Pursue three leads for teaching discovery behavior: operant analysis, cognitive simulation, and exploratory-drive research¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

For learning TO discover, Glaser recommends three research leads. Mechner's operant analysis decomposes scientific method into teachable skills such as hypothesis generation, testable in a computer-simulated circumscribed universe. Simon and Newell's simulation work treats heuristics as teachable elementary information processes. Exploratory-drive research shows stimulus change can reinforce and elicit exploration, suggesting instructional environments should vary stimulus characteristics of materials to maintain curiosity.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Component behavior repertoires of discovery must first be analyzed before discovery behavior can be instructionally manipulated

Constraints¶

• Discovery behavior is likely specific to subject-matter domain, with much significant specific variance beyond any common repertoires

Target Learners¶

• students being taught scientific inquiry and discovery skills

Target Learning Goals¶

• hypothesis generation and testing, exploratory and curiosity behavior, discovery strategies

Related Strategies¶

• Learning Through Play

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Glaser, Robert. (1966). Variables in "Discovery Learning." Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED010518