discovery method

American  

noun

Education.

1. a largely unstructured, situational method or philosophy of teaching whereby students are permitted to find solutions to problems on their own or at their own pace, often jointly in group activities, either independent of or under the guidance of a teacher.

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Etymology

Origin of discovery method

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

The development team worked to resolve differences between those who would like to see math instruction focus on computation and those who prefer the discovery method that focuses on higher-level problem solving.

From US News • Mar. 10, 2010

And the best of John Dewey's liberating progressive education, with its joy in learning, is a powerful precursor of the discovery method.

From Time Magazine Archive

The system was called the "discovery method," and it quickly spread to the other sciences as university scholars joined with public school teachers to revise curriculums.

From Time Magazine Archive

Spot checks, however, indicate that students who have mastered the new approach do well on college entrance exams and have little difficulty in their college science courses�even though these rarely employ the discovery method.

From Time Magazine Archive

The "discovery method" of lab experimentation, which is central in the new physics, has been pooh-poohed by critics as make-believe exercises in which students are supposed to discover "what is already generally known."

From Time Magazine Archive