RESEARCH PAPER TEMPLATE

North American University

Education Department
M.Ed. in EDLE & CUIN
EDUC 5312: CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN

Name: Ghena El Soussi Date: 3 /8/2017

What is discovery learning?

Discovery learning is a kind of teaching that is based on the student finding things out for
themselves, looking into problems, and asking questions. The idea behind discovery
learning is that students understand and remember concepts better when they have
discovered them on their own. Essentially, it's all about students coming to their own
conclusions and asking about things in their course that might not make particular sense.

How does this form of teaching compare to traditional, teacher-centered

instruction?
Castronova (2002) concluded that there are 5 differences between discovery and
traditional learning:
1. Discovery learning is active where traditional learning is somehow passive.
2. Discovery learning is process-based where traditional learning is fact-based.
3. In the time traditional learning refuses failure, the discovery learning considers it
important.
4. In the time there may be no feedback in the traditional learning, in the discovery
learning the feedback is necessary.
5. Finally, the understanding in the discovery learning is deeper than the traditional

learning.
What educational theories support the discovery learning model?
Discovery learning can overlap with inquiry learning. However, inquiry should include
students generating questions they want to answer, whereas discovery need only involve
answering questions. Direct instruction is usually used with discovery learning to
introduce knowledge necessary for a discovery or reinforce ideas uncovered through
discovery.
What is the most important thing you discovered about discovery learning?

Ive noticed that discovery learning also has an important part in getting special needs
students involved in normal, conventional educational curriculum - indeed, this means
that discovery learning can play a key part in getting special needs students in the same
classroom as 'regular' students, studying the same things, and sitting the same kinds of
exams. This means that special needs students will not feel estranged, and will not feel
like their education is particularly different to anybody else's. In the long run this
provides a moral boost for special needs students, whilst also enhancing their education
and the education of the other students sharing their class.

How can you apply this method to your future classroom?

The main times that discovery learning will be used in my classroom are during problem
solving exercises and educational programs. Students will undergo discovery learning
when they are looking at their own experiences and knowledge in their studies, and
enquiring about further information to improve their understanding. Discovery learning
will also be used in terms of answering controversial and tricky questions, asking other
people what they think, and generally discussing things. Experiments are also key to
discovery learning, for instance in sciences, where students will be able to experience
science right in front of them - and discover things that may occur, which hence prompts
them to ask the question 'why?'

Part 2. ADDITIONAL CHAPTERS

Select one of the following chapters to conduct research: Chapter 2,
3, 5 or 12. Review the chapter and respond to related questions for
that chapter by conducting your own research.

Chapter 2- Teaching Diverse Students

1. Teaching all students. Remember that a teachers job is to teach all students and
assume an attitude that all students can learn. Research techniques and strategies
that can be used to accomplish this task. Sources of information include the
library, the Internet, current journals, and recent books.

Burnette (1999) concluded that there are many school factors that affect the success of
culturally diverse students. For example the schools atmosphere and overall attitudes
toward diversity, involvement of the community, and culturally responsive curriculum. Of
all of these factors, the personal and academic relationships between teachers and their
students may be the most influential. Certain behaviors and instructional strategies enable
teachers to build a stronger teaching/learning relationship with their culturally diverse
students. Many of these behaviors and strategies exemplify standard practices of good
teaching, and others are specific to working with students from diverse cultures. A
number of these behaviors and strategies are listed below:

Teacher behaviors :
- Appreciate and accommodate the similarities and differences among the
students' cultures
- Build relationships with students.
- Focus on the ways students learn and observe students to identify their task
orientations
- Teach students to match their behaviors to the setting.

Instructional strategies:
- Use a variety of instructional strategies and learning activities
- Consider students' cultures and language skills when developing learning
objectives and instructional activities.
- Incorporate objectives for affective and personal development.
- Communicate expectations
- Provide rationales.
- Use advance and post organizers
- Provide frequent reviews of the content learned
- Facilitate independence in thinking and action
- Promote student on-task behavior.
- Monitor students' academic progress during lessons and independent work.
- Provide frequent feedback.
- Require mastery

2. Intelligence profile. Evaluate your own intelligence profile according to Gardner.

In what frames of mind (intelligence areas) do you come out strongest?

After reading about the eight areas of intelligence that Gardner mentioned in the book, I
can say that I have high interpersonal intelligence where I believe that if I go back and
build on my experience and the success that Ive accomplished during 12 years of
teaching and coordinating, I can say that Ive succeeded in my work because I was able
to understand people, motivate them, lead them, know how to work with them, and how
to cooperate with them. Also, I would like to add the intrapersonal intelligence where I
believe that Im aware of my own strengths, weaknesses, and feelings. Im aware of self,
being a creative and independent, and reflective thinker. I usually possess independence,
self-confidence, determination, and high motivation. I respond with strong opinions when
controversial topics are discussed.

Part 3. REFERENCES:
Cite at least 5 References in APA.
You need to use at least 3 different resources besides Castronova
(2002), and Moore (2015).
You may use http://www.citationmachine.net/apa/cite-a-journal for
citing your sources in APA style.

References:
Castronova, J. A. (2002). Discovery learning for the 21st century: What is it and how does it compare to
traditional learning in effectiveness in the 21st century? Retrieved from
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.594.6363&rep=rep1&type=pdf

Moore, K. D. (2012). Effective Instructional Strategies from theory to practice (3rd ed.). Sage.

Balim,A. a.(2009). The Effects of Discovery Learning on Students Success and Inquiry Learning Skills. Eurasian
Journal Of Educational Research(EJER), (35),1-20

What is Discovery Learning? (n.d.). Retrieved March 07, 2017, from http://www.teach-
nology.com/teachers/methods/theories/discovery.html

Strategies for Teaching Culturally Diverse Students. (n.d.). Retrieved March 07, 2017, from
https://www.teachervision.com/teaching-strategies/strategies-teaching-culturally-diverse-students?page=2

Learn About Multiple Intelligence Free Online Test. (n.d.). Retrieved March 07, 2017, from
https://www.excellerate.co.nz/free-online-multiple-intelligence-tests.html