RESEARCH PAPER TEMPLATE

North American University

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

Date: ______2/27/2016____________

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 leaning is the approach in which the
students are in the seek for their own learning. They research, explore or analyze
the learning. They are active in participation and their learning is mostly based on
their own gained experiences and knowledge. This method involves guided
discovery, problem based learning, simulation based learning, case based
learning, experimenting etc.

How does this form of teaching compare to traditional, teacher-centered

instruction? Students are not the target but the center of the learning. They are
active in this process. They use their experiences and knowledge to gain and
settle the new ones. Instead of searching for one correct answer the learner
consider every step to the solution as a gain. There was an animation movie
named The Robinsons its motto was if you don't fail this means you don't learn
when the genius kid cried every time he failures. Discovery learning reminds me
that boy's experiments who becomes the inventive of the future world.
Evaluation, analyze, discussion and feedback is essential for the students to
learn something new even from the failures. As the learner is the center of his/her
own learning it becomes instinctively as being involved in every part/aspect in the
learning, controversy to traditional who sits, listens, and expected to absorb the
given info, not the one who seeks and lives in the learning.
What educational theories support the discovery learning model?
John Dewey (1916-1997): Progressive Learning Theory. Describes learning
as the child's collaboration with the others and uses the past experiences and
knowledge to build new ones.
Jean Piaget (1954-1973): Constructivism Learning Theory. Piaget ideas of
child's cognitive development was that child's need, motivation and expectation
has influence on perception. They test and create their own learning by actively
participation in the world.
Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934): Sociocultural/Collaborative Learning Theory
Believes that the more influenced cultural and socially the richer or better
cognitive development a child has.
All these cognitive/social/ constructive learning theorists mentioned above
influence Bruner the founder of discovery learning theory.
What is the most important thing you discovered about discovery learning?
It is a reality that we learn and keep things longer in memory if we experience,
apply or involve within by ourselves. By using the discovery method we put the
kids just in the middle of their own learning to make this process more
meaningful and permanent for them. By touching, feeling or experiencing
themselves they can be able to embed their prior knowledge with the newly
gained one in an effective way. This can be simple exampled by letting the child
to touch the hot tea to learn that it is not touchable, because there is no way to
describe the little pain he/she experience unless he/she does so. Kids are not
empty sponge ready to absorb everything given by the educators. They need to
be active and participatory in their own learning due to their own needs,
expectations, motivation,etc. This makes it easy to keep in mind and has
influence on them.
How can you apply this method to your future classroom?
As an ESL teacher I don't think a language can be learned properly if not used in
own environment. So I encourage my students to use every single thing in a way
whether correct or not to make it permanent. By doing mistakes they can learn
the correct form of it and its turns out to be a remark of remembrance. Language
is a living thing and needs to be in the society to survive. It is easy to structure an
environment for them to learn or practice the language. They can have
conversational partners, pen-pals, question answer sessions can be done with
guest speakers, they can visit any place just to use the new words they have

learned. There are uncountable ways of using discovery learning which makes it
more available. I still remember how my teacher taught us the colors by playing
the STOP game in the front yard. He took of his brown sock and wave because
nobody found it. It was memorable due to being funny and for me to be involved
actively in that incident. Although having such disadvantages as time
considerations (preparation, application times), fear of not covering the course
content or the suitability of class sizes I still think discovery learning is essential,
especially, in the technology era in which the kids are getting for from the
traditional methods and tent to be isolated (prefers to be online not with family,
friends or in school) and letting them to learn in a way they feel active, useful and
happy.
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 teachers 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.
To be a diverse classroom teacher one should consider each person as an individual and
respect treat each of them for who they are.. According to the article from the Center for
Research on Learning and Teaching at the University of Michigan there are five aspects
to be considered while selecting, forming, designing and applying a strategy that
influence the inclusiveness of a classroom:
1)the course content,
2)the teachers assumptions and awareness of multicultural issues in classroom situations,
3)the planning of course sessions,
4)the teachers knowledge of students backgrounds, and
5)the teachers choices, comments and behaviors while teaching.
To strategies to be used can be listed as:
1)Demonstration of high expectations: At the very beginning high but realistic
expectations must be establishes and the plans must be modified for all students
considering their conditions whatever they are. It is the teacher's duty to create equitable
opportunity for each student.
2)Implementation of all relevant instructions: Establishing a good dialogue with the
students and including the family also. Courage and engage the student to be active in the
classroom by using equitable practices properly such as
1. Cooperative learning
2. Capitalize on the funds of knowledge in families and the community
3. Instructional conversations
4. Cognitively guided instruction
5. Technology-enriched instruction

3)Establishment of caring relations: To make a classroom effective the strengths and

weaknesses of each students must be recognized, respected, and valued.
4)Parent and community involvement: For better student achievement effective homeschool partnerships is essential. Studies prove that this partnership is effective on
increasing the grades, test scores, attendance, graduation rates, post-secondary
enrollments, and homework completion.
2. Intelligence profile. Evaluate your own intelligence profile according to
Gardner. In what frames of mind (intelligence areas) do you come out strongest?
I applied the Multiple Intelligence Self-Assessment Questionnaire created by
Braton Shearer of M.I. Research and Consulting. According to the scores my
highest percentages are in Logical-Mathematical (69%), Interpersonal (69%),
and Linguistic (68%). With other words I like asking questions, explore or
investigate, experimenting, puzzles, mysteries, etc. I am very good at personal
relationships and have leading ability and can persuade people by talking. I think
I prefer using authentic teaching method which I feel more relaxed and suitable
for my teaching environment.
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 teachers 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 teachers 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

1. Teaching methods. What teaching methods and procedures can be used to
improve students critical thinking abilities? Creative thinking abilities?
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?
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?

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:
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?
Creating Inclusive College Classrooms. (n.d.). Retrieved February 27,
2016, from http://crlt.umich.edu/gsis/p3_1
McLeod, S. A. (2008). Bruner. Retrieved from
www.simplypsychology.org/bruner.html
Moore, K. D. (2012)Effective Instructional Strategies: From Theory to
Practice (3rd edition)Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications.
Multiple Intelligences Self-Assessment. (n.d.). Retrieved February 28, 2016,
from http://www.edutopia.org/multiple-intelligences-assessment
STRATEGIES FOR WORKING WITH DIVERSE LEARNERS: A Research Review.
(n.d.). Retrieved February 28, 2016, from
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/clusteradmin/eq

uity.pdf
White, M. (2012). Hot teaching trend and Common Core: Discovery learning
vs. direct instruction. Retrieved February 27, 2016, from
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765569782/Discovery-learning-a-majornational-trend-in-education.html