Developing sustainable skills using discovery learning

Ingrida Breidaka, MA philZita Auziņa-Gora, MA phil

Jerome Bruner is University Professor at New York University and the author of many books, including Acts of Meaning; On Knowing; The Process of Education; and Toward a Theory of Instruction (all published by Harvard).

Discovery learning

“Practice in discovering for oneself teaches one to acquire information in a way that makes that information more readily

viable in problem solving" (Bruner, 1961, p.26).

Learning by doing

This philosophy later became the discovery learning movement of the 1960s.

The mantra of this philosophical movement suggests that we should 'learn by doing'.

Inquiry- based learning In problem solving situations where the learner

draws on his or her own past experience and existing knowledge to discover facts and relationships to learn new truths.

(Bruner, J. S. (2009). The process of education. Harvard University Press)

Active learning Inquiry learning where progress is gained by

students how well they develop experimental and analytical skills rather

than how much knowledge they possess. (Bruner, J. S. (2009). The process of education.

Harvard University Press)

Models of discovery learning guided discovery (excursions, field trips, etc.) problem-based learning, simulation-based learning, case-based learning, incidental learning, etc.

In Riga “Riga – the Capital of Culture 2014” and after

that we went on a bus tour around Riga to collect information for the final presentations. The weather was not the most favourable since it was quite rainy which made the windshields misty but that was easily fixed.

In Tartu Excursion to Tartu University (guided tour) City Tour around Tartu Visiting Science Centre AHHAA

In Kalmar Kalmar Castle guided tour Tour around the town

Excursions

Excursions require teachers to use teaching methods that are not the "norm" or regularly practised.  It is an opportunity for teachers to go out of their comfort zone, learn and become confident in new and different teaching strategies (Michie, 1998). 

Aims of excursions Observe for educational purposes, carry out non-

experimental research. Observe the subject in its natural state. Learn to appreciate culture and the arts. Provide alternative educational opportunities for students. Can benefit the community if they include some type of

community service. Provide students the opportunity to take a break from

their normal routine and experience more hands on learning.

Provide students with first hand experiences in which they can develop further in language and literacy, gaining new vocabulary and problem-solving skills.

Benefits for teachers

It may encourage teachers to use alternative novel approaches for other subject areas in the future.  This in turn can only improve classroom lessons and make learning more interesting and engaging for their students.  Therefore, excursions add variety that is beneficial to both students and teachers. 

Bruner, J. S. (2009). The process of education. Harvard University Press.

Educational goals of discovery learning Discovery learning include promoting a “deep”

understanding; developing meta-cognitive skills; and encouraging a high level of student engagement.

First, learners identify variables, collect data, and interpret data.

Then learners generate hypotheses in order to better describe and understand relationships between concepts.

Finally, the continuous cyclical process of learning requires learners to interpret the data, reject hypotheses, and make conclusions about information.

(Saab, N., van Joolingen, W., & van Hout-Wolters, B. (2005). "Communication in Collaborative Discovery Learning." British Journal of Educational Psychology. 75, pp. 603-621)

Sustainable skills developed

Working with findings during and after excursions:

Critical thinking, problem solving, analysis, interpretation, synthesizing information.

Research skills and practices, interrogative questioning.

Creativity, curiosity, imagination. Planning, adaptability, initiative. Oral and written communication,listening and

presenting. Leadership, collaboration. Information and communication technology (ITC)

literacy, data interpretation and analysis.

References Bruner, J. S. (1961). "The act of discovery". Harvard Educational

Review 31 (1): 21–32.  Bruner, J. S. (2009). The process of education. Harvard University

Press "Discovery Learning (Bruner)." Retrieved: 20 May 2009 from Learning- Theories.com: Knowledge Base and Webliography. Website:

http://www.learning-theories.com/discovery-learning-bruner.html. Saab, N., van Joolingen, W., & van Hout-Wolters, B. (2005).

"Communication in Collaborative Discovery Learning." British Journal of Educational Psychology. 75, pp. 603-621.

Photos: Retrieved: 10th July 2016 from http://www.citytour.lv/lv/ Pictures of Riga, Tartu, Kalmar: Retrieved: 11th July 2016 from

https://www.google.lv/search?q=pictures Links on Discovery Learning: http://coe.sdsu.edu/eet/Articles/discoverylearn/index.htm  http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/history/discovery.html http://udel.edu/~jconway/EDST666.htm

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!!!