The Discovery Strategy and Inexhaustible Energy
After we learn about a concept in class, I like to have the students explore further on their own. Using their new knowledge, along with other research gathered along the way, students solve a real-world problem relating to the concepts learned. The students use an Engineering Design Process (EDP), which is similar to the Scientific Method. It is a step-by-step process that guides students to their best possible solution to the problem.
For example, my 7th grade students explore technology and the environment. One topic that we discuss is inexhaustible energy sources like solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal. Once the students learn the basics of how the power source works, they explore further by using inductive reasoning. I start by having a mini-lesson on what inductive reasoning is so that students can be thorough in their attempts to solve the problem. Then I give them a challenge. The most popular challenge is for the students to design and build the most efficient propeller system for our model wind turbine from Kelvin. The turbine that we have is a lot like the one in the image below.
Students design their propellers using the Engineering Design Process, and when they have their final idea they build it out of recycled or found materials. Once they are built the students test them, analyze their results, and describe how they would improve them for next time. If time remains, the students actually improve their design and re-test, which gives them the opportunity to compare/contrast designs and results.
After reading about the discovery strategy, I found that the advantages described were very accurate compared to my experiences with it. Because we use the EDP in each STEM curriculum, the students become used to the procedure. They also really enjoy the hands-on nature of the challenge and the friendly competition that goes along with it. The students also have the opportunity to collaborate for the challenge. These are all advantages to using the discovery strategy in the classroom.
The disadvantages that I read about were spot-on as well. For one, time is a major factor. Students work and learn at different paces. It is definitely time-consuming for them to design and build a solution that they are happy with, especially if they collaborate and must agree on these things. Some students work quickly, so it works well to have them improve and re-test their designs to see if they can generate a higher voltage. However, there are always some students that need the extra time. They come in for study hall to finish.
Currently, the only technology used in this lesson is the PowerPoint presentation that I use to go over wind power, and a video about real wind turbines in Denmark. One way to add technology to this lesson would be for the students to use the tablets to document their EDP along the way using digital images and videos. They could post these images and videos to a Google Slideshow and share it with me and other students. This would help students remember progress points between classes (I see them every three school days), and would allow students who were absent to see what they missed. It would also prevent students from losing their work, as it will be stored online rather than on a paper.
Image of Model Turbine from:
KELVIN® Experimental Wind Turbine with Assembled Transformer / Wind-Up Generator. (n.d.). Retrieved March 20, 2016, from http://kelvin.com/kelvina-experimental-wind-turbine-with-assembled-transformer-wind-up-generator/
Information on the Discovery Strategy from:
Smaldino, S. E., Lowther, D. L., Russell, J. D., & Mims, C. (2015). Instructional technology and media for learning (11th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.
