Discovery learning

Discovery learning (also explorative learning ) is a pedagogical- didactic method (cf. Synonyms with action orientation ) for the acquisition of knowledge. The observation is focused on the student and not at the mediation by the teacher. Its origins in modern times had the discovery learning in the English curricula of the 1970s. With reference to the psychologist Jean Piaget and Jerome Bruner very vivid lesson suggestions for teachers designated as science have also been developed for younger ages. In the German social studies approaches to discovery learning have found a time delay input.

The conceptual approach is known since ancient Greece; the term " discovery learning " was introduced by Bruner (1961, 1981) coined in the affected him so pedagogical and didactic discussion.

When ligands Discover Learning suggestions or learning arrangements are at the center, which should motivate intrinsically active learning. To replace the current knowledge regularly through current is crucial for survival in today's knowledge society. The American psychologist Burrhus Frederic Skinner said. Education is what survives When What has been learned HAS BEEN forgotten " ( Education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten. )

• 3.1 Description

• 5.1 first form
• 5.2 second form

Forms of discovery learning

A form of discovery learning presents learners with the knowledge in the form of a task to be drawn up even solution, from cognitive psychological experience provides private access to learned and at the same time strengthens the self-confidence through the independently developed experience and makes one curious about other experiences. The teacher submitted in the context of multiple tasks, working the learner independently and lead to independent solutions. In contrast to ' free labor ' does not decide the learners themselves to the topic of the lesson.

Another form of learning by discovery refers to the discovery of the world by the learners themselves, the tasks, the learners themselves looking to find answers to their problems ( He ) life world alone or together with other learners. Advantage of this form is that the independently developed experience in concrete terms are at this very life world of the learner. The strengthening of self-awareness occurs not only from the successful problem-solving, but out of the concrete coping own everyday issues and problems.

First form

Description

In the narrow and original sense of discovery learning is a learning method in the open learning of science, which is based on the open discovery of natural phenomena through experiments. In an expanded sense, discovery learning but also be applied in other fields. Discovery learning begins with the observation of an object or phenomenon.

In the first form of discovery learning, students are guided to write their observations and to ask themselves about these phenomena questions. It is important that they get the opportunity to design these issues freely and respond. To answer these questions, students can try new experiments, operate literature search and / or ask working people and teachers in this field. As these new tests or investigations are not initiated by the teacher, but by the students themselves, the lessons will open progressively and is centered more and more on the students and their own initiative.

Learners must without help from the teacher lead thinking travel diaries, in which they write down their observations, ideas and questions. Typically, the writing up of the diary should take about half of the teaching time. The teacher goes from bank to bank and observed how the students work. He encourages them to develop their ideas. It does not matter how good or how relevant are these ideas. Detours to the correct analysis of the phenomena and even dead ends are as instructive as the shortest path.

The focus is not the scientific results, but the scientific method.

To assess the discovery learning not heard the accuracy of scientific results, but the thoroughness with which the scientific method has been applied. Thus, this approach is placed on methods of competence. A correct sequence of hypotheses, arguments and theses along with a clear presentation of the angewandtem methods and results collected indicate a successful work of the learners. In contrast, negative results, such as the rejection of a hypothesis designed by a student, just as valued as positive results, which lead to a correct interpretation of the phenomena.

Benefits

If the observed phenomenon and the corresponding materials have been properly selected by the teacher, this method leads to a permanent appropriation of the scientific method. This method is more efficient when it is applied not just once but on a regular basis - then the students can self-acting, more freely and efficiently deal with it. One goal of the method is to teach students autonomy. The teacher should intervene as little as possible in the work of the students, so as not to affect their own initiative. An important component of this independence is the timing. Students should have the opportunity to organize their own working hours. Students should, for example, be able to independently assess whether, or in what time period an attempt or a literature search is feasible. Typically, discovery learning in small groups of two or three students is practiced. Discovery learning contributes therefore also helping to improve the teamwork and social skills of the participants. As the focus of discovery learning is on conveying a learning method and not on knowledge transfer, this method is not sufficient to convey the entire school material. It is therefore important to combine this method with other forms of teaching. Discovery learning is best used as an introduction to a new chapter. In this context, this method can be very useful to to identify prior knowledge, interest, motivation and learning styles of learners. The teacher can design as the building upon lessons better and adapt to the needs of the students.

