Discovery learning
Discovery learning (also exploratory learning ) is a method (see synonyms for action orientation ) for acquiring knowledge as well as physical and technical skills. The focus of the consideration lies with the student and not with the mediation by the teacher. In more recent times, discovery learning had its origins in the English curricula of the 1970s. With reference to the psychologists Jean Piaget and Jerome Bruner , lively teaching ideas for teaching called science were also developed for younger ages. In German non-fiction , approaches to learning through discovery found their way into the German subject with a delay.
The conceptual approach has been known since ancient Greece; the term “discovery learning” was coined by Bruner (1961, 1981) in the pedagogical and didactic discussion he influenced.
In discovery learning, the focus is on learning suggestions or learning arrangements that are intended to motivate self-active learning. Regularly reviewing existing knowledge and, if necessary, replacing it with up-to-date knowledge is crucial for survival in today's knowledge society .
"Education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten."
"Education is what survives when what has been learned is forgotten"
Forms of discovery learning
A form of discovery learning presents the learners with the knowledge and skills to be acquired in the form of self-developed task solutions, which create their own access to what has been learned from cognitive-psychological experiences and at the same time strengthen self-confidence and make them curious about further experiences through the independently acquired experience. The teacher submits tasks in the context of the subject, which the learners work on independently and lead to independent solutions . In contrast to “free work” , the learner does not decide for himself on the subject of the lesson.
Another form of discovery learning means the discovery of the world by the learners themselves. The learners look for the tasks themselves in order to find answers to problems in their (expl) world alone or together with other learners. The advantage of this form is that the independently acquired experiences are specifically related to the living environment of the learners. The strengthening of self-confidence does not only result from the successful problem solving, but also from the concrete handling of one's own everyday questions and problems.
First form
description
In the narrower and most original sense, discovery learning is a learning method in open teaching of the natural sciences , which is based on the free discovery of natural phenomena on the basis of experiments. In a broader sense, discovery learning can also be used in other subject areas. Discovery learning begins with observing an object or phenomenon.
In the first form of discovery learning , learners are led to write down their observations and to ask themselves questions about these phenomena. It is important that they are given the opportunity to freely design and answer these questions. To answer these questions, students can try new experiments, do literature research and / or interview professionals or teachers in the field. Since these new experiments or investigations are initiated not by the teacher but by the students themselves, the lessons open progressively and are more and more centered on the students and their own initiative.
Learners need without the help of the teacher Denkreise- diaries cause in which they write down their observations, ideas and questions. Typically, writing down the diary should take up about half the class time. The teacher goes from bank to bank and watches how the students work. He encourages them to develop their ideas further. It doesn't matter how good or how relevant these ideas are. Detours to the correct analysis of the phenomena and even dead ends are just as instructive as the shortest route.
The focus is not on the scientific results, but on the scientific method .
The assessment of discovery learning does not include the correctness of the scientific results, but the thoroughness with which the scientific method has been applied. This approach thus conveys methodological competence in particular . A correct sequence of hypotheses , arguments and theses together with a clear presentation of the methods used and collected results indicate successful work by the learner. In contrast, negative results, such as the rejection of a hypothesis designed by a student, are rated in the same way as positive results that lead to a correct interpretation of the phenomena.
advantages
If the observed phenomenon and the corresponding materials have been correctly selected by the teacher, this method leads to a permanent acquisition of the scientific method. This method is more efficient if it is used regularly and not just once - then the students can use it more independently, freely and efficiently. 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 impair their initiative. Time management is an important component of this independence. The students should be given the opportunity to organize their working hours themselves. For example, pupils should be able to independently assess whether an experiment or a literature search is feasible, and if so, how long. Discovery learning is usually practiced in small groups of two or three students. Discovering learning therefore also helps to improve the teamwork and social skills of those involved. Since the focus of discovery learning is on imparting a learning method and not on imparting knowledge, this method is not sufficient, however, to convey all of the 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 identify previous knowledge, interest and motivation as well as learner types of learners. The teacher can thus better design the lessons based on this and adapt it to the needs of the students.
disadvantage
The disadvantage of the method is that it is only partially compatible with the 45-minute lessons. In the practice of teaching, students need to be able to plan their working hours themselves. It is not clear in advance how long an experiment that has never been tried will take or how long it will take a student to do a literature search.
The greatest risk of the method is the unpredictable amount of time it takes the student to come up with ideas. The teacher should offer his help and encourage the learners to take unsafe paths of discovery.
The time pressure problem can be reduced by merging two lessons in the curriculum . For example, a math and physics teacher may have two lessons of both subjects on the same day. Such cases are particularly suitable for putting discovery-based teaching into practice.
