A discovery is unravelling of an experience which is personal. It is commonly defined as “finding out something for the first time, that was not known before by anyone; although in the domain of learning science, it is more about “the first time that “I” find out something”. If I didn’t accept this altered definition, I would never provide myself the opportunity to discover.
A discovery touches us to the very core, as it is not taught or instructed; we own it. We were guided to that point in time and space where we “discovered”. I stand in a valley and observe the mountains around me. I see a haze, far away, over a patch of the mountain, I wonder what it is. The haze gets closer and within moments, a few droplets fall over me. It is raining. The haze over the mountain was rain. I discover how to spot rain from afar. I observe repeatedly, I discover, by the direction of the wind, if the rain will approach me. I observe a few more times, I discover how soon the rain will reach me.
I now take decisions – I shall carry an umbrella to school, because I am quite sure it is going to rain in 10 minutes. I don’t need to turn to the weather station to know that it is going to rain. I can confirm my findings against their predictions, that would be a discovery too!
Sometimes, discoveries are sudden – I wear trendy sports shoes, but unfortunately, they get soiled really fast at the front edge; I wonder why? I watch my friends kick sand at each other and it strikes me, the material of the shoe may have something to do with how quickly dirt sticks to it. I investigate further and find out the material of the shoe is environmentally friendly, so I would rather wash them than buy another pair which doesn’t soil so easily. I use science in decision-making. My own personal discoveries pertaining to science, will not only make it fun; but will also strengthen the roots of my learning.
Discovery-Based Learning ————– Knowledge that is self-constructed
We go a step further to say, the following, because we all want to lead informed and fulfilled lives:
Discovery Based Learning leads to using science in making informed decisions (scientific literacy[1])
As students, we could take this further and connect a third dot, to the above two – experts, textbooks, teachers, mentors tell me something, does my discovery fit in with that?
Discovery in its Original Form
For the discovery to unfold and for it to remain in its pristine form; it should not be linked to expectations and desired material outcomes. Keeping the mind free of all prior conditioning; can lead to further discoveries and an openness to explore phenomena. We very often observe that, the moment we attach an expectation of an external reward to anything, the goal becomes a) a material benefit; b) We stop learning/discovering/enjoying; c) our ingenuity seems to taper off. In other words, we don’t “set out to discover”, the act of discovery is in itself a spontaneous act, which should be left untampered with.
We once again come back to the wise old saying of most ancient philosophers – “The goal of learning is “learning” itself” – not marks; not appreciation from external parties; not fear of “what would happen if I didn’t learn something!”. If we are intimidated by science on some level, it is because there are so many pre-conceived notions associated with it. A training of the mind, to engage in critical thinking, questioning and unravelling, without any prior conditioning to interfere with it, is ideal.
As the American psychologist and educator, Jerome Seymour Bruner puts it, the approach of discovery, frees the child from the control of environmental rewards and punishments. The reward is the discovery itself, the new knowledge constructed.[2]
Is this possible in a classroom setting?
New approaches to learning, could be the panacea for science classroom blues. Whether it is initiatives kick-started in our homes, with parents, siblings, peers, teachers or other mentors, we can make “our discovery” a solid foundation upon which we approach science classroom instruction. In other words, why not adopt Discovery as an approach to learning science, in general. You may see that science doesn’t intimidate you anymore, in classroom or anywhere else – you are only engaged in asking questions and working in an explorative environment.
The school environment has unparalleled advantages but several factors impinge on a student’s ability to learn science – a) Lack of concentration in classroom environment; leading to mental lethargy and dozing off b) Inability to understand only instruction/theory; c) Focus on marks makes theory and practical classes a “requirement” rather than ground for learning; d) Class strength makes it impossible for undivided attention to an individual student’s questions; e) The student doesn’t see how all the content helps him/her in real life; f) A student’s temperament may be suited for learning by doing.
We are dealing with a multitude of student mentalities. A sample: a) Those who already have a genuine interest for the subject, will enjoy discovery as a way to learn b) Those who are intimidated by science, will find discovery refreshing. Along with changing their mindset through tools like Socratic Questioning[3] and building an awareness on “What Science is and how much fun it can be?”[4], discovery will open their minds. c) For those who don’t comprehend through only instruction, discovery may make comprehension easier.
The Origin of Discovery-Based Learning – Research
When we offered suggestions on learning led by discovery, we chose to approach it in our own way. Discovery-Based Learning is a widely accepted methodology for teaching and learning, with several staunch advocates. Past research, findings and experiences, reveal to us how the academicians, educators and philosophers, who first espoused this concept, defined it. Therefore, let us explore some research in this area:
The educational philosopher, John Dewey, in early 20th century, suggested reforms in the educational system, the introduction of experiential education. This was taken forward by Kolb and Fry in 1975 under the name of experiential learning. Several alternate names such as discovery-based learning, problem-based learning, inquiry learning and constructivist learning have surfaced, referring to learning driven less by “instruction from a teacher”.[5] Active participation in the learning process, constructing knowledge based on new information, in an explorative learning environment covers the major facets of Discovery-Based Learning.[6]
Some researchers argue that completely unguided learning is faulty, while combining guidance from a teacher and discovery-based approaches, where-in the student actively constructs his/her understanding of a situation through task-oriented interactions with pedagogical resources,[7] was more effective. Jerome Bruner, a leading proponent of this approach, made significant observations on cognitive development in a child; the aims of education and outcomes of learning. The aim of education, according to him, is to create “autonomous learners” (one learns “how to learn”)[8]. In the area of cognitive development of children, he suggested that information/data is stored and encoded in the memory in 3 ways: Enactive (action), Iconic (image) and Symbolic (language) representation.
