RESEARCH PAPER TEMPLATE

North American University

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

Name: ELIF SARITEKE Date: 11/3/2019

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), 1-12. 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 technique of inquiry-based learning and is considered a constructivist based

approach to education. The term discovery learning refers to the learning taking place within the
individual, the teaching and instructional strategies designed by the teacher, and the environment
created when such strategies are used.
Discovery learning also takes place in problem solving situations where the learner draws on his own
experience and prior knowledge and is a method of instruction through which students interact with their
environment by exploring and manipulating objects, wrestling with questions and controversies, or
performing experiments.
How does this form of teaching compare to traditional, teacher-centered instruction?

The most fundamental differences between traditional and teacher – centered instruction are :
1) Learning is active rather than passive (Students are engaged in hands-on activities that are
real problems needing solutions. )
2) Learning is process-oriented rather than content-oriented.( Process-oriented learning can be
applied to many different topics instead of producing one correct answer to match one question that is
typically found in content-oriented learning.)
3) Failure is important. (Learning occurs even through failure.)
4) Feedback is necessary (Without the opportunity for feedback, learning is left incomplete )
5) Understanding is deeper ( Discovery learning allows for deeper understanding by
encouraging natural investigation through active, process-oriented methods of teaching)

What educational theories support the discovery learning model?

 Constructivism
It is the idea that people are responsible in creating their own understanding of the world and using what they
know based on previous experiences in the process of linking new information to these experiences.


What is the most important thing you discovered about discovery learning?

The most important thing I discovered about discovery learning is that discovery learning engages
students in learning through discovery. In the other words; it encourages students to ask questions and
formulate their own tentative answers, and to deduce general principles from practical
examples or experiences.

How can you apply this method to your future classroom?

I think , one of the easy method of bringing Discovery Learning into classroom is giving a problem or a
project to research on their own and the best discovery learning projects are done alone. I encourage
them to use technology as part of their research, and then I have them come back together to see what
everyone learned and what they discovered by themselves. When students take control of their own
learning, most probably, they will make some mistakes. Mistakes are part of discovery learning. Then I
will correct their mistakes and continuously encourage students to keep at it.
Part 2. ADDITIONAL CHAPTERS
 Select one of 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 teacher’s 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.
2. Intelligence profile. Evaluate your own intelligence profile according to Gardner. In what frames of
mind (intelligence areas) do you come out strongest?

Chapter 3- Managing Classroom Environment

1. Discipline approaches. Analyze the three approaches to classroom management. Which approach,
if any, do you prefer? Can you put together parts of the different approaches and come up with an
eclectic approach that you think would work for you? Can you identify some basic concepts that appear
to be true of all three approaches?

2. Causes of misbehavior. Think back over the classes you have attended in which there have been
disciplinary incidents. List the possible causes for any such misbehavior. How might knowledge of the
causes of these incidents influence a teacher’s actions? Some behavior problems are teacher created
and some are student centered. Can you think of examples?

Chapter 5- Using Classroom Technology

1. How does technology enhance the teacher’s ability to plan instruction? Use one of the available
search engines to explore the web for technological tools such as lesson planning software, worksheets
and puzzle tools, poster and bulletin board production tools, and time management tools that will assist
you in planning. Share your findings with your class.

2. Technology offers tools that can help students learn. To what technology should students have
access? Do you have any educational concerns about the use of these technologies in schools? If so,
what are they? If not, why not?

Chapter 12- Teaching Effective Thinking Strategies

 Teaching methods. What teaching methods and procedures can be used to improve students’
critical thinking abilities? Creative thinking abilities?
Teaching Strategies to improve Critical Thinking

 Classroom Assessment Techniques: (An example of a CAT is to ask students to write a

