RESEARCH PAPER

North American University

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

Date: 02/26/2016

Instructional Project 3
Directions:
This is a research assignment. Use your textbook, web articles, and NAU library
to conduct research when writing this paper.
Use APA style references and in-text- citations. You need to use at least 3
different resources besides Castronova (2002), and Moore (2015).
Part 1. DISCOVERY LEARNING:
Download and read the following article:

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. Action Research Exchange, 1(1), 112. Retrived from http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?
doi=10.1.1.594.6363&rep=rep1&type=pdf

After reading this article and conducting additional research, answer

to the following questions.

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.
Essentially, it's all about students coming to their own conclusions and asking
about things in their course that might not make particular sense. Obviously, as
soon as enquiries are made, they can learn new things and hence will have
become part of an innovative, thought-provoking and interesting educational
journey. Discovery learning encompasses an instructional model and
strategies that focus on active, hands-on learning opportunities for students
(Dewey, 1916/1997; Piaget, 1954, 1973).

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

instruction?
Discovery learning allows learners to seek information that satisfies their
natural curiosity. It provides the opportunity for students to explore their
desires and consequently creates a more engaging learning environment.
It makes learning fun (Schank & Cleary, 1994). In terms of information retention,
discovery learning appears to be at least similar to the level found when using
traditional teaching methods and possibly increases information retention.
Discovery learning increases student achievement when the students are
learning skills rather than facts. The fourth area of discovery learning versus
traditional learning is transference. D. W. Chambers (1971) did a study that
compared discovery learning with over learning. Over learning is a traditional
method of drill and practice in which students practice a skill many times.
Recognizing motivation, information retention, and achievement as positive
effects of discovery learning that are grounded in research, the question
becomes, why do teachers and school systems hesitate to adopt discovery
learning.
Educators fear that discovery learning will not cover the course content.
Discovery learning does not work well on the same timeframe or with
such specific, fact-based, information. A second reason for a lack of discovery
learning strategies in education is the belief that discovery learning will require
too much time for preparation and learning. Preparation time should be less,
however, learning time will be greater because students must be given time to
explore. A third barrier to discovery learning is that class sizes are too large or
too small for discovery learning. On the other hand, group interaction is also
important so that the collective experiences of the group can assist in the
creation of new knowledge; therefore, if class sizes are too small, the collective
experiences are limited. Three major barriers exist, but research has found some
advantages in the areas of motivation, retention, and achievement.
What educational theories support the discovery learning model?
Discovery Learning Theorists:
1) Jerome Bruner
2) John Dewey
3) Jean Piaget
4) Lev Vygotsky
What is the most important thing you discovered about discovery learning?
I think the most important thing is discovery learning enables student to
improve their problem solving skills. "Learning theorists characterize learning to
solve problems as discovery learning, in which participants learn to recognize a
problem, characterize what a solution would look like, search for relevant
information, develop a solution strategy, and execute the chosen
strategy." (Borthick & Jones, 2000:181)

How can you apply this method to your future classroom?

I can apply this method by guiding and motivating students to participate in
problem solving as they pull together information and generalize knowledge. So
they can learn to recognize a problem, characterize what a solution would look
like, search for relevant information, develop a solution strategy, and execute the
chosen strategy.
Part 2.ADDITIONAL CHAPTERS

Select oneof 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.
Strategy use in the classroom is critical to educational success. Palincsar
and Klenk (1992) provided a framework for understanding the importance of
learning strategies. They suggested that learning demands placed on students in
the home are fundamentally different than the learning demands placed on
students in school.
The public demand for better quality teachers and public K-12 education,
the change in accreditation, and the change in the demographics of public school
student population have all motivated teacher education programs to change
how teacher preparation is being facilitated (Hammerness, 2006). All teachers
should be prepared to address the social, cultural, and economic backgrounds of
all students and understand the diverse cultural patterns of the students served
in the American school system today. It is one thing for teacher educators to
teach content and theory; however, taking that theory and content and putting it
into action is another thing altogether. Through modeling and planting the seeds
of the principles of servant leadership, and by using high yield strategies such as
service learning, reflection, and collaboration, pre-service teachers might be
equipped to effectively teach the diverse student population in the contemporary
classroom, thus providing for improved teaching practice and ultimately
increased student learning.
Effective Instructional Strategies and Practices
Visuals:Because diverse students often are in various stages of proficiency in
the English language, teachers must become skilled in presenting information in
ways that are less dependent on language. Visuals such as pictures,
photographs, drawings, diagrams, and graphic organizers are highly effective
when teaching students who are not auditory learners (Carrier, 2005; Vaughn,

