The education debate: Guided vs. Discovery learning
Two perspectives seem to be competing to determine the type of learning experiences students in K-12 classrooms will have. We touch on the arguments advocates of each perspective use elsewhere, here we attempt a more focused approach. The following links connect to analyses we present as YouTube videos. The two videos cover the same topic, but one is a short version and the other a longer version.
Short version - 16 min. (YouTube video)
Longer version - 24 min. (YouTube video)
It occurs to us that offering a presentation (a lecture of sorts) to examine the arguments for and against guided or direct instructions is a contradiction of a sort. The presentation itself is a form of guided instruction. To be fair, we should also offer the primary sources on which we based our arguments and allow you to discover for yourself how these two views are described. The following list should provide a fair sample to get you started.
Ausubel, D. (1963). The psychology of meaningful learning. New York: Grune & Stratton.
Kirschner, P.A., Sweller, J. & Clark, R.E. (2006). Why minimal guidance during instruction does not work: An analysis of the failure of constructivist, discovery, problem-based, experiential, and inquiry-based teaching. Educational Psychologist, 41(2), 75-86.
Kuhn, D. (2007). Is direct instruction an answer to the right question? Educational Psychologist, 42, 109-113.
Lee, H.S. & Anderson, J.R. (2013). Student learning: What has instruction got to do with it. Annual Reviews of Psychology, 64, 445-469.
Mayer, R. (2004). Should there be a three-strikes rule against pure discovery? The case for guided methods of instruction. American Psychologist, 59, 14-19.
Pease, M.A., & Kuhn, D. (2011). Experimental analysis of the effective components of problem-based learning. Science Education, 95, 57-86.
Wirkala, C. & Kuhn, D. (2011). Problem-Based Learning in Kâ12 Education : Is it Effective and How Does it Achieve its Effects? American Educational Research Journal, 48, 1157â1186.