Name Aminee Hector

Date 4/11/17

EDUG 514 Curriculum Unit Planning

Module Assessment

Ausubel Rote vs Meaningful Learning

Directions:
1) Summarize the theory, providing support from the relevant texts,
2) Provide a classroom example of the theory, and
3) Explain how the example demonstrates evidence of a TPE

In Ausubels article, his main idea is focused on rote and meaningful learning. Before on
is able to understand rote or meaningful learning, they need to understand the two types of
learning that these are applied to. According to Ausubel, In reception learning, (rote or
meaningful) the entire content of what is to be learned is presented to the learner in final form.
The learning task does not involve any independent discovery on his part (pg. 22). Whereas he
describes discovery learning as, The essential feature of discovery learning, whether concept
formation or rote problem-solving, is that the principal content of what is to be learned is not
given but must be discovered by the learner before he can incorporate it meanginfully into his
cognitive structure (pg. 22). He is basically stating that reception learning is more of a direct
instruction form of teaching where discovery learning can be considered an inquiry based form
of teaching. His theory then continues to discuss reception learning and discovery learning and
the roles that rote and meaningful learning play in both of them. Rote learning is a type of
learning that is not meaningful because it does not connect to the students prior knowledge.
Meaning learning does connect to the students prior knowledge which therefore makes it
meaningful and impactful. He states, Hence, a much more defensible proposition is that both
reception and discovery learning can be either rote or meaningful depending on the conditions
under which learning occurs (pg. 24). Therefore, we can consider both reception learning and
discovery learning to be able to be rote or meaningful. These both play a role in the classroom
and as a teacher, you want to make sure that you are incorporating both reception and discovery
learning with meaningful learning.

An example of rote learning would be teaching first graders calculus. Not only does
calculus not connect to any of their prior knowledge in the area of mathematics, it does connect
to their real world perspective. First graders would not need to know calculus at that stage of
their life. Teaching first graders how to tell time and count money would be beneficial for them
because that is something that they can connect to and actually use. That would be an example of
meaningful learning. This classroom example demonstrates evidence of TPE 1.3 which states,
Connect subject matter to real-life contexts and provide active learning experiences to engage
student interest, support student motivation, and allow students to extend their learning. As a
teacher, you want to create a classroom environment that is connected to your students. What
you are teaching and the way you are teaching it should relate to where your students are at and
their interests, or else they will not be engaged or find meaning in what they are learning. By
relating your content to your students, they are more likely to be engaged throughout the entire
learning process which will allow them to gain more knowledge and ultimately be successful.