Bos, & Schumm, 2003).

Hands-On Learning Experiences: Research has found that diverse students

benefit immensely when they have the opportunity to interact with materials,
participate in activities, and manipulate objects and equipment (Carrier, 2005;
Watson, Pettus, & Fairchild, 2001). Because culturally and linguistically diverse
students tend to be tactile, kinesthetic learners, hands-on instructional activities
that employ multiple senses make learning more meaningful for them (Bruno,
1982; Curtin, 2006; Kline, 1995).

Cooperative Learning: Cooperative learning is an instructional strategy that is

supported by a wealth of research and has been found to be highly effective in
multicultural and multilingual classrooms (Slavin, 1991; Vaughn et al., 2003). In
cooperative learning, students are placed in heterogeneous groups usually
comprised of four or five students and they work together on a common goal. As
students collaborate and cooperate with one another, they develop cross-cultural
understanding and develop stronger interpersonal friendships than they would by
working alone (Johnson & Johnson, 1990; Snowman & Biehler, 2003). Because
cooperative learning groups require that learners interact and communicate with
each other on a work-related task, students whose native language is not English
gain opportunities to learn and practice English and enhance their linguistic and
communication skills (Crandall, 1999; SaraviaShore & Garcia, 1995).

Peer Tutoring: Peer tutoring, a strategy that pairs two students of different
abilities and backgrounds, is extremely effective in multicultural classrooms
because it promotes communication, motivates students, and helps learners
attain higher levels of achievement while developing inter-ethnic friendships
(SaraviaShore & Garcia, 1995; Snowman & Biehler, 2003).

Alternative Assessments: Assessment techniques must be compatible with,

and relevant to, the cultural backgrounds and learning styles of all students
(Banks & Banks, 1999; Saravia-Shore & Garcia, 1995; Wlodkowski & Ginsberg,
1995). The use of alternative assessment methods has been proposed widely
because it provides English language learners with multiple ways to demonstrate
their understanding of information without heavily relying on language (Carrier,
2005).
Instructional Strategies
Use a variety of instructional strategies and learning activities. Offering
variety provides the students with opportunities to learn in ways that are

responsive to their own communication styles, cognitive styles, and aptitudes. In

addition, the variety helps them develop and strengthen other approaches to
learning.
Consider students' cultures and language skills when developing learning
objectives and instructional activities. Facilitate comparable learning
opportunities for students with differing characteristics. For example, consider
opportunities for students who differ in appearance, race, sex, disability, ethnicity,
religion, socioeconomic status, or ability.
Incorporate objectives for affective and personal development. Provide
increased opportunities for high and low achievers to boost their self-esteem,
develop positive self-attributes, and enhance their strengths and talents. Such
opportunities can enhance students' motivation to learn and achieve.
Communicate expectations. Let the students know the "classroom rules" about
talking, verbal participation in lessons, and moving about the room. Tell them how
long a task will take to complete or how long it will take to learn a skill or strategy,
and when appropriate, give them information on their ability to master a certain
skill or complete a task. For example, it may be necessary to encourage students
who expect to achieve mastery but are struggling to do so. They may need to
know that they have the ability to achieve mastery, but must work through the
difficulty.
Provide rationales. Explain the benefits of learning a concept, skill, or task. Ask
students to tell you the rationale for learning and explain how the concept or skill
applies to their lives at school, home, and work.
Use advance and post organizers. At the beginning of lessons, give the
students an overview and tell them the purpose or goal of the activity. If
applicable, tell them the order that the lesson will follow and relate it to previous
lessons. At the end of the lesson, summarize its main points.
Provide frequent reviews of the content learned. For example, check with the
students to see if they remember the difference between simple and compound
sentences. Provide a brief review of the previous lesson before continuing on to
a new and related lesson.
Facilitate independence in thinking and action. There are many ways to
facilitate students' independence. For example, when students begin their work
without specific instruction from the teacher, they are displaying independence.
When students ask questions, the teacher can encourage independence by
responding in a way that lets the student know how to find the answer for him- or
herself. When teachers ask students to evaluate their own work or progress, they
are facilitating independence, and asking students to perform for the class (e.g.,
by reciting or role-playing) also promotes independence.
Promote student on-task behavior. Keeping students on task maintains a high
level of intensity of instruction. By starting lessons promptly and minimizing