Disadvantages

A disadvantage of the method is that it is only partially compatible with the 45 -minute intervals of teaching. In fact, the students must be able to plan their own working hours. It is never clear from the outset, is how long a never ausprobierter attempt or how long a student will need to run a literature search. The greatest risk of the method is the time required, the student needs in order to develop their own ideas. The teacher should offer his help and encourage learners to enter and insecure Discovery Trails. The time pressure problem can be reduced so that you fold it two lessons in the curriculum. In a mathematics and physics teacher example, it may happen that two lessons of the two compartments held on the same day. Such cases are particularly suited to implement a based on discovery learning lessons into practice. Since nowadays frontal teaching dominates in the school system, the transition from teacher to learner - centered teaching, which implies the discovery learning, as a disadvantage of the method or rather is often cited as an obstacle on the way to their realization. The teachers have to reduce their power position slowly and the students get used to it to be automatically and independently. In this regard, others offer open teaching methods, such as the work station, an easier entry into open learning situations.

Examples

In physics classes

The discovery of Archimedes' principle is particularly well suited for the realization of discovery learning. In each school, a vessel filled with water is placed and placed a collection of different objects. These elements can be supplemented by other fluids such as oil or vinegar. Salt can also be made ​​available to solve it in the water. With the help of scales and dynamometers students can investigate freely, in which liquids sink which objects float or swim and why.

In mathematics teaching

In mathematics the principle of discovery learning can be used. Students can investigate, for example, on the basis of cubic blocks which and how many geometric shapes can be built with a given number of blocks. Many properties of natural numbers can be discovered. For example, students can observe that a folded square of blocks, where the blocks are arranged in two rows and four columns, as many blocks as contained in a composed of four rows and two columns quadrangle. The children can see in this example, the validity of the commutative law of multiplication and suggest the generality of this law. Just can discover playful children that some numbers - the prime numbers - only two have dividers (one and the number itself ). As illustrative material the teacher standing here many materials available, such as fruit is a good idea to give children a healthy diet and at the same time calculating with primes. Another possibility arises from the counting of individual sausage slices in a package in order to calculate the approximate distribution of the weight of this disc on the entire pack and the amount. Weighing the entire pack and calculating the difference between total package and contents that result. In this way, children can easily subtracting, multiplying and dividing learn.

In the road safety education

In the road safety education that discovering learning, especially in the preschool and primary education is a fertile field of application: the still very curious children may have before starting on the method school game her upcoming school independently explore accompanied by adult caregivers and bring in the form of an own board game. Graders acquire on the way to the coveted diploma pedestrian in a cross-curricular project with each other to deal with the traffic and its dangers in their area. They create themselves the rules for a smooth crossing traffic on the school grounds. Secondary school students discover their awareness by ( speed rush, tests of courage ) summarize observations of traffic behavior ( aggression, benefit thinking, but also helpfulness and tolerance) and experiences with risks in traffic in its own traffic fables.

Second Form

Description

Children form before the school hypotheses about how the world works. These hypotheses may be correct or incorrect. In the community of the classroom now meet the children and their hypotheses to each other. A comparison of these very subjective- individual hypotheses of different children the need arises (not for all children together ), differences and similarities track down and check possibly (depending on the level of development of the individual child ). Several ( and unscientific ) factors play a role: friendships, trust, .... The comparison with reality is not necessarily for children in the first place. For example, some children may start excited right experimental and other hold very reluctant to think of an important person for them.

With the right level of development and the hypotheses of other children are tested, contradictions lead to investigations and hypothesis formation, then the better (not necessarily correct ) explanation of the world provides.

The progress in the formulation of hypotheses follows it no linear path, and no meaningful sequence, but can also skip several intermediate steps - depending on the experience level of the children.

A breakdown of this holistic process in compartments, arbitrary units of time, or of forced labor in the same pace with others to have to work on hypotheses that you yourself do not share, precludes this form of discovery learning.