Introduction
Social studies are the academic domain which instructions are characterized by the dominant use of the textbook. However, many student instructors have not received in-depth training in learning strategies involving content literacy. This paper discusses the various activities or strategies to be employed at every stage of the learning cycle. As an instructional conceptual framework, this cycle presents active learning encounters which are favored by the regulatory authority, the National Science Education Standards. There are four stages of the learning cycle (Rowley, 2001). These include engagement, exploration, explanation and elaboration.
Engagement
During this stage, the teacher, being on center stage, performs certain activities. The instructor introduces the question, then assists the learners to make associations, performs a preliminary assessment of the learners, and also directs the learners on where they are heading. In this stage, the purpose is to achieve the focus of students on the topic, pre-appraise prior knowledge of students, and inform the learners about the objectives of the lesson. Again, the engagement process will assist the student to remember what they already know and may need to use in the current learning situation. The instructor poses a question for the learners to look at in the subsequent phase.
In social studies, the instructor may make use of a story that all the students can be able to connect with, or an object which is familiar to the students and has relevance to the lesson, or a relevant question which the class can commonly comprehend and explore.
Exploration
In this phase, the learner plays a central role in the learning process. The role of the instructor is to ensure that students gather and order the information so that they are at a good disposition to solve the problem. The students are to be active when collecting and organizing their data. In social studies, students may go out and seek primary sources of information like visiting pre-historic sites or going out in the villages to record certain observations that are relevant for that particular study session. Learners may also consult literature and gather information. Learners may find such learning aids as photographs, maps and other pictorials and graphics useful. In this process, evaluation involves asking questions such as, ‘How effectively do the students engage in data collection? Are the procedures performed as they are required? How are the learners recording the information?’
Explanation
This particular phase is marked by the attempt at a solution to the problem using the relevant data that was collected. The students submit an account of what they did and use that information to find a solution to the problem that was posed by the instructor. In social studies, the teacher would introduce new models, new vocabulary, sentences and even phrases in order to characterize the findings of the students. In other words, the teacher puts the information that the learners have collected into a wider academic scope. The instructor may offer guidance on certain aspects of the problem that the students did not understand well. Additionally, questions may be posed by the lecturer or students to either side.
In this phase of the process, students use the data they have collected to solve the problem and report on what they have done as well as try to figure out the answer to the problem that was presented. The teacher also introduces new vocabulary, phrases or sentences to label what the students have already figured out.
Elaboration
In this phase, the instructor expands the scope of the learners’ work. Gaps in knowledge are filled by the lecturer. The instructor introduces problems in relation to the findings of the students. The problems may include both examples and non-examples.
In social studies, examples may be drawn of actual events or personalities, or even places in order to reinforce the information already collected by the students. Teachers may also decide to give a test to the students in order to assess their understanding.
Effects of student controlled classroom
According to Coon (Coon, 2004), there are several effects of student-controlled classrooms. To begin with, the student’s behavior may become a bit too hard to control. This may pose a problem for class management by the teacher. Secondly, certain students may not be able to catch up with their peers, leading to a hard time grasping the required material. Finally, the teacher may find it hard to find out students who are not learning, due to dominance by the few active fast learners (Brand, 2005).
Technology is an important aspect of storing and sharing information in learning. This innovation helps students research on some topic, create a new project, collaborate with each other, solve some problem and interact globally. Introducing technology, especially computers, into the classroom gives students a sense of control over their learning. Some students who may not put questions in class may find it easier to ask through individualized computer instruction. The computer is helpful to struggling learners on account of the attribute of unlimited patience. On the other hand, fast learners who develop boredom on traditional learning modes find the challenges interesting to overcome.
According to Brown et al. (1998), “educators are recognizing the potential that computers hold for connecting worldwide networks of researchers and learners” (p. 26). Technology use allows students to solve problems, research, collaborate and interact globally. Students that use technology as a tool and or a support for communicating with others play an active role rather than the passive one of recipients of information by a teacher or from reading textbooks. Students have the ability to learn and express themselves in their individual learning styles too. The teacher’s role also changes in this setting in that they will be able to play the role of facilitation, being able to formulate objectives for the students’ projects and enabling instruction to be on an individual basis. This accords students much more time.
References
Brand, M. (2005). The effects of student teaching on classroom management beliefs and skills, Journal of Research in Education, 4(12), 35-36.
Brown, D. G., Burg, J. J., & Dominick, J. L. (1998). A strategic plan for ubiquitous laptop computing. Communications of the ACM, 41(1), 26-31.
Coon, D. (2004). Introduction to psychology: gateways to mind and behavior (10th ed.). Belmont CA: Thomson Wadsworth.
Rowley, J. (2001). Knowledge management in pursuit of learning: the Learning with Knowledge Cycle, Journal of Information Science, 27(4), 227-237.