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This week’s instructional strategy, Generating and Testing Hypotheses, requires students to create their own ideas and to be actively engaged. These are the foundations of the constructivist/constructionist learning theories (Orey, 2001). The text, “Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works”, lists six different tasks to aid students with generating and testing hypotheses: systems analysis, problem solving, historical investigation, invention, experimental inquiry, and decision making. Below are examples of how some of these tasks correlate with the principles of constructivist/constructionist learning theories.
System analysis calls for students to make a prediction after carefully examining a system. The prediction should be for change in the system when one or more things are distorted within or removed from the system (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007). This type of task correlates with the constructivist approach of problem-based learning. Students need to actively look for and resolve problems that may arise in the system they are examining. Likewise, the second task of problem solving also has a direct correlation with problem-based learning. What we as teachers need to make sure of when creating either of these two task for our students is to ensure that they have real-world implications or realistic dilemmas (Orey, 2001).
The third task, historical investigation, requires students to formulate their own hypotheses on historical events (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007). This goes along with the constructionist approach as students can create a project to represent their hypotheses. Students could create a video, slide show, animated reenactment, or a performance.
Invention is another task that correlates closely with problem-based learning. Invention has students look for a need and then create a solution for that particular need (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007). This idea can also extend into project-based learning if the students are to create an authentic artifact as part of the solution to the discovered need (Orey, 2001).
It is easy to see how all of these tasks call for the students to create their own ideas or projects rather than the teacher forming the ideas or concepts for them. These tasks allow the teacher to simply be a facilitator and the students to be active in the learning process.
References:
H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that
works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Orey, M. (Ed.). (2001). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from
Chad,
ReplyDeleteYou have a very clear overview if the six types of tasks to generate and test hypothesis. Some of these were kind of difficult for me as a Language Arts teacher, but then I saw a site where students created their own videos about bullying. The kids identified bullying as a problem at their school and then were asked to problem solve and create a product. I thought this was a very inventive way to have students analyze a problem. They could even incorporate surveys, statistics and perceived or statistical improvement for the problem. I thought it would match perfectly with your section on systems analysis.
Have you used any of these ideas in the classroom? They seem like great things to use and I am curious how you would apply them with math?
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