Discovery - Teachers observed children with apparatus - Children designed experiments for run lengthy and ramp surface
What were the results?
77 % of DI students became masters
23% of Discovery learning students became masters
Mastery transferred to a new task (commenting on experimentation in Science fair posters)
Describe the Replica study
Dean & Kuhn (2017)
Three groups of 15 students
Found no advantage for direct instruction
Problems with study - no of students quite low, not really a replica, one group had both DI and discovery so mixed it up