Lesson 6

IT ENTERS A NEW LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

Meaningful Learning
Discovery Learning
Generative Learning
Constructivism
CONCEPTUAL MODELS
MEANINGFUL LEARNING
Meaningful Learning Opposed to rote learning and refers to a learning way where the new
knowledge to acquire is related with previous knowledge (Ausubel 2000). Students are willing to perform
class work to find connections between what they already know and what they can learn. Students already
have some knowledge that is relevant to new learning. It assumes that:
In the learning process, the learner is encouraged to recognize relevant personal experiences. A reward
structure is set so that the learner will have both interest and confidence, and these incentives system sets a
positive environment to learning. In the classroom, hands on activities are introduced so as to stimulate
learning in everyday living.

DISCOVERY LEARNING
Discovery learning is a technique of inquiry-based instruction and is considered a constructivist
based approach to education. It is supported by the work of learning theorists and psychologists Jean Piaget,
Jerome Bruner, and Seymour Papert. Although this form of instruction has great popularity, there is some
debate in the literature concerning its efficacy (Mayer, 2004). Student become personally engaged and not
subjected by the teacher. New ideas and new decisions are generated in the learning process. Students
perform tasks to uncover what is to be learned. In applying technology, the computer can present a tutorial
process by which the learner is presented key concepts and the rules of learning in a direct manner for
receptive learning. For example: The learner himself is made to identify key concepts by interacting with a
responsive virtual environment.

GENERATIVE LEARNING
In generative learning, we have active learners who attend to learning events and generate meaning
from these experience and draw inferences thereby creating a personal model or explanation to the new
experience in the context of existing knowledge.
Elaboration, Organization, Integration, Recall, Generative Learning Strategies
Recall It involves the learner pulling information from long term memory. Integration It involves the
learner to integrating new knowledge with prior knowledge.
Organization Involves the learner relating prior knowledge to new ideas and concept in meaningful ways.
Elaboration Involves the connection of new materials to information or ideas already in the learners mind.
CONTRUCTIVISM

Is a theory to explain how knowledge is constructed in the human being when information comes
into contact with existing knowledge that had been developed by experiences. The role of Learning is to
help the individual live/adapt to his personal world. Learning consists in what a person can actively
assemble for himself and not what he can receive passively. THE MOST ACCEPTED PRINCIPLES
CONSTRUCTIVISM ARE: These two principles in turn lead to three implications:
The learner is directly responsible for learning.
The context of meaningful learning consists in the learner connecting his school activity with
real life.
The purpose of education is the acquisition of practical and personal knowledge, not abstract or
universal truths.
Build on what they already know in order to interpret and respond to new experiences. seek to build
an understanding of their personal worlds so they can work/live productively.
make their learning experience meaningful and relevant to their lives.
set personal goals and strategies to achieve these goals. are active, purposeful learners.
Summary To review, there are common themes to these four learning domains. They are given
below: Learners

Lesson 7
IT FOR HIGHER THINKING SKILLS AND CREATIVITY
The presentation is followed by discussion and the giving of assignment. Among the assignments
maybe a research on a given topic. This teaching approach has been proven successful for achieving
learning outcomes following the lower end of Blooms Taxonomy: knowledge, comprehension and
application are concerned.1.

In the traditional information absorption model of teaching, the teacher organizes and presents
information to student- learners. He may use a variety of teaching resources to support the lesson such as
chalkboard, videotape , newspapers or magazine and photos.
Today students are expected to be not only cognitive, but also flexible , analytical and creative. In
this lesson, there are methods proposed for the use of computer- based technologies as an integral support to
higher thinking skills and creativity.
To define higher level thinking skills and creativity, we may adopt a framework that is a helpful
synthesis of many models and definitions on the subject.

HIGHER LEVEL LEARNING OUTCOMES

COMPLEX THINKING SKILLS SUB- SKILLS
Focusing Defining the problem, goal/ objectivesetting, brainstorming Information gathering
Selection, recording of data of information Remembering Associating, relating new data with old Analyzing
Identifying idea construct, patterns Generating Deducting, inducting, elaborating Organizing Classifying,
relating Imagining Visualizing, predicting Designing Planning, formulating Integration Summarizing,
abstracting evaluating Setting criteria, testing idea, verifying outcomes, revising

THE UPGRADED PROJECT METHOD

The modern day teacher can now be guided on his goal to help student achieve higher level thinking
skills and creativity beyond the ordinary benchmark of the students passing even excelling achievement
tests. There is a tighter link between the use of projects for simply coming up with the products to having
the students undergo the process of complex/ higher thinking under the framework of the constructivist
paradigm. The project method for higher learning outcomes consists in having the students work on projects
with depth, complexity, duration and relevance to the real world.

THE PROCESS
The process of project implementation takes the students to the steps, efforts, and experiences in
project completion.

THE PROCESS IS MORE THAN THE PRODUCT

The process refers to the thinking/ affective/ psychomotor process that occurs on the part of the
learner. This comprises the journey that actualizes learning. The product is the result of this allimportant
process consisting in a possibly a summary, a poster, an essay, a term paper, a dramatic presentation, or an
IT- based product. web- based projects guided hyper- media projects simple creations resource- based
projects Examples of IT- based projects.