Disadvantages of Discovery Learning

Not easy to implement Learners need to possess a number of cognitive skills and be intrinsically motivated to learn

Pure Model vs. Guided Model Teachers have found that discovery learning is most successful when students have prerequisite knowledge and undergo some structured experiences. Most researchers would argue that pure discovery learning as a general and global teaching strategy for beginning and intermediary learners doesn't work. The debate on how much guiding is needed is somewhat open.

Some Criticisms (Sometimes huge) cognitive overload, potential to confuse the learner if no initial framework is available, etc. Measurable performance (compared to hard-core instructional designs) is worse for most learning situations. Creations of misconceptions ("knowing less after instruction")

Weak students have a tendency to "fly under the radar” and teacher's fail to detect situations needing strong remediation or scaffolding. In order to solve even moderately complex problems a person must engage many schemas. If nothing is available in long term memory, the learner is stuck.

In order to benefit from a discovery situation, students must have basic knowledge about the problem and must know how to apply problem-solving strategies. Without this knowledge and skill, they will flounder and grow frustrated. Instead of learning from the materials, they may simply play with them. Critics believe that discovery learning is so inefficient and so difficult to organize successfully that other methods are preferable. This seems especially true for lower-ability students. Discovery methods may make too many demands on these students because they lack the background knowledge and problem-solving skills needed to benefit.

Mayer (2004) points out that interest in discovery learning has waxed and waned since the 1960s. He argues that in each case the empirical literature has shown that the use of pure discovery methods is not suggested, yet time and time again researchers have renamed their instructional methods only to be discredited again, to rename their movement again.

Discovery Learning is related to: Active Learning Inquiry based Learning Problem based Learning Expeditionary Learning

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