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Guided Discovery Learning Path

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About This MicroSim

Explore the 9-step guided discovery process that balances exploration with structure.

Learning Objectives

  1. Implement a guided discovery sequence in MicroSim design
  2. Understand the purpose of each step in the process
  3. Compare guided discovery to pure discovery learning

How to Use

  1. Navigate Steps: Use Previous/Next buttons or click path nodes
  2. Read Details: Each step shows example guidance and purpose
  3. Compare: Toggle "Show Pure Discovery" to see what's missing without guidance
  4. Auto-play: Watch the complete sequence unfold automatically

The 9 Steps

Step Purpose
1. Pose Question Focus the exploration
2. Constrain Variables Prevent confusion
3. Explore Freely Hands-on discovery
4. Prompt Observation Guide attention
5. Form Hypothesis Deepen engagement
6. Test Prediction Build confidence
7. Confirm Discovery Positive validation
8. Connect to Theory Link to formal knowledge
9. Transfer Apply to new contexts

Lesson Plan

Grade Level: Undergraduate Duration: 15-20 minutes Bloom's Level: Apply (L3)

Activities

  1. Walkthrough (5 min): Step through all 9 stages
  2. Analysis (5 min): Toggle comparison to see value of each step
  3. Design Exercise (10 min): Apply this framework to design a guided discovery MicroSim for a concept of your choice

Assessment

Students demonstrate mastery by:

  • Explaining the purpose of each step
  • Designing a guided discovery sequence for a new topic
  • Articulating why pure discovery often fails

References