The student will have motor responses in activities; learning from them, he/she visualizes the events and objects connected to those activities (and stores those as images for ease of memory storage) and finally translates that into language.[9]
Therefore, when any learner is faced with new material; it is effective to move from representing in an enactive way to iconic way and then finally symbolic way.[10] These 3 representations seem to be more of a natural flow from one into the other. The failure of the child to learn, is not the child’s failure, rather the system’s inability to convey the material in an appropriate form.
Step 1 – Action ——– Learning through action;
Step 2 – Iconic ——– Learning through graphic and pictorial representation and finally
Step 3 – Symbolic ——— Learning through language, mathematical symbols, etc.
As an Example: Understanding the Electromagnetic Spectrum
Step 1 – Action: A mentor/parent may assist a child while engaging in the following activities:tune into the radio; heat food in a microwave or speak on a mobile phone; observe that my body gives out heat; see things and different colours because of light; see how an X-ray is done; look for a radiation symbol on a board.
Step 2: Picture: The child is shown a pictorial representation (or guided to draw) of the different electromagnetic waves; with different wavelengths; in a sequence which educates him on which have bigger waves (Radio waves) and which have the smallest wavelength (Gamma waves).
Step 3: Symbol/Language: The mentor uses language to convey that some of the waves can be seen – as visible light, but some can’t be seen but discerned in other ways, through their uses. (Such as radio waves are used for radio signals and microwaves are used to heat up food).
The traditional educational system defines what topics should be taught at what grade and at what point of cognitive maturity in a child. Whereas, any topic could be taught to a child; in a way where the simplified version is first presented and then concepts are graded upwards according to complexity (spiral curriculum)[11]. The above is in line with the observation of Jerome Bruner – “Any subject can be taught effectively in some intellectually honest form to any child at any stage of development.”
As a learner becomes proficient with Step 1; he/she could be pre-empted to predict the course of the subject matter/idea, through questioning, which would be Step 2 of the learning. Therefore, he discovers it on his own, facilitating understanding at a higher level. This gradation in difficulty level, can aid discovery-based learning.
Vygotsky, one of the leading social learning theorists, postulates that people learn from social interactions. While he emphasized students being actively engaged in their own learning and discovery, he believed interaction and communication with those with more advanced skills, knowledge and experience led to learning. This explains why students learn better when parents or mentors, with higher experience and knowledge, explain and work with them on projects. [12]
Bruner also emphasized the support given by people in the social environment; a well-defined interaction between an adult and child, for the learning to take place. A child may waste time wading through complexity and making discovery difficult. While, aided by adults; the merits of discovery-based learning are enhanced. This can’t be emphasized enough in science education; be it support extended for combatting fear of the subject or in understanding a science principle.
Technology to Facilitate Discovery
In present times, the pedagogical resources (which are critical to discovery- based learning) available at our disposal are enormous, be it materials, models, integrated e-learning environments, multimedia or games. Research shows that enactive (action) and visual components are important in the learning process. Therefore, we see the importance of technology, which now offers a wide variety of options for children to learn in an interactive environment. Discovery can be facilitated by making such tools available, under the explicit guidance of parents, teachers and mentors.
For instance, there are opportunities available to students to use Augmented Reality (AR) in education, allowing them to interact with their environment in an immersive way, improving their contextual understanding. As you witness natural phenomena virtually, with educative labelling and guidance, science has never been this exciting or easy to comprehend. Subject-related content is available, where subjects such as Chemistry and Biology are taught through multi-media in an interactive way. Virtual Field Tours are available for students to experience what it is to be in the rainforests, coral reefs or other inaccessible eco-systems. An interesting emerging pedagogical tool in science education is simulation and virtual labs, where students can participate in lab-based learning experiences.
With more research and greater support for their usage, the above could be regular tools in the way we learn. Many schools across the world use one or more of the above tools. We have the option to use it in an informal learning environment as well, to bolster our learning.
The article seeks to provide suggestions and present research in the area of Discovery-Based Learning. The ultimate purpose of which is to alter false notions about science and science learning and to generate enthusiasm in children to make their innate sense of fun and discovery a part of science learning too!
[1] J Holbrook and M Rannikmae; The Meaning of Scientific Literacy; 2009 cited in B. Rubini, B Pursitasari, D
Ardianto, H Nugraha; Improving Students’ Scientific Literacy on Environmental Topics through Laboratory-
Based Discovery Learning, 2017
[2] J.Bruner, The Act of Discovery, 1961 (Harvard Educational Review)
[3] See Blog on “Socratic Questioning – Where Do I Start?”
[4] See Blog on “Science Isn’t Just for Fairs. Science is Fun.”
[5] P.Kirschner; J Sweller and R.E.Clark; Why Minimal Guidance During Instruction Does not Work: An Analysis of
the Failure of Constructivist, Discovery, Problem-Based, Experiential and Inquiry-Based Teaching, 2006
(Educational Psychologist)
[6] J.S. Bruner, Toward a Theory of Instruction, 1968
[7] K.Chase and D.Abrahamson; Searching for Buried Treasure: Uncovering Discovery in Discovery-Based
Learning; 2018; Instructional Science
[8] Mcleod S.A., Bruner, 2018
[9] Jiayu Zhou, A Critical Discussion of Vygotsky and Bruner’s Theory and Their Contribution to Understanding of
the Way Students Learn, 2020
[10] J.S.Bruner, The Process of Education, 1960; cited in Jiayu Zhou, A Critical Discussion of Vygotsky and Bruner’s
Theory and Their Contribution to Understanding of the Way Students Learn, 2020
[11] Mcleod S.A., Bruner, 2018
[12] Jiayu Zhou, A Critical Discussion of Vygotsky and Bruner’s Theory and Their Contribution to Understanding of
the Way Students Learn, 2020
