NYSTCE English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Practice Test

Which learning style allows students to perform experiments to understand new concepts?

1. Discovery Learning

2. Cognates

3. Underextension

4. Schema

The correct answer is: Discovery Learning

Discovery Learning is a teaching approach that emphasizes active participation and exploration. In this style, students engage in hands-on experiments and directly interact with materials or phenomena to uncover information and gain insights about new concepts. This experiential form of learning allows students to build their understanding through observation, manipulation, and trial and error, fostering critical thinking and retention of knowledge. By contrast, the other choices do not encapsulate this exploratory and experimental aspect. Cognates refer to words in different languages that share a similar meaning and origin, which helps in vocabulary acquisition rather than facilitating a hands-on learning experience. Underextension is a term from semantic development that describes when a child uses a word in a more limited context than its intended meaning, which does not relate to active experimentation or learning styles. Schema represents the cognitive framework or concepts that help organize and interpret information, but it does not inherently involve the active exploration of concepts. Thus, the essence of Discovery Learning is explicitly linked to performing experiments and discovering new concepts through experience.