transition time between lessons, teachers can help students stay on task. Shifting
smoothly (no halts) and efficiently (no wasted effort) from one lesson to another
and being business-like about housekeeping tasks such as handing out papers
and setting up audiovisual equipment helps to maintain their attention. Keeping
students actively involved in the lessons for example, by asking questions that
require students to recall information also helps them to stay focused and
increases the intensity of instruction.
Monitor students' academic progress during lessons and independent
work. Check with students during seatwork to see if they need assistance before
they have to ask for help. Ask if they have any questions about what they are
doing and if they understand what they are doing. Also make the students aware
of the various situations in which a skill or strategy can be used as well as
adaptations that will broaden its applicability to additional situations.
Provide frequent feedback. Feedback at multiple levels is preferred. For
example, acknowledging a correct response is a form of brief feedback, while
prompting a student who has given an incorrect answer by providing clues or
repeating or rephrasing the question is another level. The teacher may also give
positive feedback by stating the appropriate aspects of a student's performance.
Finally, the teacher may give positive corrective feedback by making students
aware of specific aspects of their performance that need work, reviewing
concepts and asking questions, making suggestions for improvement, and
having the students correct their work.
Require mastery. Require students to master one task before going on to the
next. When tasks are assigned, tell the students the criteria that define mastery
and the different ways mastery can be obtained. When mastery is achieved on
one aspect or portion of the task, give students corrective feedback to let them
know what aspects they have mastered and what aspects still need more work.
When the task is complete, let the students know that mastery was reached.
Tips on Teaching in a Diverse Classroom
Effective teachers understand this and use a variety of teaching methods to
promote student learning. Below are some basic tips on how to teach effectively
in a diverse learning environment:
Having a color-blind classroom is probably neither possible nor a good idea.
Trying to do so inevitably privileges a particular perspective (usually that of the
teacher) and fails to recognize the experiences and needs of the learners. It is
preferable to use strategies that recognize and capitalize on this diversity.
Appreciating the individuality of each student is important. While generalizations
sensitize us to important differences between groups, each individual student has
unique values, perspectives, experiences and needs.
Articulate early in the course that you are committed to meeting the needs of all
students and that you are open to conversations about how to help them learn.
As teachers, it is important that we recognize our own learning styles and
cultural assumptions, because these styles and assumptions influence how
we teach and what we expect from our students. Being aware of them allows

us to develop a more inclusive teaching style.

As you plan your course, and each class, prepare multiple examples to
illustrate your points. Try to have these examples reflect different cultures,
experiences, sexual orientations, genders, etc., to include all students in
learning.
Help students move between abstract, theoretical knowledge and concrete,
specific experiences, to expand everyones learning.
Use different teaching methods (lectures, small groups, discussions,
collaborative learning) to meet the variety of learning needs.

