Helping Students Develop Understanding
- Students must integrate new learning with prior knowledge
- Acquiring and integrating information requires students to construct meaning from the learning before organizing and storing the information
- Constructing meaning is an active process in which students recall prior knowledge, make predictions, correct misconceptions, fill in information gaps, and identify confusing aspects
- Students organize information by recognizing patterns and they store the information most effectively by creating a mental image
- Acquiring procedure-type knowledge involves (1) constructing a model of the steps required for the process or skill, (2) developing a conceptual understanding of the process, and (3) using the process or skill fluently
Teaching Strategies
The following strategies help to establish a learning climate that promotes developing understanding.
Research by John Hattie in Visible Learning highlighted over 800 meta-analyses. His research confirmed the importance of these strategies for having strong influence on achievement of school-aged children:
- Concept Mapping had a 0.57 effect size when students developed graphical representations of the content to be learned.
- Interactive Video Materials had a 0.52 effect size when video was used in combination with computer-assisted instruction or as a suplement to regular classroom instruction.
Research by John Hattie in Visible Learning highlighted over 800 meta-analyses. His research confirmed the importance of these strategies for having strong influence on achievement of school-aged children:
- Concept Mapping had a 0.57 effect size when students developed graphical representations of the content to be learned.
- Interactive Video Materials had a 0.52 effect size when video was used in combination with computer-assisted instruction or as a suplement to regular classroom instruction.