Journal 4:

After reading the text, I really like the distinctions and the theories that Ausubel has made. For
instance, he classified learning inside a classroom by reception and discovery learning, with most
classrooms using reception learning, which is where the teacher presents all the information to be
learned in its final stages. Then with discovery learning, students are more hands on to discover
the information, to logically use it and make sense of it, but teachers present some information
but let students guide themselves and discover the material. I think this is very beneficial because
it allows for students to learn and connect information together to arrive to conclusions versus
the teacher just giving the information to students and they memorize it. Reception and discovery
learning tie in Ausubels route versus meaningful learning. I feel as if though discovery learning
demonstrates more discovery learning; while rote learning is more like reception learning where
the student is to memorize the information but might not be able to analyze the material or what
the true definition of the item being memorized is. I know as a student, I was taught in a more
reception learning style and for a lot of things that I used rote learning because I only thought I
need it for the test and that is the way that my teachers fed it to me. I feel as if meaningful
learning is the way to go to ensure students retaining and learning the information. I feel as if
Ausubels meaningful reception learning can not only be used through k-12 education but can
extend to higher education and career/adult education, as well.
http://advan.physiology.org/content/25/3/145.full
I chose this website because it talks about a nave teacher and how he was trying to use
meaningful learning and then it goes on to define meaningful learning and then how to use the
computer to allow students to achieve meaningful learning along with problem solving along
with how educators can achieve meaningful learning. I liked this site because it gave examples
of the classroom and how to boost meaningful learning through different techniques.
Karpicke, J. D., & Grimaldi, P. J. (2012). Retrieval-based learning: a perspective for enhancing
meaningful learning. Educational Psychology Review, 24(3), 401-418.
This article looks at how and what is needed for learning and they look at other literature to see
how recent research looks at how retrieval improves learning and looks at how researchers did
research on how active retrieval is to meaningful learning. The researchers look at two different
techniques by classroom quizzes and computer-based learning program that helps students to
rehearse retrieval learning which can contribute to meaningful learning. I liked this study
because it was in depth and gave lots of literature and examples to the research from other
previous researches instead of solely focusing on their own research.