Experimental/Discovery Learning

1. Experimental/Discovery Learning Presented By: Amanda Jones, Braeden Gates, Rosanna Vallejo and Erica Cardon

2. “Experiential learning takes place when a person involved in an activity looks back and evaluates it, determines what was useful or important to remember, and uses this information to perform another activity.” John Dewey

3. What is Experimental/Discovery based learning? • Is based on this "Aha!" method. • Is an inquiry-based learning method. • Takes place most notably in problem solving situations where the learner draws on his own experience and prior knowledge to discover the truths that are to be learned. • It is a personal, internal, constructivist learning environment. • Provides students with opportunities to develop hypotheses to answer questions and it can contribute to the development of a lifelong love of learning. • Students propose issues or problems, gather data and observations to develop hypotheses, confirm or refine their hypotheses, and explain or prove their problems.

4. What is continued… • The idea behind discovery learning is that people understand and remember concepts better when they have discovered them on their own. • Discovery learning includes activities such as experimentation, data interpretation, interviews, and dissection. See the following examples: • Experimentation: Students may learn through experimentation how the position of the fulcrum affects the force necessary to raise a given object using a lever. • Data interpretation: Examining family trees showing which members have a disease will allow students to determine whether the allele causing the disease is recessive, dominant, or sex-linked. • Interviews: Students can learn about integration by interviewing people in their community who remember when the schools were segregated. • Dissection: Dissecting small branches will show students that only the green cambium layer of a tree is living and active in water and nutrient transport.

5. Why is it used? • Children are so full of questions and curiosity. If they had the appropriate materials and tools, we should use them and then we will be able to answer more of their questions and do the research to answer the questions. • It will make it possible for students to see how learning can be both fun and exciting. • Students who are involved in creating the project assignment gain valuable experience in setting their own goals .This gives students a sense of ownership and control over their own learning. • Students who can see the connection between a project-based task and the real world will be more motivated to understand and solve the problem at hand.

6. How to Use Discovery Learning Teachers plan classroom environment Students examine chosen materials at centers and through projects • Involved Learning • Sophisticated analysis • Simulation-based/Role play • Problem solving • Experiments • Research Learning by discovery allows students to “manipulate, investigate, and explore.”

7. 1 Experience the activity; Perform, “Do it” Do 5 2 Apply what was learned to a similar or different situation; Practice “Now What” Share the results, reactions, and observations Publicly “What happened” Apply Reflect 4 3 Generalize to connect the experience to real world Examples “So What” Process by discussing, analyzing, reflecting “What’s important”

8. Example of Discovery and Experimentation • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OhyH69IQbI

9. References • Bruner, J. Discovery Learning (Bruner). September 17, 2008, from Learning-Theories.com Web site: http://www.learning-theories.com/discovery-learning-bruner.html • Castronova, Joyce A. (2001). Discovery Learning for the 21st Century: What is it and how does it compare to traditional learning in effectiveness in the 21st Century?. Retrieved September 17, 2008, Web site: http://chiron.valdosta.edu/are/Litreviews/vol1no1/castronova_litr.pdf • Clark, D. (January 22, 2000). Discovery Learning. September 12, 2008, from Web site: http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/history/discovery.html • Discovery Learning. September 12, 2008, from Learn NC Web site: http://www.learnnc.org/reference/discovery%20learning • Jamison, Kathleen (1992). Web Sites on Experiential Learning. Retrieved September 17, 2008, from Web Sites on Experiential Learning Web site: http://njaes.rutgers.edu/learnbydoing/weblinks.html • Stone, Sandra (2004). Creating the Multiage Classroom. • St. John’s University, (2004). Program Goal IV: Instructional Strategies. Retrieved September 17, 2008, from Education Department Web site: http://www.csbsju.edu/EDUCATion/knowledgebase/knowledgebaseIV.htm • (1966, September). Reflections on Experimental Teaching. 19, Retrieved September 17, 2008, from http://www.manasjournal.org/pdf_library/VolumeXIX_1966/XIX-36.pdf • (2000-2008). Hands-On Discovery In A K4 Classroom. Retrieved September 17, 2008, from Donors Choose Web site: http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/proposal.html?id=159311 • (2005). Building Motivation . Retrieved September 17, 2008, from 4 Teachers Web site: http://www.4teachers.org/projectbased/more.shtml. ]