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GENERATIVE LEARNING

 

Generative learning has been called the "practical cousin" to constructivism (Bonn & Grabowski, 2001), and it provides a disciplined and evidence-banced perspective on learning, making it a "second cousin" to behaviorism. 

 

It is about how learners learn (from both a neural and cognitive perspective), and then about how teachers should then teach.   

 

It is the practical synthesis of many theoretical perspectives.  

WHY DO WE CARE ABOUT "GENERATIVE LEARNING?"

   We care because it is a very practical perspective on learning and teaching, and allows us to bring the widest array of evidence to bear in our instruction.  

 

    The premise is simple as Barbara Grobowski (2003, p. 720) presents it: 

 

 

The learner is not a passive recipient of information; rather he or she is an active participant in the learning process, working to constuct meaningful understanding of information found in the environment. Wittrock (1974) states, "Although a student may not understand sentences spoken to him by his teacher; it is highly likely that a student understands sentences that he generates himself" (p. 182).  

 

 

...the learner is an active participant in the learning process, working to construct meaningful understanding...

Barbara Grabowski (2003)

What is Generative Learning?

   Based on the principle that it is the learner who actively constructs understanding, generative learning is about what the learner does to learn, and about what the instructor can do to facilitate that.  In every case, we see the learner as the active participant.  The trick is to encourage them to "activate."  In generative learning, the goal is to get the learner actively wrestling with the content to make meaning of it, or to acquire the skill.  

 

 

 

 

Examples of Generative Learning Activities

 The following generative learning activities have been shown to produce significant increases in learner achievements:

  • Writing summaries during note taking

  • Writing notes pen-and-paper

  • Creating adjunct questions

  • Creating adjunct post-questions

  • Developing organization headings

  • Diagramming relationships

  • Individual and group concept mapping

  • Manipulating objects physically

  • Manipulating objects with a mouse

  • Concept vs semantic maps

  • Creating elaborative sentences

  • Creating elaborative examples

  • Articulating a story around a phenomenon

  • Making summaries and analogies

  • Verbally describing images

  • Underlining

  • Students actings as teachers

  • Students articulating performance objectives

  • Self-questining 

  • Drawing pictures

  • Debating poiints

  • Questioning

  • Reflecting on experiences and describing lessons learned

 

 

 

 

 

Click on the .pdf icon to view a Generative Learning Concept Map. 

References

 

Bonn, K. L., Grabowski, B.L. (January, 2001). Generative learning theory: A practical cousin to constructivism. Paper presented at the Joint Meeting of Mathematics, New Orleans, LA. 

 

Grabowski, B. L. (2003). Generative learning contributions to instructional design. In D. H. Jonassen (Ed.), Handbook for Research on Educational Communications and Technology (2nd ed., pp. 719-744). New York, NY: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

 

Wittrock, M. C. (1974). A generative model of mathematics education. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 5(4), 181-196. 

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