3. Constructivist learning theory, Bloom’s Taxonomy and Bruner’s Discovery Learning

"The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery" - Mark Van Doren

Bloom’s Taxonomy and Bruner’s Discovery Learning are the constructivist methodologies that the inform my teaching practice. Using questioning as a way of driving the lesson and to improve student engagement and exploration.

Bloom’s Taxonomy and Bruner’s Discovery Learning, inform my teaching practice and create a constructivist methodology focused around student engagement and exploration. Bloom’s taxonomy allows me to guide the students from reality to abstraction through lower order and progressing to higher order questioning or engagement. The taxonomy was formulated on principles that learning proceeds from concrete knowledge to abstract values, from dependent to independent thinking, from taken- for-granted facts to increased consciousness, and from the denotative to the connotative (Hamblen, 1984, p. 42). Ranging from basic concepts, where the students say what they see, to them examining a work of art by focusing on comparing and contrasting, to finally stage create where they construct their own artefact (Hamblen, 1984).

Bruner's discovery learning works in tangent with this as the students engage with materials and conduct experiments, which helps them move from Bloom’s lower order up to higher order. Discovery learning is an inquiry-based, constructivist learning theory that takes place in problem solving situations where the learner draws on his or her own past experience and existing knowledge to discover facts students interact with the world by exploring and manipulating objects, wrestling with questions and controversies, or performing experiments (Learning Theories).

Using questioning to drive each lesson allowed the students to get involved in the class delivery. When teaching moved online, exploration learning became more important for student's development as lessons became more self-directed.

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Reference:

Hamblen, K. A. (1984) An art criticism questioning strategy within the framework of Bloom's taxonomy. Studies in art education, 26(1), pp. 41-50.

Learning Theories. Discovery Learning (Bruner). URL = https://www.learning-theories.com/discovery-learning-bruner.html