The Learning Cycle

The Use of Innovative Instructional Strategies Jeanelle Day, Ph.D.

To create meaningful learning, instruction has to be adapted to help students:

Become aware of their prior knowledge Work cooperatively in a safe, positive learning environment Compare new ideas to their prior knowledge

We must also help students to:

Connect new ideas to what they already know Construct their own new knowledge Apply the new knowledge in ways that are different from the situation in which it was learned.

Traditional Course Lessons

Lesson Begins
Instructor: tells/lectures content, questions students Student: answers questions, recites work and problems

Lesson Ends
Instructor: provides verification and summary

Student: Asks for clarification

More Meaningful Learning

Exploration
Lesson Begins Here

Invention

Science Lesson Ends Here Leading to the NEXT Exploration

Expansion

It allows students to:

Become aware Recognize shortcomings Apply critical reasoning Search more efficiently Apply what they learn Transfer knowledge

A Deeper Look..

History of the Learning Cycle

Created by Karplus (late 50s-early 60s), and fully conceptualized by Atkin and Karplus (1962) as guided discovery and used in SCIS elementary science program. At the same time, written about by Chester Lawson in his book, Language, Thought, and the Human Mind (1958). In 1967, Karplus and Their first named the learning cycle and the component phases. Reinterpreted by Barnes in 1976, with alternate versions by Driver (1986), Karplus (1977), Erickson (1979), Nussbaum and Novic (1981), Renner (1982), and Rowell and Dawson (1983). There is no One Right Way to design a learning cycle.

The Learning Cycle-First Stage: Exploration

If we accept that each of us must develop understandings that we have about a concept for ourselves, then an alternative instructional method is most appropriate. The learning cycle was created out of concern with pupils gaining experience and this becomes the first stage of the model. Learners are provided with suitable experiences in order to create for themselves what is to be learned. This is where experience must be given in order to allow students to assimilate what is to be learned with prior knowledge. A common weakness in this stage is not allowing sufficient time, and that the time must be spent with the materials and activities that will lead to the concept. A strong exploration provides opportunities for students to assimilate the concept from more than one activity.

The Learning Cycle Second Stage Invention or Term Introduction.

1.

The students and/or teacher derive the concept from the data, usually a classroom discussion. The learner is introduced to some appropriately-specific terminology in relation to the phenomenon being investigated. The teacher uses this to assist the learner to interpret what has been found. Five factors to be included in a term introduction include:
2. 3. 4.

5.

The findings of the exploration need to be reviewed and summarized. All findings used must be the students. The concept must be stated in the students own words. The proper terminology of the concept should be introduced. One or more reasons for the importance of the concept need to be given.

The Learning Cycle Third Stage: Concept Application or Expansion

The purpose is to provide students the opportunity to organize the concept they have just learned with other ideas that relate to it. The scientific terminology of the concept must be used during the concept-application phase. The new ideas of the learner are meshed with existing knowledge in order to expand both that knowledge and the newly acquired idea. Additional experiences to help this elaboration process are an essential part of this stage. These experiences would have some of the attributes of experiments because the outcomes would not be known even though the pupils know the concept that is the subject of investigation.

What to include in each phase:

Exploration (initial actions)

Help students try out and confront their prior knowledge Ask probing questions to diagnose students prior knowledge on the science idea. Focus students attention on science experiences. Encourage students working cooperatively in groups to recall and relate prior knowledge to the new science idea. Make public students prior knowledge

What to include in each phase:

Invention (next actions)

Ask students to reflect on and explain related experiences, concepts and terminology in their own words (e.g. whole group discussion of the exploration activity) Ask students to clarify the new idea and justify statements with evidence. Provide definitions, clear explanations, and terms for the new science idea. Provide clear examples of the new science idea or model the new skill. Provide for student practice using the new science idea just explained. Provide a concise, brief closure of the key science idea.

What to include in each phase:

Expansion (concluding actions)

Provide additional practice to help students use terms, definitions and explanations experienced previously in the lesson. Provide application activities in new, relevant contexts, at the same time helping students to recall their original alternative explanations. Provide activities to help students transfer the new science knowledge to increasingly real world events. Provide a summary of the important events in the science lesson.

An important note:

Each phase of the learning cycle uses one or more teaching methods to accomplish its purpose. The choice of the methods to use depends upon 1) the type of science idea(s) or skill(s) to be taught, 2) prior knowledge and specific learning needs of the student, and 3) part of the learning cycle with which the teacher is involved.

Preparing Learning Cycles

Select the concept students are to learn and write out a concise statement of it. Select the activities students will use to collect data and to guide them toward forming the concept in the term introduction. Prepare instructions to use as an outline and/or to give to students for collecting the data. Be certain that the instructions direct students ONLY in the collection of data, and DO NOT provide information that allows them to ascertain the concept from the instructions alone. Prepare teacher guidelines for the term introduction or invention phase. The guidelines will consist of carefully structured questions to lead the students through the interpretation of their data and TO the concept. Select the activities to be used during the concept application or expansion phase. Be sure these activities freely use the concept AND its terminology. Prepare evaluation materials that are to be used.

In Order for ANY Instruction to Work, There MUST be a Match

Needs of the Student

Match Required for Meaningful Science Learning

Science Instructional Strategy to be Used by the Teacher

Science Content and Skills to be Learned

Exploration Phase Summary

Encourages learning through students own inquiry and focuses their interest. Involves minimal guidance or expectation on the teachers part. Often provides an experience that confronts students old way of thinking. Begins with a preplanned open or divergent question from the teacher. Involves students in working in cooperative groups. Encourages observation of the natural world and raises questions for the students. Provides for student interaction with ideas and materials as well as the collection and organization of data. Encourages students reflection in selecting resources, discussion, and debate. Encourages trying out prior ideas, suspending judgment, predicting, hypothesizing, and testing. Provides students with adequate time to relate prior knowledge to the new idea or skill. Allows students to know the purpose and objective of the science lesson. Allows teacher to know students present understanding of the idea or skill.

Invention Phase Summary:

Follows adequate exploration of the science idea or skill where some development may have occurred. Encourages discussion of past experiences with the science idea or skill in the exploration phase and elsewhere. Allows learning from explanation through an interesting variety of teaching methods and student hands-on, minds-on learning activities. Introduces an idea or skill in a structured manner through additional experiences using a variety of mediums including student senses, teacher explanations, technology interfaces, films, textbook readings, field trips, cooperative group discussions, Internet searches, guests to be interviewed, and others. Encourages students to develop as much of the new idea or skill as possible through providing one or more complete cycles of explanation, giving clear examples and modeling, and checking for understanding. Provides a closure on the new idea or skill.

Expansion Phase Summary:

Provides for learning through repetition. Provides additional time and experiences for the science idea or skill to become part of the students thought processes (conceptual change) Provides application activities in new, relevant conte3xts while helping students to recall their original alternative explanations. Encourages retrieval from long-term memory by helping students form an abstraction from concrete examples. Extends the range of applicability of the new science idea or skill outside of the learning setting by transferring it to other relevant contexts and times. Provides a summary of the important events in the science lesson.

Next Steps

You will now be given a rating sheet for a learning cycle lesson. In pairs, take the two sample lessons and rate them according to the rubric. Compare the two lessons on strengths and weaknesses.