ONLINE ASSIGNMENT

INTRODUCTION

Discovery learning is a technique of inquiry based learning and is considered a constructivist based approach to education. It is supported by the work of learning theorists and psychologists Jean piaget, Jerom Burner and Seymour papert. Although this form of instruction has great popularity, there is some debate in the literature concerning its efficacy

Discovery learning

According to Bruner, learning is an active process of discovery facilitated by existing knowledge and ability of the learner. Discovery involves an internal reorganization of previously know ideas in order to establish a better fit between those ideas and the present situation. Bruner describes that the child finds some sort of match between what he is doing and what he has already grasped

                   Bruner is chief proponent of the discovery learning approach.  Discovery learning is an inquiry-base, constructivist  process that takes place in problem solving situations where the learner draws on his own past experience and existing knowledge to discover facts and relationships to be learned. students  interact with the world by exploring and manipulating objects and by performing experiments.

            Bruner proposes a new type of curriculum  suitable to his approach. It is spiral curriculum. It is a type of curriculum in which students repeat the study of a subject at different class levels , each time more deeply and at higher difficulty level . Thus , the concepts initially introduced in simple form at the elementary level are, in successive years, explored, developed, and extended in increasingly sophisticated ways as the student matures and develops.

Characteristics

·    It is an inquiry-based approach.

·    It takes places in problem solving situations.

·    Learners construct their own knowledge.

·    Learners apply their knowledge in new situations.

·    Emphasis is on the process and not on the product.

·    It is learner centred.

·    Participated in the process in important.

·    It focuses on creating interest.

·    It sees teacher as a facilitator.   

Advantages

*Students learn how to learn.

*It offers self-motivation.

*It encourages independent pacing of learners.

*It fosters creativity.

*It encourages curiosity.

*It ensure active involvement of learner.

*It develops problem solving skill in learners.

*It encourages active engagement.

*It develops problem solving skills.

Limitations

*It causes cognitive over load.

*It is difficult to organize successfully.

*It requires specially skilled teachers.

*Discovery project are resources intensive.

*It requires high pre-requisite knowledge on the part of learners.

CONCLUSION

Discovery learning is described an inquiry-based instruction and the belief that learners are best educated when they discover facts about their world for them selves . It involves inquiry-based learning as well as constructivism.

REFERENCE

*Kauffman J M education deform, Lanham M D scarecrow press

*Brunner J S ``the act of discovery``