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Re: discovery learning



In fact, many students approach the instructor BEFORE actually giving any serious though to the problem at hand.

Motivation theory describes two kinds of students in the classroom - one set of students are "task focused" in that their primary goal is to master the material, or solve the problem, or in some other way use the task before them to LEARN something. Many people would describe them as intrinsically motivated. Young children are primarily "task focused." (By young, I mean 3rd grade and below. By about the fourth grade we squeeze that desire to learn right out of many of them.) The other group are what I call "ability focused" in that their motivation pattern drives them to do what it takes to "look good to others" or do well on some kind of outside assessment. While these students may actually learn physics (sometimes they just can't help themselves) that is not their primary objective. So, you get them developing strategies that will help them get the "right answer" in as little time as possible since that is what makes them look good to the outside world. Of course, there are many strategies that these students can use; one of which is to ask the teacher for help quickly. If you use this strategy often enough, it becomes habitual so students look for help before giving any serious thought or leg work to a problem at hand. When I wrote my dissertation, I called this motivational strategy "learned helplessness." (Unfortunately, that term had already been used by the psychology people in describing a creature caught in a situation in which he couldn't escape. So I had to settle for "maladaptive motivational pattern". But I still like learned helplessness.)

This kind of motivational pattern is very typical of teenagers who see school as a task that they must get through so they can go on to adulthood. Our job as teachers is to convince kids that what they do is school does matter more than just generating a credit, that there is real meaning for learning physics outside of the classroom. I think physics teachers have a great opportunity to help kids see the value of school. Everything we talk about in class has real application outside of class. And if what we're teaching can't be applied, then we need to find something else to teach. Hopefully our students will get beyond thinking like my mother - "If I turn on the light switch and it comes on, then I'm happy. If it doesn't come on, then I call my son."

Merry Christmas!

Steve Clark, Ph.D.
-----Original Message-----
From: Jack Uretsky <jlu@HEP.ANL.GOV>
Sent: Dec 16, 2003 3:46 PM
To: PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu
Subject: discovery learning

A delayed answer to Matt:
Actually, I welcome such questions and am careful not to give a
direct answer. Questions like, "Is this right?" provide an excellent
chance to open a dialogue with the student to get the thinking process
started. Sometimes I answer with a mock-puzzled, "How would I know, I
just work here", quickly followed by a "Well, let's take a look at what
you've got." If I get a giggle in response, I know that I'm off to a good
start. The conversation can go on with:
"I'm having a little trouble reading this, I'm not sure of what
you've got in the first line."
Then, as you get the student explaining, you get insight
into the student's thinking, and lead them on to logical steps. Dick Hake
refers to this kind of procedure as inducing a Socratic Dialogue.
My response to "How do I get started on this problem?" is always:
" OK, what's the first word you don't understand?"
It's amazing how many times this question hits pay dirt, there
often is a word that the student needs to look up in a dictionary to get
started. Other times there is confusion about what the problem is asking
for, or carelessness in reading the problem. The next step is to inquire
about the connection with reading assignments or lecture notes.
In other words, the questions that Matt quotes describe the
existence of a barrier between teacher and student. Occasions when the
nature of the barrier becomes evident are the rewarding moments of
teaching.
Regards,
Jack

On Fri, 12 Dec 2003, Matt Harding wrote:

Beware, in my experiences, students don't always "like" to think (ie =
you
find yourself answering questions such as, "is this right?", "how am =
I
supposed to find (insert name of variable)?"). Sometimes they're mor=
e
than happy to just fulfill requirements...






--
"Don't push the river, it flows by itself"
Frederick Perls