National Research Council

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National Research Council
HOW PEOPLE LEARN Brain, Mind, Experience and
School
HOW STUDENTS LEARN History, Math, and Science in
the Classroom
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Two Types of Learning

• Mastering an existing body of knowledge
• To reproduce it
• To use it in new contexts (transfer)
• Solving problems with unknown answers or creating
  new knowledge
• Unschooled learning
• Expert problem solving/research

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• Moving turtle

• Student sees the targets position

• Student knows the goal is to hit the target
  with minimum speed at impact

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Hit occurs now
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Examples from How Students Learn

• Mathematics

• Dominance of whole number reasoning
• ½ 1/3 2/5
• 1/8 gt ¼
• .4 lt .059
• Multiplication always increases values.
  Division always decreases values.

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Working with preconceptions Discrepant events

- Vacuum inside a bell jar
Nature and Effects of Gravity Diagnostic Question
Glass dome with air removed
Scale reading 10.0 lbs
Scale reading ______lbs
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Principle I
Student Preconceptions Must Be Engaged in the
Learning Process
Classroom Environments
Learner Centered draw out student
thinking Assessment Centered monitor conceptual
understanding/change.
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Fish Is Fish
Core Concepts

• Adaptation

• Warm blooded vs. cold blooded

• Mobility outside of water

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Key Expert/Novice Differences

• Experts see patterns that novices miss.

• Novices categorize problems by surface features,
  experts by major principle for solution.

• Incline plane problems vs. conservation of energy

• Experts pause time patterns differ from novices.

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Liping Ma knowledge package for subtraction with
regrouping
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Exploration of Core Concepts in Multiple
ContextsEvolution
Natural Selection

• Students work with descriptions of population
• over time with data on characteristics

Population Variation

• Distribution of stripes on sunflower seeds

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Principle II
Learning for understanding requires

• A deep foundation of factual knowledge.

• Understanding facts and ideas in the context of a
  conceptual framework.

• Organized knowledge for effective retrieval.

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Classroom Environments

• Knowledge Centered
• Require clarity about the structure of knowledge,
  and the core concepts
• Requires multiple, information rich contexts to
  reinforce concepts

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Metacognitive Strategies

• Predicting outcomes.

• Explaining to oneself.

• Noting comprehension failures.

• Activating background knowledge.

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How People Learn Principle III

• Metacognitive Strategies help students take
  control of their own learning.

• Can be taught effectively in context of
  subject matter.

• Findings in physics, written composition,
  mathematical problem solving, reading
  comprehension.

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STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT METACOGNITION

• Inquiry teaching
• Reflective assessment
• Comparing solutions
• Group discussion

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Learning Environments

• Community Centered
• role for the teacher as guide
• Importance of student to student interaction
• Assessment Centered students judge their own
  and each others work

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