"Minute Paper" responding to questions such as "What was the most important thing you learned
in today's class? What question related to this session remains uppermost in your mind?" The
teacher selects some of the papers and prepares responses for the next class meeting.)
 Cooperative Learning Strategies
 Case Study or Discussion Method : ( the teacher presents a case or story to the class without
a conclusion.)
 Using Questions:
 Reciprocal Peer Questioning: Following lecture, the teacher displays a list of question stems
(such as, "What are the strengths and weaknesses of...). Students must write questions about
the lecture material. In small groups, the students ask each other the questions. Then, the whole
class discusses some of the questions from each small group. )
 Conference Style Learning: (The teacher does not "teach" the class in the sense of lecturing.
The teacher is a facilitator of a conference. )
 Use Writing Assignments: (the use of writing as fundamental to developing critical thinking
skills.)
 Dialogues: ( Written dialogues and Spontaneous Group Dialogue )
 Ambiguity: (producing much ambiguity in the classroom. Don't give students clear cut material.
Give them conflicting information that they must think their way through.)

Teaching Strategies to improve Creative Thinking

To improve creative thinking, a teacher can encourage creativity by students during activities that
provide opportunities for them to be creative; while they are learning useful principles and strategies.
Also the greater the flexibility in thinking, the greater the possibility for developing students`
creative thinking ability.
The four stages of creative thought are preparation, incubation,illumination and verification.

2. Thinking. What type of thinking is emphasized in most schools? Is critical thinking rewarded?
Creative thinking? Is school success based on students’ ability to think critically? Creatively?

The thinking level most appropriate to a specific class depends on the maturity of the students and
the needs of the content area. The most commonly taught thinking skills are critical and creative
thinking in the schools.
Critical thinking is an ability to analyze complex situations and creative thinking is a capacity to
produce imaginative , original products or ways of problem solving. creative thinking is a learnable
skill. It can be improved and developed by practice.
There is a relationship between critical/ creative thinking and academic achievement. Today one of
the most important criteria for success in College is the ability to think independently while being
logical at the same time. The skills developed in Critical Thinking directly help students do better
even at the Mathematical reasoning tests.
3. The environment. What type of classroom environment would be conducive to developing critical
thinking? Creative thinking? What problems can you foresee in establishing this environment?
Flexible classrooms encourage students to build critical thinking skills. Flexible classrooms allows for
children to find a place in the classroom where they can work at their best, or even find a place
where they can take a moment for themselves.
Here’s how a class is created conducive to creativity:
- Dedicate a reflection space
- Limit your displays
- Pay attention to colours
 Creativity is imagination in action. When children can think outside the box, then they can explore
different ideas, solve problems, express themselves with ease, and more importantly, develop a can-
do attitude.

Here are some suggestions from educators for how to develop and nurture your students’
creativity:

 Create a compassionate, accepting environment .

 Be present with students’ ideas
 Encourage autonomy
 Re-word assignments to promote creative thinking
 Give students direct feedback on their creativity.
 Help students know when it’s appropriate to be creative
 Use creative instructional strategies, models, and methods
 Channel the creativity impulses in “misbehavior
 Protect and support your students’ intrinsic motivation
 Make it clear to students that creativity requires effort
 Explicitly discuss creativity myths and stereotypes with your students
 Experiment with activities where students can practice creative thinking
When the teacher gives the students opportunity in freedom in the classroom, some students can
misuse this opportunity.

Part 3. REFERENCES:
 Cite at least 5 References 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:
 Discovery learning. (2019, February 21). Retrieved from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discovery_learning

 An instructional design model with the cultivating ... (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1151755.pdf

 Khwanchai, K., Tanthip, K., & Toansakul, S. (2017). An instructional design model with the
cultivating research-based learning strategies for fostering teacher students creative thinking
abilities. Educational Research and Reviews,12(15), 712-724. doi:10.5897/err2017.3239

 Moore, K. D. (2015). Effective Instructional Strategies: From Theory to Practice.(4th edition)

California: SAGE Publication, Inc.

 Critical Thinking. March 8, retrieved from

https://www.utc.edu/walker-center-teaching-learning/teaching-resources/ct-ps.php

Flexible Classrooms. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.uwb.edu/learningtech/active-
learning/flexible-classrooms-for-active-learning

 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

 Manning, A. (2019). Creativity and Organizational Success . Founding Partner, Drumcircle LLC,
2.