Jerome Bruner and The Discovery Learning Model

Jerome Bruner is an American psychologist who is known for his contribution to the cognitive learning theory. At the age of 100, he’s currently a senior research fellow at New York University School of Law and still teaches courses. Bruner is widely known for his early research on sense and perception, and he is also well known for the discovery learning model, which implies that students construct their own knowledge for themselves.

Bruner's Influence on Developmental and Educational Psychology

In 1967, Bruner turned his attention to the subject of developmental psychology and studied the way children learn and believed that learning is supposed to be active.

In 1966, Bruner proposed three modes of representation for learning (these integrate into one another):

Enactive representation (action-based)
Iconic representation (image-based)
Symbolic representation (language-based)

Introduced “The Discovery Learning Model”

This theory encourages learners to build on past experiences and knowledge, use their intuition, imagination and creativity, and search for new information to discover new truths. Learning does not equal absorbing what was said or read, but actively seeking for answers and solutions.

Learn more about Jerome Bruner's influence in the psychology field

Discovery Learning Model: Bruner Takes Learning to the Next Level

Bruner's discovery learning model represents how instructors should let students search for knowledge within the classroom

Principle One: Problem Solving

Instructors should guide and motivate learners to seek for solutions by combining existing and newly acquired information and then simplifying knowledge. Learners take an active role and establish broader applications for skills through activities.

Principle Two: Learner Management

Instructors should allow participants to work either alone or with others, and learn at their own pace. This learning strategy relieves stress on students and makes them feel they own learning.

Principle Three: Integrating and Connecting

Instructors should teach learners how to combine prior knowledge, such as prior life experience with new and encourage them to connect to the real world.

Principle Four: Information Analysis and Interpretation

Discovery learning is process-oriented and not content-oriented. Learners in fact learn to analyze and interpret the acquired information, rather than memorize the correct answer.

Principle Five: Failure and Feedback

Learning doesn’t only occur when we find the right answers. It also occurs through failure. Discovery learning does not focus on the end result, but rather in the process. It is also the instructor’s responsibility to provide feedback, since without it learning is incomplete.

Applying the Model in the Classroom

Discovery learning model objective: learners reach the end result on their own.

The discovery learning educational sessions should be well-designed, highly experiential and interactive. Instructors should use stories, games, visual aids and other attention-grabbing techniques that will build curiosity and interest, and lead learners in new ways of thinking, acting and reflecting. By exploring and manipulating situations, struggling with questions and controversies, or by performing experiments, learners are more likely to remember concepts and newly acquired knowledge.