Ausubel’s Meaningful

Verbal Learning/ Bruner’s

constructivist Theory
 Ausubel’s Meaningful Verbal Learning
 Many educational psychology theories often criticize the expository or
presentational manner of teaching. They say that the teachers assume such
major role in learning as providers of information, while students remain as
passive receivers of information.

 David Ausubel, instead of criticizing this manner of teaching, proposed ways

of improving it. He suggested the use of advance organizers. His ideas are
contained in his theory of Meaningful Verbal Learning.

 The main theme of Ausubel’s Theory is that knowledge is hierarchically

organized; the new information is meaningful to the extent that it can be related
(attached, anchored) to what is already known. It is about how individuals learn
large amount of meaningful verbal material from verbal/textual representation in
a school setting. He proposed the use of advance organizer as a tool for
learning.
 Subsumption
Theory

Four processes for

Meaningful Reception of Advance
Meaningful
Information Organizer
Learning

Derivative Expository
Learner’s Cognitive
Subsumption
Structure
Narrative
Correlative
Subsumption
Use of Advance
Graphic Organizer Skimming
Superordinate
Subsumption
Graphic
Subsumption Combinational Organizer
Subsumption
Focus of Ausubel’s Theory

1. The most important factor influencing learning id the

quantity, clarity and organization of the learner’s present
knowledge. This comprises his/her cognitive structure.

2. The way to strengthen the student’s cognitive structure is

by using advance organizers that allow students to already
have a bird’s eye view or to see the “big picture” of the
topic to be learned even before going the details.
Four Processes for Meaningful Learning

●Derivative Subsumption:
- Describe the situation in which the new information you
learn is an example of a concept that you have already
learned.

●Correlative Subsumption:
- Higher-level concept of thinking.
Superordinate Subsumption:
-You are already familiar with the things but
did not know the concept itself until it was
taught.

Combinatorial Learning:
-When the newly acquired knowledge
combines with prior knowledge to enrich the
understanding of both concepts.
 Advance Organizer:

-Is a major tool proposed by Ausubel and it gives 2

benefits:

1.You will find it easier to connect new information with

what you already know about the topic.

2.You can readily see how the concepts in a certain are

related to each other.
Types of Organizers

Expository
● Describe the new content.

Narrative
● Presents the new information in the form of a story
to students.
Skimming
● Is done by looking over the new material to
gain a basic overview.

Graphic Organizer
● Visuals to set up or outline the new information.
This may include pictographs, descriptive
patterns, concept patterns, concept maps, Venn
diagram.
 Bruner’s
Constructivist Theory
Jerome Seymour Bruner
-one of the first proponents of constructivism.

Constructivism – is an epistemological belief about what

“knowing” is and how one “come to know.”

Constructivism reject the notions that:

1. Knowledge is an identifiable entity with absolute truth value.
2. Meaning can be passed on to learners via symbols or
permission,
3. learners can incorporate exact copies of teacher’s
understanding for their own use.
“learning is an active process in which
learners construct new ideas or concepts
based upon their current/past knowledge.”

-major theme in the theoretical framework of

bruner.
BRUNER’S MAIN CONCEPTS

1.Representation
Modes of Representing Understanding:

a.Enactive representation- children learn about the world

through actions on physical objects and the outcomes of
these actions.
- Represent objects in terms of immediate
sensations.
- Represented in the muscles and involve responses
or ways to manipulate the environment.
 b. Iconic – obtained through using models and pictures.
- The learner can now use mental images to stand fro
certain objects or events.
c. Symbolic representation – the learner has developed
the ability to think abstract terms.

2. Spiral Curriculum – Instruction needs to be anchored on

the learner’s cognitive capabilities.

1. Readiness
2. Spiral Organization
3. Going beyond the information given
3. Discovery learning – refers to obtaining knowledge for
oneself.

Major Aspects in the theory of Instruction:

a. Predisposition to learn – “readiness for learning”.

b. Structure of knowledge - can be structured so that it
can be most readily gasped by the learner.
c. Effective Sequencing – presentation of lessons in
increasing difficulty.
d. Reinforcement – rewards and punishment that should be
selected and paced appropriately.
4. Categorization – Bruner believed that perception,
conceptualization, learning, decision making, and making
inferences all involved categorization.

Kinds of Categories:
1. Identify Categories – Include objects based on their
attributes or features.

2. Equivalent Categories – Provide rules for combining

categories.

3. Coding Systems – serve to recognize sensory input.

“People interpret the world mostly in
terms of similarities and differences”.

- Valuable contribution to how individuals

construct their own models or view on the world.
 References

http://www.slideshare.net/cutie_maine_026/ausubels=mea
ninful-verbal-learning
http://www.slideshare.net/angelmaelongakit/ausubels-
meaningful-verbal-learning
http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/w/x/wxh139/construct.h
tm
 Thank you!!!!

Prepared by:

Gambol, Donna Grace M.

Gordo, Analene G.
Gumawa, Jessrelle O.
Hilario, Coren Grace A.
Ilustre, Annavei G.