DARAGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Salvacion, Daraga, Albay

LESSON 11

AUSUBEL’S MEANINGFUL VERBAL

LEARNING/SUBSUMPTION THEORY

Prof. Abelardo B. Medes

 DARAGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Salvacion, Daraga, Albay

OBJECTIVES

1. Explain Ausubel’s Subsumption theory

2. Determine the use of graphic organizers
3. Use advance graphic organizers for a topic presentation
 DARAGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Salvacion, Daraga, Albay

PRIMING ACTIVITY

1.Study the Graphic Organizer

2. Read the words found in each
box.
3. Examine how the lines connect
the boxes.
4. Describe the graphic organizer,
specifically on how the words are
related to each other.
 DARAGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Salvacion, Daraga, Albay

ANALYSIS

1. Why was the graphic organizer presented before the

discussion of the topic?
2. How can a graphic organizer help the students?
 DARAGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Salvacion, Daraga, Albay

KEY LEARNING POINTS

Ausubel’s theory is concerned with how individuals learn large amounts of
meaningful material from verbal/textual presentations in a school setting (in
contrast to theories developed in the context of laboratory experiments).
According to Ausubel, learning is based upon the kinds of superordinate,
representational, and combinatorial processes that occur during the reception of
information. A primary process in learning is subsumption in which new material
is related to relevant ideas in the existing cognitive structure on a substantive,
non-verbatim basis. Cognitive structures represent the residue of all learning
experiences; forgetting occurs because certain details get integrated and lose their
individual identity.
 DARAGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Salvacion, Daraga, Albay

KEY LEARNING POINTS

It centers on the idea that learners can more effectively acquire new knowledge
if it is tied to their existing knowledge base, and that only unique information
that stands out within the lesson is committed to memory

According to Ausubel’s Subsumption Theory, a learner absorbs new

information by tying it to existing concepts and ideas that they have already
acquired. Rather than building an entirely new cognitive structure, they are
able to relate it to information that is already present within their minds.
 DARAGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Salvacion, Daraga, Albay

KEY LEARNING POINTS

▪ The most important factor influencing learning is the quantity, clarity and
organization of the learner’s present knowledge.

▪ Meaningful learning takes place when an idea to be learned is related in

some sensible way to ideas that the leaner already possesses.
 DARAGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Salvacion, Daraga, Albay

KEY LEARNING POINTS

Meaningful learning can take place through four processes:

Derivative subsumption is when you add new things to existing cognitive

structures, linking them to concepts already known. Example: Learners might
have a general concept about “mammal” in mind. Then new information such
as elephant, rabbit, and whales are all mammals can be added into our
previous idea.
 DARAGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Salvacion, Daraga, Albay

KEY LEARNING POINTS

Meaningful learning can take place through four processes:

Correlative subsumption is when you add new details to what you already
know, usually a higher-order concept. Examine this example. Now, let’s say
you see a new kind of bird that has a really big body and long strong legs. It
doesn’t fly but it can run fast. In order to accommodate this new information,
you have to change or expand your concept of what a bird is. You have learned
about thus new kind of bird through the process of correlative subsumption.
In a sense, you might say that this is mire “valuable” learning than that of
derivative subsumption, since it enriches the higher-level concept.
 DARAGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Salvacion, Daraga, Albay

KEY LEARNING POINTS

Meaningful learning can take place through four processes:

Superordinate subsumption introduces a new higher-level concept into which

already existing categories can be integrated. Imagine that a child was well
acquainted with banana, mango,dalandan, guava etc., but the child did not
know, until she was taught, that these were all example of fruits. In this case,
the child already knew a lot examples for the concept, but did not know the
concept itself until it was taught to her. This is superordinate learning.
 DARAGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Salvacion, Daraga, Albay

KEY LEARNING POINTS

Meaningful learning can take place through four processes:
Combinatorial subsumption. This is when newly acquired knowledge combines with
prior knowledge to enrich the understanding of both concepts. The first three learning
processes all included new information that relates to a hierarchy at a level that is either
below or above previously acquired knowledge. Combinational learning is different; it
describes a process by which the new idea is derived from another idea that is neither
higher nor lower in hierarchy, butat the same level (in a different, but related, “branch”).
It is a lot like as learning by analogy. For example, to teach someone about how plants
“breathe” you might relate it to previously acquired knowledge of how plants “breathe”
you might relate it to previously acquired knowledge of human respiration where man
inhales oxygen and exhales carbon dioxide.
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Salvacion, Daraga, Albay

KEY LEARNING POINTS

ADVANCE ORGANIZERS
Ausubel’s idea of an “advance organizer” is to relate what a student already
knows to the new content to be learned and thus increase retention. Advance
organizers should be at a higher level of abstraction, generality, and
inclusiveness than the content to be presented. Although not technically
advance organizers, some faculty may choose to provide overviews, outlines,
statements of objectives, pre-instructional questions, etc. for similar reasons
(Chen & Hirumi, 2009).
 DARAGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Salvacion, Daraga, Albay

KEY LEARNING POINTS

Advance Organizers ARE:
▪ Organizational cues
▪ Tools that help connect the known to the unknown
▪ Frameworks for helping students understand what it is they’ll be
learning
Advance organizers are NOT:
▪ A review of what was covered in the previous class session
▪ A simple overview
▪ Recalling what was done last week or last year
▪ Telling the students about tomorrow
▪ Recalling a personal experience and relating it to what will be learned
▪ Stating the objectives of the lesson
 DARAGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Salvacion, Daraga, Albay

KEY LEARNING POINTS

Types of Advance Organizers

1. Expository- describes the new content.

2. Narrative- presents the new information in the form of a story
to students
3. Skimming- is done by looking over the new material to gain a
basic overview.
4. Graphic organizer- visual to set up or outline the new
information. This may include pictographs, descriptive patterns,
concept patterns, concept maps.
 DARAGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Salvacion, Daraga, Albay

KEY LEARNING POINTS

https://3starlearningexperiences.wordpress.com/tag/subsu
mption-theory/
 DARAGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Salvacion, Daraga, Albay

KEY LEARNING POINTS

https://3starlearningexperiences.wordpress.com/tag/subsu
mption-theory/
 DARAGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Salvacion, Daraga, Albay

ASSESSMENT TASK (FOR INCLUSION IN THE SHOWCASE PORTFOLIO)

1. In your own words, explain Ausubel’s subsumption theory.

2. Choose a topic in a specific subject area ( in which case you are BEED
students, hence, subject in elementary). Obtain a material such as
book chapter about this topic and prepare an advance organizer about
it.
 DARAGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Salvacion, Daraga, Albay

REFLECTION WRITING (FOR INCLUSION IN THE SHOWCASE PORTFOLIO)

From the lessons on Ausubel’s theory,

1. What did you realize?

2. What are your thoughts of what you have read and experienced?
3. What did you understand about the material?
4. How will you apply the subsumption theory?

.
 DARAGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Salvacion, Daraga, Albay

INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITY (FOR SUBMISSION)

1. Collect different examples of advance graphic organizers. Indicate how

each is used.
2. Submit to your class leader.

.
DARAGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Salvacion, Daraga, Albay