What is Ausubel theory of learning?
Definition. 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'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.
Summary: The Subsumption Learning Theory was developed in 1963 by the American psychologist David Ausubel. The theory focuses on how individuals acquire and learn large chunks of information through visual means or text materials.
"David Ausubel theorized that people acquire knowledge primarily by being exposed directly to it rather than through discovery" (Woolfolk et al., 2010, p. 288) In other words, Ausubel believed that an understanding of concepts, principles, and ideas is achieved through deductive reasoning.
According to Ausubel, learning is based upon the kinds of superordinate, representational, and combinatorial processes that occur during the reception of information.
schema and learning theory
American psychologist David Ausubel introduced his “meaningful learning theory” in Educational Psychology: A Cognitive View (1968). He argued that there is a hierarchical organization of knowledge and that new information can be incorporated into the already existing hierarchy.
Meaningful learning teaches students important cognitive skills they will use throughout their life. Cognitive skills are what students use to evaluate, analyze, remember and make comparisons. In the long run, meaningful learning is the most effective way for students to engage in learning.
Making learning meaningful is important to children's understanding of the learning concepts and the world around them. Teachers make learning meaningful when they, link new learning to children's previous experience, relate concepts to children's lives and provide children with hands-on learning.
Meaningful learning refers to the concept that the learned knowledge (lets say a fact) is fully understood by the individual and that the individual knows how that specific fact relates to other stored facts (stored in your brain that is).
Ausubel's learning theory is one of the most important for teaching/learning the more content in short time. Developing thinking skills in students requires specific instruction and practice rather than application.
What is discovery learning Ausubel?
Ausube believes that learning of new knowledge relies on what is already known. That is, construction of knowledge begins with our observation and recognition of events and objects through concepts we already have. We learn by constructing a network of concepts and adding to them.
An example of meaningful learning is to understand how multiple mathematical formulae can be derived from a single formula, rather than memorizing all of them by rote.

An understanding of learning theories helps teachers connect to all different kinds of students. Teachers can focus on different learning styles to reach different students, creating teaching that focuses directly on student needs and aptitudes.
Definition. Advance organizers are pedagogic devices that bridge the gap between what learners already know and what learners need to know (Ausubel 1968, 2000).
Ausubel's theory consists of three phases, presentation of an advance organizer, presentation of learning task or material, and strengthening the cognitive organization. The main elements of Ausubel's model are shown in Figure 2.34.
The Meaningful Learning Theory is attributed to David Ausubel. This theory says that learners learn through a meaningful process of relating new events to already existing concepts.
- Connect Content With Meaning. My student found no reason to remember facts which meant little to her personally. ...
- Discourage Rote Memorization. ...
- Encourage Self-Testing. ...
- Let Students Figure Out the Problem. ...
- Give Frequent, Low-Stakes Assessments. ...
- Don't Penalize Errors Harshly.
Learning dimensions are clusters of attitudes, values and dispositions, rather than capabilities or skills. They frame the way you approach a new learning opportunity. They: Are personal qualities necessary for learning. Enable awareness understanding and performance.
The TIM incorporates five interdependent characteristics of meaningful learning environments: active, collaborative, constructive, authentic, and goal-directed.
Focused as it is on identifying the characteristics of meaningful learning according to the constructivist paradigm, this review has singled out three main features: (1) meaningful learning as 'active building‐up process'; (2) meaningful learning as change; (3) meaningful learning as 'experience‐mediated knowledge'.
What makes a learning experience successful?
A good learning experience focuses on being authentic, interactive, and collaborative to enhance engagement and improve knowledge retention. Besides, it adds value to the learner, encourages social learning, promotes learner self-assessment, and is inquiry-based.
Results: According to the results of this study, the best teaching approach is the mixed method (student-centered together with teacher-centered) plus educational planning and previous readiness.
Learning can be interesting if we incorporate mystery into our lessons. Don't just share the information present the same in a mysterious ways? Present the lesson in a unique and unusual way. Try giving a new clue to the students every day until the very last day of the lesson.
Research has shown that an engaged learning environment increases students' attention and focus, promotes meaningful learning experiences, encourages higher levels of student performance, and motivates students to practice higher-level critical thinking skills.
Ausubel's learning theory is one of the most important for teaching/learning the more content in short time. Developing thinking skills in students requires specific instruction and practice rather than application.
Ausube believes that learning of new knowledge relies on what is already known. That is, construction of knowledge begins with our observation and recognition of events and objects through concepts we already have. We learn by constructing a network of concepts and adding to them.
Ausubel's theory consists of three phases, presentation of an advance organizer, presentation of learning task or material, and strengthening the cognitive organization. The main elements of Ausubel's model are shown in Figure 2.34.
Ausubel (1918 - ) contributed much to cognitivelearning theory in his explaination of meaningful verbal learning which he sawas the predominant method of classroom learning. To Ausubel, meaning was aphenomenon of consciousness and not of behavior.
Experts emphasize the importance of deep understanding over the recalling of facts. Students who learn with meaningful learning are able to problem solve better than those who learn by rote. Meaningful learning teaches students important cognitive skills they will use throughout their life.
Meaningful learning refers to the concept that the learned knowledge (lets say a fact) is fully understood by the individual and that the individual knows how that specific fact relates to other stored facts (stored in your brain that is).
What is an example of meaningful learning?
An example of meaningful learning is to understand how multiple mathematical formulae can be derived from a single formula, rather than memorizing all of them by rote.
An understanding of learning theories helps teachers connect to all different kinds of students. Teachers can focus on different learning styles to reach different students, creating teaching that focuses directly on student needs and aptitudes.
- Connect Content With Meaning. My student found no reason to remember facts which meant little to her personally. ...
- Discourage Rote Memorization. ...
- Encourage Self-Testing. ...
- Let Students Figure Out the Problem. ...
- Give Frequent, Low-Stakes Assessments. ...
- Don't Penalize Errors Harshly.
Because of this, David Ausubel studied the differences between these two learning types and developed his theory of meaningful learning from them.
- Expository – describes new knowledge.
- Narrative – presents new information in story format.
- Skimming – skimming through information.
- Graphic Organizers – pictographs, descriptive or conceptual patterns, concept maps.
Definition. Advance organizers are pedagogic devices that bridge the gap between what learners already know and what learners need to know (Ausubel 1968, 2000).