Compare the efficiency of discovery learning to rote learning, including the results of an experiment, which involved calculating the area of a parallelogram

What will be an ideal response?

Answer will include that rote learning involves repetition and memorization, while in discovery learning, skills are gained by insight and understanding. Although rote learning is efficient, many psychologists believe that learning is more lasting and flexible when people discover facts and principles on their own. In one experiment, two groups of students were taught to calculate the area of a parallelogram, one which memorized the rule and the other which saw that a "piece" of a parallelogram could be "moved" to create a rectangle. Later, when both groups were presented with new or unusual problems, the ones who had just memorized a rule (rote learning) became confused, while the other group who had gained insight into similarities of different forms was able to solve the new problems.