ERIC Number: EJ1170533
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018-Feb
Pages: 23
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0020-4277
EISSN: N/A
Searching for Buried Treasure: Uncovering Discovery in Discovery-Based Learning
Chase, Kiera; Abrahamson, Dor
Instructional Science: An International Journal of the Learning Sciences, v46 n1 p11-33 Feb 2018
Forty 4th and 9th grade students participated individually in tutorial interviews centered on a problem-solving activity designed for learning basic algebra mechanics through diagrammatic modeling of an engaging narrative about a buccaneering giant burying and unearthing her treasure on a desert island. Participants were randomly assigned to experimental (Discovery) and control (No-Discovery) conditions. Mixed-method analyses revealed greater learning gains for Discovery participants. Elaborating on a heuristic activity architecture for technology-based guided-discovery learning (Chase and Abrahamson 2015), we reveal a network of interrelated inferential constraints that learners iteratively calibrate as they each refine and reflect on their evolving models. We track the emergence of these constraints by analyzing annotated transcriptions of two case-study student sessions and argue for their constituting role in conceptual development.
Descriptors: Discovery Learning, Grade 4, Grade 9, Problem Solving, Algebra, Mathematics Activities, Mixed Methods Research, Instructional Effectiveness, Experimental Groups, Control Groups, Heuristics, Technology Uses in Education, Barriers, Case Studies, Concept Formation, Mathematics Instruction, Elementary School Students, Secondary School Students
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Grade 4
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A