7e Learning cycle

7e Learning cycle

The 7e Learning cycle is an expansion of the 5e Learning cycle.

Comparison of the 5e and 7e learning cycles

5e Learning cycle	7e Learning cycle
engage	elicit engage
explore	explore
explain	explain
elaborate/extend	elaborate
evaluate	evaluate
	extend

The model differs from the 5e Learning cycle in two ways. The engage element is expanded into elicit and engage. This places a greater emphasis on prior experience and eliciting tacit knowledge that can be used as a foundation for the learning to come.
Elaborate and evaluate are expanded into elaborate, evaluate and extend. This mostly aims to differentiate between the 2 types of 'elaboration' possible in the 5e model. The elaboration phase of the 7e Learning cycle is limited to elaborating on the current situation (e.g. introducing/changing parameters), while the post-evaluation extend phase involves transfering newly acquired skills and knowledge to new situations within the domain.

Links

• A good overview and example of the 7e Learning cycle from the man who developed it

. http://www.its-about-time.com/htmls/ap/eisenkrafttst.pdf

The 7-E’s Learning Cycle

Phase 1: Elicit

Determining prior knowledge: “What do you know about..?”

Phase 2: Engage

Arouse student interest by using a discrepant event, telling a story, giving a demonstration, or by showing an object, picture, or brief video. Motivate and capture student interest.

Phase 3: Explore

Have students work with manipulative (e.g., natural objects, models) to make observations, investigate a question or phenomenon. Have students make predictions, develop hypotheses, design experiments, collect data, draw conclusions, and so forth. Teacher role is to provide support and scaffolding. Student role is to construct understanding through active experience.

Phase 4: Explain

Students report findings and discoveries to the class. Teacher allows opportunities to verbalize and clarify the concept; introduces concepts and terms and summarizes the results of the exploration phase. Teacher explanations, texts, and media are used to guide learning.

Phase 5: Elaborate

Have students apply the newly learned concepts to new contexts. Pose a different (but similar) question and have students explore it using the concept.

Phase 6: Evaluate

Use the formative assessment from Elicit Phase and assess: for example, the design of the investigation, the interpretation of the data, or follow-through on questions, looking for student growth. Growth is the desired change in the students’ understanding of key concepts, principles, and skills in a differentiated classroom. Expectations vary according to the student’s beginning point. Summative assessment may be used here to measure achievement and assign a grade.

Phase 7: Extend

Lead students to connect the concept to different contexts, transfer new learning.

“Teaching Constructivist Science K-8” by Bentley, Ebert, and Ebert; Corwin Press, 2007, pg. 117-119.

5E

7E