Discovery
learning is an application of constructivist theory where students may work
together to learn new skill sets in a way that allows students to engage with
subject material, explore cause-effect relationships, and learn through trial
and error. This method provides opportunity for learning to be driven by
genuine curiosity and passion. The highest percentage of learners is
tactile/kinesthetic learners who gain and retain knowledge through hand-on
activity above traditional lectures or other passive means of instruction.
(Cole, 2008) Working in groups to solve a problem has the added benefit of
requiring learners to communicate their ideas clearly in a way that others can
understand. Models need to be constructed and as a result everyone learns more
(Jonassen, 2006).
Given how most learners are
kinesthetic, hands-on learners, and the fact that many of the presentations I
provide as a community educator for Women’s Shelter of South Texas are
formatted as lectures with visual aids such as PowerPoint or Prezi
presentations, it is obvious that one of the largest changes that needs to be
made to the curriculum I deliver is more hands-on discovery. This is especially
true for the primary prevention curriculum we provide in a school setting for
Kindergarten through 12th Grade as part of an
anti-bullying/anti-violence education initiative. Currently, our curriculum for
primary prevention is designed as a lecture with discussion series
The irony is that we expect to
deliver education on math, for example, in smaller group settings over a series
of lessons over time, but then expect to teach students about techniques to
stop bullying through a mass assembly that is delivered once in a school year.
No teacher would be willing to teach Geometry to high school students as a
one-time assembly in the school’s gymnasium. In any case, there is a need to
provide a setting that allows students to work together to solve the problems
of bullying and other violence (teen dating violence, for example). It is
through this hands-on approach that students will be able to understand the
importance of having respect for each other and gain knowledge and skills that
will promote healthy relationships in their lives for many years to come.
Problem solving in a group setting would provide an opportunity for students to
teach each other reinforcing anything learned all the more.
Resources
Cole, Robert W. "Chapter 1,
Strategy 1.4 Involve Students Actively." Educating Everybody's
Children: Diverse Teaching Strategies for Diverse Learners. Alexandria, VA:
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2008. Print.
Jonassen, David H., and David H.
Jonassen. "Chapter 2, Modeling Problems." Modeling with
Technology: Mindtools for Conceptual Change. Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall, 2006. Print.
