Learning through discovery

By: daniel higuera

Discovery is… “something a learner does” Human survival always has been based

on discovery…the discovery of self and meaningful knowledge. That´s why learning be something a learner does… not something done to a learner.

The role of teacher and student

The role of the teacher has changed from being the source of all information to being a facilitator of learning. Teacher that believe so, thinks that “a teacher instructional system that delivers information cannot work in an age of information explotion; and that a student who recieve information cannot be a responsable person”. This kind of learning moves students beyond memorization and recall into constructive thinking, reflection and creativity.

Back in time with constructivism

Constructivism, is a theory about learning-not a description of teaching activities.This apparently “new” concept is not recently at all… centuries back in past such as Sócrates, Jean-Jacques Rousseau(1762), Pestalozzi(1830), John dewey(1896), paolo freire(1974), jean piaget(1941), jerome bruner(1960), and Lev Vygotsky(1962) have supported student-centered active learning rather than passive listening.

Theories and believes

Knowledge is constructed by the learning Learning is the process of linking informationto

previous knowledge and experience. Each learner createsherown reality-assimilating new

information-to understand the world. Conceptual growth comes from the sharingof

multiple prospectives. The role of educationis to promote collaboration and

group discourse. Learning should occur in contexts that are reflective

of real world situations. Testng should be integrated with the task rather

than a separate activity.

The five E´s

There are five sequential steps in the five E approach:engage, explore, explain, elaborate and evaluate.this providesteachers and students an easy way to plan and conduct discovery learning.

Engage

This is the first step, to engage student interest in the content of the learning experiences. This step, unlike the next four, is teacher directed. The teacher identifiesacademic content and task objetives, and plans how to introduce the instructional task.

Exploration

Once the students are “engaged”, the groundwork of the discovery learning task is explained. The teacher details the content and collaborative objetives, writing them on the board.then the teacher clarifies the timefor completition of the task and gives students the opportunity to ask questions.then students begin to brainstormactivities that they consider will give them information about their questions that drive the exploration.

Explain

After levels of understandingand misconceptionsare clarified with their teacher guide, the students plan how to report or present their learning to the class. The students make presentationsto the class community in various active learning ways.

Elaborate

As part of their presentation they also need to involve the classin expanding on the concepts they have learned, and make conections to current real-world issues. The connections can lead to further inquiry and new understanding.

Evaluate

Evaluate, is an on-going diagnostic process thar allows the teacher and students to determine how well the learners are attaining and understanding conceptsand knowledge, and how well they are working together in their learning groups.

Summary of discovery learning steps

Engage:The teacher:

-Selects topic/problem

-Engages students through inclusions

-makes connections to past learning

-defines the objectives and task of learning experiemce

Explain:Student:

-discuss discoveries with the class

-plan presentations

-clarify with guide

-present learning to class

Explore:Student:

-define inquiry questions

-select questions to explore

-discuss and list activities for questions

-make an action plan

-conduct exploration

Elaborate:Student:

-involve class to expand on concepts and connect to real world issues

-discuss how connection can lead to future exploration

Evaluate:Student:

-ask class prepared reflection questions

-reflect achivement of objects

-complete reports

-give statements

Evaluate:Student:

-ask class prepared reflection questions

-reflect achivement of objects

-complete reports

-give statements