Early%20Learning%20Theories%20and%20Learning%20Cycles

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Early Learning Theories and Learning Cycles

• An Old Chinese Proverb
• I hear and forget I see and remember I do and
  understand.
• Experiential Learning Theory -- A Legacy of
• John Dewey (early 1900s)
• Curt Lewin (mid 1940s)
• Jean Piaget (early 1960s)
• Robert Karplus (mid 1960s)

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Deweys Model ofExperiential Learning
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Lewins Experiential Learning Model
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Piagets Model of Learning and Cognitive
Development
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SCIS-Karplus Learning Cycle

• A second-generation constructivist model.
• Generally has three phases
• Phase I - Exploration (exploration, observation)
• Phase II - Term Introduction (invention,
  generalization)
• Phase III - Concept Application (discovery,
  application)
• Has been expanded to five phases by BSCS
• Engaging, Exploring, Explaining, Elaborating,
  Evaluating
• frequently called the 5-E model
• Very similar to M. Hunters anticipatory set.
• Experience shows there is no real difference!

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Phase I - Exploration

• Students explore materials freely, leading to
  questions and tentative ideas.
• Students look for patterns through their own
  involvement with provided materials.
• New materials, ideas, and relationships are
  introduced with a minimum of teacher guidance.
• The goal is to allow students to apply previous
  knowledge, feed their interest and stimulate
  curiosity.
• A goal is to allow the teacher to pre-assess
  student knowledge.

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Phase II - Term Introduction

• Introduce the terms and link to the the pattern
  which was seen in the exploration phase.
• Terms may be introduced and concepts clarified
  with discussion, video, lecture, etc.
• Teacher generally employes inquiry approaches in
  this phase.
• Students guided to invent concepts and principles
  that help them answer questions and address
  preconceptions.

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Phase III - Concept Application

• Students think of ways to apply concepts learned
  in Phase II to new situations.
• Students find examples and non-examples of the
  concept application.
• The goal is to have students generalize the
  application of their knowledge.
• Students try out their newly learned ideas by
  transferring what they have learned to new
  situations.

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Another Characterization

• Learning cycles are nothing more than the
  processes of science
• An acronym - OGVAC
• Observation
• Generalization
• Verification
• Application
• Communication

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Learning Cycles are

• consistent with constructivist, inquiry, and
  cooperative/collaborative approaches.
• opportunities for students to confront
  preconceptions
• opportunities to argue and debate their ideas
• provides opportunity for cognitive
• of different types -- Lawson identifies three
• descriptive (students observe, identify patterns,
  and seek similar patterns elsewhere)
• empirical-inductive (students explain phenomena)
• hypothetical-deductive (students make explicit
  statements of alternative explanations of
  phenomena)

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Learning Cycle Main Thesis

• The learning cycle allows students to examine the
  adequacy of previous beliefs (preconceptions).
• Students are forced to argue about and test those
  beliefs.
• Provides disequilibrium for alternative
  conceptions.
• Provides opportunity to construct more
  appropriate conceptions.
• Become more skilled in the process of concept
  construction.
• The correct use of the learning cycle
  accomplishes these ends.