Since today frontal teaching still dominates school learning in practice, the transition from is teacher- to student-centered teaching , which implies the discovery learning, cited as a difficulty and obstacle to the realization.
Teachers have to slowly dismantle their dominant position and students have to learn to become independent and self-sufficient. In this regard, other teaching methods, such as station work , offer an easier entry into open learning situations. Furthermore, it is questionable whether the students are encouraged according to their individual level of learning: Open forms of teaching often offer greater opportunities for stronger students, while weaker students often lack an overview or structure. The differentiability of the tasks is also endangered, because there are often only a few task formats (see Operational tasks in mathematics).
Objections are also known from a motivational point of view, because learning by discovery assumes motivation, which is often lacking in school reality. This means that even strong students often “don't feel like” approaching a field of knowledge with a lot of time.
Inclusion represents a further hurdle in the feasibility of discovery tasks, because usually neither motivation, patience and structure nor prior knowledge are sufficient to acquire the knowledge independently.
Examples
In physics class
The discovery of Archimedes' principle is particularly well suited for the realization of discovery learning. A vessel filled with water is placed on each school desk and a collection of various objects is placed. These elements can be supplemented with other liquids such as oil or vinegar. Salt can also be provided to dissolve in the water. With the help of scales and dynamometers , students can freely examine which objects sink, float or float in which liquids and why.
In math class
The principle of learning through discovery can also be used in mathematics . For example, students can use cubic blocks to investigate which and how many geometric shapes can be built with a given number of blocks. Many properties of the natural numbers can be discovered in this way. For example, students can observe that a square made up of blocks , in which the blocks are arranged in two rows and four columns, contains as many blocks as a square made up of four rows and two columns. Using this example, the children can see the validity of the commutative law of multiplication and assume the general validity of this law. Likewise, children can playfully discover that some numbers - the prime numbers - only have two factors (one and the number itself). Many materials are available to the teacher as illustrative material, for example fruit is a good idea to enable the children to eat healthily and at the same time to calculate with prime numbers. Another possibility arises from counting individual sausage slices in a pack in order to calculate the approximate distribution of the weight of this slice over the total pack and the quantity. The weighing of the entire package and the calculation of the difference between the entire package and its contents result from this. This way children can easily learn to subtract, multiply, and divide.
In traffic education
In traffic education, discovering learning finds a fruitful field of application, especially in preschool and elementary school: Even before starting school, the still very curious children can use the school route game method to independently explore their upcoming way to school accompanied by adult supervisors and put it into the form of their own board game. On the way to the coveted pedestrian diploma, school beginners work together in an interdisciplinary project to learn how to deal with traffic and its dangers in their residential area. You create your own rules for smooth crossing traffic on the school premises. Secondary school students discover their problem awareness by condensing observations of traffic behavior (aggression, advantageous thinking, but also helpfulness and tolerance) and experiences with risks when driving (high speed, courageous tests) in their own traffic fables. In order to be able to achieve the different learning potentials of the students, discovery learning is usually coupled with multi-dimensional learning in practice .
Second form
description
Even before they start school, children form ideas about how the world works. These ideas can be correct or incorrect. The children and their ideas now meet in the community of the school class. The comparison makes it necessary to track down differences and similarities and, if necessary, to check them. Several (also unscientific) factors play a role: friendships, trust, ... Comparison with reality is not necessarily the top priority for children. In this way, some children can enthusiastically start real experiments and others hold onto the opinion of someone who is important to them very reluctantly.
Depending on their level of development, the opinions of other children are also checked. Contradictions result in investigations and lead to new attempts at explanation. The progress in forming an opinion does not follow a linear path or meaningful sequence, but can also skip several intermediate steps - depending on the children's level of experience.
A division of this holistic process into subjects, arbitrary time units, or the compulsion to work at the same pace with others on ideas that one does not even have, is contrary to this form of discovery learning.
See also
literature
First form
- Verena Steiner: Exploratory learning. The personal path to success. A workbook for studies, work and further education. Pendo Verlag, 2006, ISBN 3-86612-032-X .
- Gesine Hellberg-Rode: Learning through discovery. In: Astrid Kaiser , Detlef Pech (Hrsg.): Newer concepts and objectives in subject teaching. Basic knowledge of general teaching, Volume 2. Baltmannsweiler 2004, pp. 99–104.
- S. Liebig: Discovering learning - rediscovered? In: M. Aepkers, S. Liebig (Hrsg.): Discovery researching genetic learning. Hohengehren 2002, pp. 4-16.
Second form
- Célestin Freinet, (R. Kock (Hrsg.)): Methods of Emancipation. Frankfurt am Main 1999.