Zeichner (1992) has summarized the extensive literature that describes

successful teaching approaches for diverse populations. From his review, he
distilled 12 key elements for effective teaching for ethnic- and language-minority
students.
1.
Teachers have a clear sense of their own ethnic and cultural identities.
2.
Teachers communicate high expectations for the success of all students
and a belief that all students can succeed.
3.
Teachers are personally committed to achieving equity for all students and
believe that they are capable of making a difference in their students' learning.
4.
Teachers have developed a bond with their students and cease seeing
their students as "the other."
5.
Schools provide an academically challenging curriculum that includes
attention to the development of higher-level cognitive skills.
6.
Instruction focuses on students' creation of meaning about content in an
interactive and collaborative learning environment.
7.
Teachers help students see learning tasks as meaningful.
8.
Curricula include the contributions and perspectives of the different
ethnocultural groups that compose the society.
9.
Teachers provide a "scaffolding" that links the academically challenging
curriculum to the cultural resources that students bring to school.
10.
Teachers explicitly teach students the culture of the school and seek to
maintain students' sense of ethnocultural pride and identity.
11.
Community members and parents or guardians are encouraged to
become involved in students' education and are given a significant voice in
making important school decisions related to programs (such as resources
and staffing).
12.
Teachers are involved in political struggles outside the classroom that are
aimed at achieving a more just and humane society.
The growing diversity in today's classrooms demands that teachers be
knowledgeable, responsive, and well-prepared to work with a multicultural,
multilingual student population. To meet the needs of students from all
backgrounds, teachers must use a broad array of research based strategies that
support diverse modes of learning and build on what they already know and do.
The strategies presented here are especially beneficial for students who are
culturally and linguistically diverse but they also represent excellent educational
practices for all learners whether in formal or informal education programs.
Research has found that diverse students benefit immensely when they have the
opportunity to interact with materials, participate in activities, and manipulate

objects and equipment.

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

Gardner. In what frames of mind (intelligence areas) do you come out strongest?
According to Gardners Theory of Multiple Intelligences;
My strongest intelligence area is Logical-Mathematical, because, I can
compute math problems quickly in my head, Math and science are among my
favorite subjects in school, I enjoy games like chess and other strategy games, I
like working on logic puzzles or brainteasers, I can double or triple a cooking
recipe or other measurement without having to put it down on paper.
My other strongest area is Interpersonal Intelligence, because I prefer
group activities to being alone, I like to get involved in social activities at school
and in my community, Im considered a person who other people come to for
advice, When Ive got a problem, Im more likely to seek out another person for
help than attempt to work it out on my own. I am concerned about others and
how they feel.

Part 3. REFERENCES:

Cite at least 5References 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:
Allison, B. N., & Rehm, M. L. (2007). Teaching Strategies for Diverse Learners in
FCS Classrooms. Journal Of Family And Consumer Sciences, 99(2), 8-10.
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. Action Research Exchange, 1(1), 1-12. Retrived from
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?
doi=10.1.1.594.6363&rep=rep1&type=pdf
Discovery Learning - Educational Learning Theories. (n.d.). Retrieved February
26,2016, from
https://sites.google.com/a/nau.edu/educationallearningtheories/discoverylearning
Discovery learning. (n.d.). Retrieved February 26, 2016, from

http://edutechwiki.unige.ch/en/Discovery_learning
Discovery learning. (n.d.). Retrieved February 26, 2016, from
http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/5352
Learning Strategies and Diverse Learners. (n.d.). Retrieved February 26, 2016,
from
http://www.education.com/reference/article/learning-strategies-diverselearners/
Lucas, D., & Frazier, B. (2014). THE EFFECTS OF A SERVICE-LEARNING
INTRODUCTORY DIVERSITY COURSE ON PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS'
ATTITUDES TOWARD TEACHING DIVERSE STUDENT POPULATIONS.
Academy Of Educational Leadership Journal, 18(2), 91-124.
Membership. (n.d.). Retrieved February 26, 2016, from
http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/107003/chapters/Diverse-TeachingStrategies-for-Diverse-Learners.aspx
Strategies for Teaching Culturally Diverse Students. (n.d.). Retrieved February
26, 2016, from https://www.teachervision.com/teachingmethods/resource/6039.html?page=2
What is Discovery Learning? (n.d.). Retrieved February 26, 2016, from
http://www.teach-nology.com/teachers/methods/theories/discovery.html